The Peach State sent 119 players to the NFL for the 2016 season, and they're spread out all over the league and from a variety of schools.
Video: Cam Newton high school highlights
See the Westlake High alum in action back when he was a prep.Who's got the ultimate bragging rights when it comes to sending players to the NFL from the high school ranks in Georgia?
To
find out, MaxPreps and Lateral Sports teamed up and found the alma
mater of every player on an NFL roster as of opening day (we included
suspended and injured reserve players). Then we broke it all down by
state and came up with the table below.
You will find that Georgia has sent 119 players to the league this season, and that more
come from Stephenson, Peachtree Ridge and Westlake (four each) than any other school in the state, followed by three each from Carver and North Gwinnett.
Want some more fun facts? How about these:
- Every NFL team has at least one player from a Georgia high school. But the numbers vary wildly. The San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings only had one Georgia player each on their opening day rosters, representing the low point, while the Kansas City Chiefs had eight, followed by seven for the Cincinnati Bengals and six each for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
- AFC teams love Georgia players way more than the NFC teams. The balance is 49 from NFC teams to 70 for AFC teams. But the NFC South does recognize the value of the state with 15 Georgia alums.
- The 2008 Carver (Columbus) team featured three future NFL players. Freshman Isaiah Crowell (running back, Browns), senior Chris Hubbard (guard, Steelers) and senior Jarvis Jones (linebacker, Steelers). And of course that means that Hubbard and Jones were reunited in Pittsburgh as pros after playing together as preps.
- Peachtree Ridge has two pairs of prep teammates in the NFL. Drew Butler (Cardinals punter) and Cameron Heyward (Steelers defensive end) were on the 2006 team that went 11-3-1. Also, Bradley Roby (Broncos safety) and Kevin Minter (Cardinals linebacker) played together on the 2007 and 2008 teams. In 2008 they went 12-3 and in 2007 they were 8-4.
- Stephenson had a four-year stretch where a future NFL player was on the roster. Ronnie Shields (Seahawks TE) was on the 2008 and '09 teams, Preston Smith (Redskins LB) was on the 2010 roster and Mike Davis (49ers RB) was on the 2011 team.
- Other high school teammates in the NFL include: Darius Slay and Justin Coleman (Brunswick, 2008-10), Brice Butler and Max Garcia (Norcross, 2007), C.J. Uzomah and Juwuan James (North Gwinnett, 2008-09), Grady Jarrett and Neville Hewitt (Rockdale County, 2009-10) and Brynden Trawick and Jerick McKinnon (Sprayberry, 2007).
- If you're looking for future NFL talent in Georgia, look on the defensive side of the ball. Out of the 119 players, 72 are listed as defensive players.
2016 NFL players from Georgia high schools
Graphic by SocialRecluse Graphx
| Adairsville |
Vic Beasley |
LB |
Atlanta
Falcons |
| Arabia
Mountain |
Breshad Perriman |
WR |
Baltimore
Ravens |
| Brunswick |
Justin Coleman |
CB |
New
England Patriots |
| Brunswick |
Darius Slay |
CB |
Detroit
Lions |
| Buford |
Vadal Alexander |
OG |
Oakland
Raiders |
| Burke
County |
Cornelius Washington |
DE |
Chicago
Bears |
| Burke
County |
Davonte Lambert |
DT |
Tampa
Bay Buccaneers |
| Cairo |
J.J. Wilcox |
FS |
Dallas
Cowboys |
| Campbell |
Chris Lewis-Harris |
CB |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| Carrollton |
Jonathan Jones |
CB |
New
England Patriots |
| Carrollton |
Josh Harris |
LS |
Atlanta
Falcons |
| Carver |
Isaiah Crowell |
RB |
Cleveland
Browns |
| Carver |
Chris Hubbard |
G |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Carver |
Jarvis Jones |
OLB |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Cedar
Grove |
Gerald Rivers |
LB |
Houston
Texans |
| Chattahoochee |
Clint Boling |
G |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| Coffee |
Tyreek Hill |
WR |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Colquitt
County |
Cameron Erving |
OL |
Cleveland
Browns |
| Coosa |
Chris Jones |
P |
Dallas
Cowboys |
| Creekside |
Eric Berry |
FS |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Dodge
County |
Leonard Floyd |
OLB |
Chicago
Bears |
| Dooly
County |
Keith Mumphery |
WR |
Houston
Texans |
| Dougherty |
Daryl Smith |
LB |
Tampa
Bay Buccaneers |
| Douglas |
Garrison Smith |
DT |
Seattle
Seahawks |
| Douglas
County |
Mike Tolbert |
FB |
Carolina
Panthers |
| Douglass |
Akeem Dent |
ILB |
Houston
Texans |
| Dublin |
Erik Walden |
OLB |
Indianapolis
Colts |
| Dunwoody |
Corey White |
DB |
Buffalo
Bills |
| Early
County |
Shawn Williams |
SS |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| Eastside |
Sheldon Rankins |
DT |
New
Orleans Saints |
| Etowah |
Buster Skrine |
DB |
New
York Jets |
| Fayette
County |
Brandon Boykin |
DB |
Chicago
Bears |
| Flowery
Branch |
Connor Shaw |
QB |
Chicago
Bears |
| Grady |
Damian Swann |
CB |
New
Orleans Saints |
| Grayson |
Robert Nkemdiche |
DT |
Arizona
Cardinals |
| Greene
County |
Ronald Blair |
DE |
San
Francisco 49ers |
| Griffin |
Bobby Rainey |
RB |
New
York Giants |
| Griffin |
Corey Moore |
DB |
Houston
Texans |
| Habersham
Central |
Tavarres King |
WR |
New
York Giants |
| Hardaway |
Marcus Smith |
DE |
Philadelphia
Eagles |
| Hardaway |
Kelcie McCray |
SS |
Seattle
Seahawks |
| Harris
County |
Jordan Jenkins |
OLB |
New
York Jets |
| Hawkinsville |
Charles Johnson |
DE |
Carolina
Panthers |
| Hephzibah |
James Carpenter |
G |
New
York Jets |
| Hillgrove |
Kenyan Drake |
RB |
Miami
Dolphins |
Jackson (Atlanta)
|
Lorenzo Mauldin |
OLB |
New
York Jets |
| Jackson |
Neiron Ball |
OLB |
Oakland
Raiders |
| Jenkins |
Anthony Lanier |
DE |
Washington
Redskins |
| Jonesboro |
Harry Douglas |
WR |
Tennessee
Titans |
| Kell |
Brian Randolph |
DB |
Los
Angeles Rams |
| King |
Kevin Byard |
S |
Tennessee
Titans |
La
Grange
|
Wesley Woodyard |
ILB |
Tennessee
Titans |
| Lovejoy |
Chris Scott |
G |
Carolina
Panthers |
| Lovejoy |
Antwoine Williams |
LB |
Detroit
Lions |
| Lowndes |
Telvin Smith |
OLB |
Jacksonville
Jaguars |
| McIntosh
County |
Allen Bailey |
DE |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| McNair |
Robert Mathis |
OLB |
Indianapolis
Colts |
Monroe
|
Stephon Tuitt |
DE |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Newnan |
Alec Ogletree |
OLB |
Los
Angeles Rams |
| Norcross |
Brice Butler |
WR |
Dallas
Cowboys |
| Norcross |
Max Garcia |
OG |
Denver
Broncos |
| North
Clayton |
Morgan Burnett |
SS |
Green
Bay Packers |
| North
Cobb |
Darren Waller |
TE |
Baltimore
Ravens |
| North
Gwinnett |
C.J. Uzomah |
TE |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| North
Gwinnett |
Ja'Wuan James |
T |
Miami
Dolphins |
| North
Gwinnett |
Jared Cook |
TE |
Green
Bay Packers |
| North
Paulding |
Chris Conley |
WR |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Northgate |
Will Lutz |
K |
New
Orleans Saints |
| Northside |
Abry Jones |
DT |
Jacksonville
Jaguars |
| Northside |
Steven Nelson |
CB |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Oconee
County |
Zach Mettenberger |
QB |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Peach
County |
Demarcus Robinson |
WR |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Peachtree
Ridge |
Cameron Heyward |
DE |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Peachtree
Ridge |
Bradley Roby |
FS |
Denver
Broncos |
| Peachtree
Ridge |
Drew Butler |
P |
Arizona
Cardinals |
| Peachtree
Ridge |
Kevin Minter |
MLB |
Arizona
Cardinals |
| Perry |
Casey Hayward |
DB |
San
Diego Chargers |
| Randolph-Clay |
Thomas Davis |
OLB |
Carolina
Panthers |
| Riverdale |
Cordy Glenn |
T |
Buffalo
Bills |
| Rockdale
County |
Neville Hewitt |
OLB |
Miami
Dolphins |
| Rockdale
County |
Grady Jarrett |
DT |
Atlanta
Falcons |
| Rutland |
Marquette King |
P |
Oakland
Raiders |
| Sandy
Creek |
Rajion Neal |
RB |
Cleveland
Browns |
| Sandy
Creek |
Kedric Golston |
DE |
Washington
Redskins |
| Shaw |
Philip Wheeler |
OLB |
Atlanta
Falcons |
| Spalding |
Chris Mayes |
DT |
Atlanta
Falcons |
| Sprayberry |
Jerick McKinnon |
RB |
Minnesota
Vikings |
| Sprayberry |
Brynden Trawick |
DB |
Oakland
Raiders |
| Starr's
Mill |
Sam Martin |
P |
Detroit
Lions |
| Starr's
Mill |
Zach Laskey |
FB |
Los
Angeles Rams |
| Statesboro |
Justin Houston |
OLB |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Stephenson |
Kelvin Sheppard |
LB |
New
York Giants |
| Stephenson |
Preston Smith |
LB |
Washington
Redskins |
| Stephenson |
Mike Davis |
RB |
San
Francisco 49ers |
| Stephenson |
Ronnie Shields |
TE |
Seattle
Seahawks |
| Stockbridge |
Bruce Irvin |
LB |
Oakland
Raiders |
| Thomasville |
Brandon Thompson |
DT |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| Towers |
Da'Norris Searcy |
SS |
Tennessee
Titans |
| Troup
County |
Quan Bray |
WR |
Indianapolis
Colts |
| Tucker |
Dwayne Harris |
WR |
New
York Giants |
| Tucker |
A.J. Bouye |
CB |
Houston
Texans |
| Twiggs
County |
Darqueze Dennard |
CB |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| Union
Grove |
D.J. White |
CB |
Kansas
City Chiefs |
| Valdosta |
Malcolm Mitchell |
WR |
New
England Patriots |
| Ware
County |
Leodis McKelvin |
DB |
Philadelphia
Eagles |
| Washington |
Reshad Jones |
SS |
Miami
Dolphins |
| Wayne |
Tre Jackson |
OG |
New
England Patriots |
| Wayne County |
T.Y. McGill |
DT |
Indianapolis
Colts |
| Wesleyan |
David Andrews |
C |
New
England Patriots |
| West
Laurens |
Demaryius Thomas |
WR |
Denver
Broncos |
| Westlake |
Adam Jones |
CB |
Cincinnati
Bengals |
| Westlake |
Chance Warmack |
G |
Tennessee
Titans |
| Westlake |
Cam Newton |
QB |
Carolina
Panthers |
| Westlake |
Edwin Jackson |
LB |
Indianapolis
Colts |
| Westover |
Rashad Greene |
WR |
Jacksonville
Jaguars |
| Westover |
Trent Brown |
OT |
San
Francisco 49ers |
| Westside |
Kareem Jackson |
CB |
Houston
Texans |
| Wilkinson
County |
Bud Dupree |
OLB |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Woodward
Academy |
Henry Anderson |
DE |
Indianapolis
Colts |
