One school is responsible for four players in the league and another has three.
Video: Cyrus Kouandjio - Dematha, MD 2
See the top recruit in action when he plated at DeMatha.Who's got the ultimate bragging rights when it comes to sending players to the NFL from the high school ranks in Maryland?
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 Maryland has sent 39 players to the league this season, and that more
come from DeMatha than any
other school in the state.
Want some more fun facts? How about these:
- The two local NFL teams are also the most popular when it comes to signing Maryland players. Nobody has more Maryland players than the Washington Redskins with five and next on the list is the Baltimore Ravens with four. Twenty total teams have at least one Maryland player on the roster.
- Our Lady of Good Counsel had multiple future NFL players on its roster in 2008, 2010 and 2011 - with Stefon Diggs there each year. He teamed with Jelani Jenkins in 2008 when he was a freshman, and then in '10 and '11 Kendall Fuller.
- Three other schools had one year each with future NFL players on the same squad: Arie and Cyrus Kouandjio on the 2009 DeMatha team; Tavon Young and Ronald Darby on the 2011 Potomac team; Michael Campanaro and Kevin Johnson on the 2008 River Hill team.
- No AFC West teams have players from Maryland high schools.
- Maryland is most famous for cornerbacks. Out of the 39 players, nine are listed as cornerbacks, with four more listed as defensive backs.
- On the flip side, Maryland has no quarterbacks in the NFL and no kickers or punters.
2016 NFL players from Maryland high schools
Graphic by SocialRecluse Graphx
| Aberdeen |
Erin Henderson |
LB |
New
York Jets |
| Bishop
McNamara |
Brandon Coleman |
WR |
New
Orleans Saints |
| Bullis |
Tanard Jackson |
DB |
Washington
Redskins |
| Calvert
Hall |
Adrian Amos |
FS |
Chicago
Bears |
| City
College |
Charles Tapper |
DE |
Dallas
Cowboys |
| DeMatha |
Cyrus Kouandjio |
T |
Buffalo
Bills |
| DeMatha |
Cameron Wake |
DE |
Miami
Dolphins |
| DeMatha |
Rodney McLeod |
DB |
Philadelphia
Eagles |
| DeMatha |
Arie Kouandjio |
OG |
Washington
Redskins |
| Dunbar |
Tavon Austin |
WR |
Los
Angeles Rams |
| Eastern
Christian Academy |
Wendell Smallwood |
RB |
Philadelphia
Eagles |
| Friendly |
Joe Haden |
CB |
Cleveland
Browns |
| Gilman |
Cyrus Jones |
CB |
New
England Patriots |
| Gilman |
Brandon Copeland |
DE |
Detroit
Lions |
| Glen
Burnie |
Branden Albert |
OT |
Miami
Dolphins |
| Gwynn
Park |
Kyle Arrington |
CB |
Baltimore
Ravens |
| Hereford |
Andrew DePaola |
LS |
Tampa
Bay Buccaneers |
| Linganore |
Rob Havenstein |
OT |
Los
Angeles Rams |
| Loyola
Blakefield |
Terence Garvin |
LB |
Washington
Redskins |
| McDonogh |
Darrius Heyward-Bey |
WR |
Pittsburgh
Steelers |
| Mount
St. Joseph |
Kyle Fuller |
CB |
Chicago
Bears |
| Northwestern |
Terrance West |
RB |
Baltimore
Ravens |
| Northwestern |
Greg Toler |
DB |
Washington
Redskins |
| Our
Lady of Good Counsel |
Jelani Jenkins |
OLB |
Miami
Dolphins |
| Our
Lady of Good Counsel |
Stefon Diggs |
WR |
Minnesota
Vikings |
| Our
Lady of Good Counsel |
Kendall Fuller |
CB |
Washington
Redskins |
| Owings
Mills |
Donovan Smith |
OT |
Tampa
Bay Buccaneers |
| Patuxent |
Robert McClain |
DB |
Carolina
Panthers |
| Potomac |
Tavon Young |
CB |
Baltimore
Ravens |
| Potomac |
Ronald Darby |
CB |
Buffalo
Bills |
| Quince
Orchard |
Zach Kerr |
DE |
Indianapolis
Colts |
| River
Hill |
Michael Campanaro |
WR |
Baltimore
Ravens |
| River
Hill |
Kevin Johnson |
CB |
Houston
Texans |
| St.
John’s Prep |
Ego Ferguson |
DE |
Chicago
Bears |
| Suitland |
NaVorro Bowman |
ILB |
San
Francisco 49ers |
Western
Tech
|
Khari Lee |
TE |
Detroit
Lions |
| Wilde
Lake |
Zach Brown |
LB |
Buffalo
Bills |
| Wise |
Ryan Smith |
CB |
Tampa
Bay Buccaneers |
| Woodlawn |
Corey Fuller |
WR |
Detroit
Lions |
