States with most NFL Hall of Famers

By Staff Report Sep 13, 2012, 12:00am

California leads the way, but states like Wisconsin, Illinois and New Jersey also have plenty of legendary figures.

John Elway is one of 32 Hall of Fame football players to come from California.
John Elway is one of 32 Hall of Fame football players to come from California.
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame may be located in Canton, Ohio, but the men enshrined there come from all corners of the nation.

California has the top bragging rights of all the states, as the Golden State has 32 high school alums recognized in the famous space. Ohio comes in third at 24.

Here are the states with the most NFL Hall of Fame members:

1. California - 32
Marcus Allen, Lincoln (San Diego)
John Elway, Granada Hills
Tom Fears, Manual Arts (Los Angeles)
Dan Fouts, St. Ignatius (San Francisco)
Joe Gibbs, Santa Fe (Santa Fe Springs)
Frank Gifford, Bakersfield
Mike Haynes, Marshall (Los Angeles)
Jimmy Johnson, Kingsburg
John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg
James Lofton, George Washington Prep (Los Angeles)
Ronnie Lott, Eisenhower (Rialto)
John Madden, Jefferson (Daly City)
Gino Marchetti, Antioch
Ollie Matson, Washington (San Francisco)
Bruce Matthews, Arcadia
Hugh McElhenny, George Washington Prep (Los Angeles)
Ron Mix, Hawthorne
Warren Moon, Hamilton (Los Angeles)
Anthony Muñoz, Chaffey (Ontario)
Ernie Nevers, Superior Central (WI), Santa Rosa
Joe Perry, Jordan (Los Angeles)
Les Richter, Fresno
Pete Rozelle, Compton
Tex Schramm, Alhambra
O.J. Simpson, Galileo (San Francisco)
Bob St. Clair, San Francisco Polytechnic
Lynn Swann, Serra (San Mateo)
Norm Van Brocklin, Acalanes (Lafayette)
Bill Walsh, George Washington Prep (Los Angeles), Hayward
Bob Waterfield, Van Nuys
Ron Yary, Bellflower
Gary Zimmerman, Walnut




2. Pennsylvania - 27

Herb Adderley, Northeast (Philadelphia)
Chuck Bednarik, Bethlehem Catholic, Liberty (Bethlehem)
Bert Bell, Haverford School
Fred Biletnikoff, Erie Tech
George Blanda, Youngwood
Mike Ditka, Aliquippa
Ditka coached the 1985 Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl championship.
Ditka coached the 1985 Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl championship.
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Chris Doleman, Valley Forge Military (Wayne); William Penn (York)
Tony Dorsett, Hopewell (Aliquippa)
Bill George, Waynesburg Central (Waynesburg)
Russ Grimm, Southmoreland (Alverton)
Jack Ham, Bishop McCort (Johnstown)
Lamar Hunt, Hill School (Pottstown)
Stan Jones, Lemyone
Jim Kelly, East Brady
Leroy Kelly, Simon Gratz (Philadelphia)
Dan Marino, Central Catholic (Pittsburgh)
Curtis Martin, Taylor Allderdice (Pittsburgh)
Joe Montana, Ringgold (Monongahela)
Lenny Moore, Reading
Mike Munchak, Scranton
Joe Namath, Beaver Falls
Art Rooney, Duquesne, Indiana State Normal
Dan Rooney, North Catholic (Pittsburgh)
Joe Schmidt, Brentwood (Pittsburgh)
Charley Trippi, Pittston, LaSalle Academy
Emlen Tunnell, Radnor
Johnny Unitas, St. Justin's (Pittsburgh)

3. Ohio - 24
Cliff Battles, Kenmore (Akron)
Bob (Boomer) Brown, East Tech (Cleveland)
Paul Brown, Massillon
Larry Csonka, Stow-Munroe Falls (Stow)
Len Dawson, Alliance
Dan Dierdorf, GlenOak (Canton)
Benny Friedman, East Tech (Cleveland); Glenville (Cleveland)
Lou Groza, Martins Ferry
Wilbur (Pete) Henry, Mansfield Senior
Clarke Hinkle, Toronto
Jack Lambert, Mantua
Dante Lavelli, Hudson
Dick LeBeau, London
Tom Mack, Cleveland Heights
George McAfee, Ironton
Mike Michalske, West Tech (Cleveland)
Marion Motley, McKinley (Canton)
Chuck Noll, Benedictine (Cleveland)
Alan Page, Canton Central Catholic (Canton)
Jim Parker, Macon (Ga.), Scott (Toledo)
Don Shula, Harvey (Painesville)
Roger Staubach, Purcell Marian (Cincinnati)
Staubach, a 1985 inductee, is one of 24 Ohio players in the Hall of Fame.
Staubach, a 1985 inductee, is one of 24 Ohio players in the Hall of Fame.
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Paul Warfield, Harding (Warren)
Bill Willis, East (Columbus)

4. Texas - 23
Sammy Baugh, Temple, Sweetwater
Raymond Berry, Paris
Earl Campbell, Tyler
Eric Dickerson, Sealy
Dickerson ran for over 13,000 yards in his Hall of Fame career.
Dickerson ran for over 13,000 yards in his Hall of Fame career.
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Darrell Green, Jones (Houston)
Joe Greene, Temple Dunbar
Forrest Gregg, Sulphur Springs
Ken Houston, Dunbar (Fort Worth)
Tom Landry, Mission
Dick (Night Train) Lane, Anderson (Austin)
Yale Lary, North Side (Fort Worth)
Bobby Layne, Highland Park (Dallas)
Bob Lilly, Throckmorton, Pendelton (Ore.)
Don Maynard, Colorado (Colorado City)
John Randle, Hearne
Mike Singletary, Worthing (Houston)
Charley Taylor, Dalworth (Grand Prairie)
Emmitt Thomas, Marshall (Angleton)
Thurman Thomas, Willowridge (Sugar Land)
Y.A. Tittle, Marshall
Clyde (Bulldog) Turner, Newman (Sweetwater)
Gene Upshaw, Robstown
Doak Walker, Highland Park (Dallas)

5. Illinois - 17
Charles W. Bidwill, Sr., St. Ignatius (Chicago)
Dick Butkus, Chicago Vocational
Tony Canadeo, Steinmetz (Chicago)
George Connor, De La Salle (Chicago)
John (Paddy) Driscoll, Evanston
Jim Finks, Salem
Otto Graham, Waukegan
Harold (Red) Grange, Wheaton
George Halas, Crane (Chicago)
Marv Levy, South Shore (Chicago)
Levy, who led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Levy, who led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
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George Musso, Collinsville
Ray Nitschke, Proviso East (Maywood)
Leo Nomellini, Crane (Chicago)
Pete Pihos, Austin (Chicago)
Fritz Pollard, Lane (Chicago)
George Trafton, Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park)
Kellen Winslow, East St. Louis

6. (Tied) Florida - 10
Bob Hayes, Matthew W. Gilbert (Jacksonville)
Ted Hendricks, Hialeah
Michael Irvin, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)
Rickey Jackson, Pahokee
David (Deacon) Jones, Hungerford (Orlando)
Larry Little, Washington (Miami)
Deion Sanders, North Fort Myers
Sanders founded the high school, Prime Prep Academy, in 2012.
Sanders founded the high school, Prime Prep Academy, in 2012.
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Emmitt Smith, Escambia (Pensacola)
Derrick Thomas, South Miami (Miami)
Jack Youngblood, Jefferson County (Monticello)


6. (Tied) Wisconsin - 10

Dave Casper, Chilton
Bud Grant, Central (Superior)
Joe Guyon, Prairie du Chien
Arnie Herber, West (Green Bay)
Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch, Wausau East (Wausau)
Earl (Curly) Lambeau, East (Green Bay)
The Packers' legendary stadium was named after Green Bay native Curly Lambeau.
The Packers' legendary stadium was named after Green Bay native Curly Lambeau.
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Alphonse (Tuffy) Leemans, East (Superior)
John (Blood) McNally, New Richmond
Jim Otto, Wausau East (Wausau)
Mike Webster, Rhinelander



6. (Tied) New York - 10
Jim Brown, Manhasset
Al Davis, Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn)
Davis, inducted in 1992, was a part of three Super Bowl wins for the Raiders.
Davis, inducted in 1992, was a part of three Super Bowl wins for the Raiders.
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Art Donovan, Mt. St. Michael Academy (Bronx)
Dan Fortmann, Pearl River
Vince Lombardi, St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows)*
Sid Luckman, Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn)
John Mackey, Hempstead
Wellington Mara, Loyola (New York)
Art Monk, White Plains
Ernie Stautner, Columbia (East Greenbush) and Vincentian Institute (Albany)

9. Virginia - 9
Roosevelt Brown, Jefferson (Charlottesville)
Bill Dudley, Graham (Bluefield)
Chris Hanburger, Hampton
Henry Jordan, Emporia, Warwick (Newport News)
Willie Lanier, Walker (Ewing)
Clarence (Ace) Parker, Wilson (Portsmouth)
Bruce Smith, Washington (Norfolk)
Smith, inducted in 2009, finished his career with 200 sacks.
Smith, inducted in 2009, finished his career with 200 sacks.
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Dwight Stephenson, Hampton
Lawrence Taylor, Lafayette (Williamsburg)

10. (Tied) Mississippi - 8
Lance Alworth, Brookhaven
Lem Barney, 33rd Avenue (Gulfport)
Willie Brown, Yazoo City
Frank (Bruiser) Kinard, Central (Jackson)
Walter Payton, Columbia
Jerry Rice, Moor (Crawford)
Rice went into the Hall of Fame in 2010 as the NFL's all-time leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards.
Rice went into the Hall of Fame in 2010 as the NFL's all-time leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards.
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Billy Shaw, Carr Central (Vicksburg)
Jackie Slater, Jim Hill (Jackson), Wingfield (Jackson)



New Jersey - 8
Elvin Bethea, Trenton Central (Trenton)
Lou Creekmur, Woodbridge
Franco Harris, Rancocas Valley (Mt. Holly)
Dan Reeves, Newman Prep (Lakeland)
Jim Ringo, Phillipsburg
Ed Sabol, Blair Academy (Blairstown)
Andre Tippett, Barringer (Newark)
Alex Wojciechowicz, South River