The Empire State has produced 48 NFL draftees since 2006. See where they were taken, who took them and where they went to high school.
Video: Kicker nails 76-yard FG
See the impressive boot from Arizona.It's no secret that when it comes to churning out NFL prospects and
players, New York lines up behind its neighboring states to the south
and west, in particular New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
That's not
to say the Empire State hasn't had plenty of success stories revolving
around the NFL, and NFL Draft, which will be held later this week in
Chicago. Check out some fun facts, and below that, see a chart of every NFL draftee from New York high schools since 2006.
* Arguably the greatest
football player of all-time is a New Yorker. So there's that. Jim Brown,
who famously starred in both football and lacrosse at Manhasset, ended
his career as the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 12,312 yards. A
nine-time Pro Bowler, he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
1971.
* Some NFL prospects from New York have come from
non-traditional football powers – both at the high school and collegiate
levels within the state. Case in point, Ali Marpet. A guard
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Marpet was a
2015 second round draft choice out of Division III Hobart College and
Class C Hastings High School in Westchester County and Section 1.
*
Speaking of Section 1, eight players from Westchester, Putnam, Rockland
and Dutchess counties have been drafted the last decade, with New
Rochelle and North Rockland each having two players each selected.
*
Three New York players have been first-round picks since '06. Defensive end
Dominic Easley of Curtis on Staten Island was taken by the Patriots in
Round 1 in 2014. Union-Endicott linebacker Chandler Jones went in Round 1
in 2012, also to New England. Lastly, D'Brickashaw Ferguson went to the Jets in 2006 out of Freeport.
* Thirteen of New York's NFL draft
picks since 2006 have come from college programs within the state, with
Syracuse University leading the way with
eight selections.
* Penn State has had five native New Yorkers drafted since '06.
*
Say the name Gronkowski and the name that first comes to mind among NFL
fans is New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, known as "Gronk." The
Pats took Gronkowski in the second round of the 2010 Draft with the 42nd
pick. But the Gronkowski name is a big one when it comes to the draft,
with Ron's brother, Dan, also a tight end, selected by the Lions in Round
7 in 2009. Rob Gronkowski spent three years at Williamsville North but played his senior season at Woodland Hills in Pennsylvania.
* Three NFL teams have chosen four New York high school products since 2006: The Raiders, Buccaneers and Lions.
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
RD |
PICK |
YEAR |
TEAM |
| Ali
Marpet |
Hastings |
2 |
61 |
2015 |
Buccaneers |
| John
Urschel |
Canisius |
5 |
175 |
2014 |
Ravens |
| Caraun
Reid |
Mt.
St. Michael
Academy |
5 |
158 |
2014 |
Lions |
| Terrence
Fede |
Nyack |
7 |
234 |
2014 |
Dolphins |
| Shamar
Stephen |
Long
Island Lutheran |
7 |
220 |
2014 |
Vikings |
| Dominique
Easley |
Curtis |
1 |
29 |
2014 |
Patriots |
| Jay
Bromley |
Flushing |
3 |
74 |
2014 |
Giants |
| DaQuan
Jones |
Johnson
City |
4 |
112 |
2014 |
Titans |
| Brandon
Hepburn |
North
Rockland |
7 |
245 |
2013 |
Lions |
| J.C.
Tretter |
Akron |
4 |
122 |
2013 |
Packers |
| Mike
Catapano |
Chaminade |
7 |
207 |
2013 |
Chiefs |
| Oday
Aboushi |
Xaverian |
5 |
141 |
2013 |
Jets |
| Latavius
Murray |
Onondaga
Central |
6 |
181 |
2013 |
Raiders |
| Steven
Means |
Grover
Cleveland |
5 |
147 |
2013 |
Buccaneers |
| Chandler
Jones |
Union-Endicott |
1 |
21 |
2012 |
Patriots |
| Andrew
Tiller |
Central
Islip |
6 |
179 |
2012 |
Saints |
| Doug
Hogue |
Roosevelt |
5 |
157 |
2011 |
Lions |
| Jaiquawn
Jarrett |
Fort
Hamilton |
2 |
54 |
2011 |
Eagles |
| Dion
Lewis |
Albany |
5 |
149 |
2011 |
Eagles |
| Arthur
Jones |
Union
Endicott |
5 |
157 |
2010 |
Ravens |
| Eric
Olsen |
Poly
Prep |
6 |
183 |
2010 |
Broncos |
| Andrew
Quarless |
Uniondale |
5 |
154 |
2010 |
Packers |
| James
Starks |
Niagara
Falls |
6 |
193 |
2010 |
Packers |
| Doug
Worthington |
St.
Francis |
7 |
242 |
2010 |
Steelers |
| Mike
Williams |
Riverside |
4 |
101 |
2010 |
Buccaneers |
| Derek
Kinder |
Albion |
7 |
251 |
2009 |
Bears |
| Dan
Gronkowski |
Williamsville
North |
7 |
255 |
2009 |
Lions |
| Rich
Ohrnberger |
East
Meadow |
4 |
123 |
2009 |
Patriots |
| Courtney
Greene |
New
Rochelle |
7 |
245 |
2009 |
Seahawks |
| Ray
Rice |
New
Rochelle |
2 |
55 |
2008 |
Ravens |
| Mike
Hart |
Onondaga |
6 |
202 |
2008 |
Colts |
| Tyvon
Branch |
Cicero-North
Syracuse |
4 |
100 |
2008 |
Raiders |
| Trevor
Scott |
Potsdam |
6 |
169 |
2008 |
Raiders |
| Daren
Stone |
Lockport |
6 |
203 |
2007 |
Falcons |
| Josh
Beekman |
Amsterdam |
4 |
130 |
2007 |
Bears |
| Corey
Graham |
Turner-Carroll
(Closed) |
5 |
168 |
2007 |
Bears |
| Adam
Podlesh |
Sutherland |
4 |
101 |
2007 |
Jaguars |
| Kelvin
Smith |
North
Rockland |
7 |
219 |
2007 |
Dolphins |
| Rashad
Barksdale |
Hudson |
6 |
201 |
2007 |
Eagles |
| Brian
Leonard |
Gouverneur |
2 |
52 |
2007 |
Rams |
| Leon
Williams |
Canarsie |
4 |
110 |
2006 |
Browns |
| Charles
Spencer |
Poughkeepsie/
Trinity-Pawling |
3 |
65 |
2006 |
Texans |
| James
Wyche |
Roosevelt |
7 |
213 |
2006 |
Jaguars |
D'Brickashaw
Ferguson |
Freeport |
1 |
4 |
2006 |
Jets |
| Kevin
McMahan |
Aquinas
Institute |
7 |
255 |
2006 |
Raiders |
| Willie
Colon |
Cardinal
Hayes |
4 |
131 |
2006 |
Steelers |
| Alan
Zemaitis |
Spencerport |
4 |
122 |
2006 |
Buccaneers |
Multimedia
news and sports editor and producer Joe Lombardi is director of media
initiatives and managing editor of the DailyVoice.com, as well as the
primary author of the most recent edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies."
Follow Joe on Twitter @Joe_Lombardi.
