Former Illinois high school football players on NFL 53-man rosters to start season

By Eric Frantz Sep 8, 2022, 9:30am

Jimmy Garoppolo, Cole Kmet, Dennis Kelly, Cameron Brate headline list of alumni from Illinois.

The 103rd season of the National Football League (NFL) kicks off this week with 32 team's competing for a spot in Super Bowl XVII. At the end of August, when the squads cut their rosters to 53, there were 51 former Illinois gridiron stars spread throughout the league. Only California, Texas, Florida,  Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, Alabama, Pennsylvania and North Carolina have more alumni on NFL rosters.

Read on for the players and their high schools.

Auburn
Vederian Lowe, Minnesota
 
Barrington
Scotty Miller, Tampa Bay
 
Belleville West
Austin Seibert, Detroit
 
Bishop McNamara
Jonathan Ward, Arizona
 
Bloomington
John Ridgeway, Dallas
 
Boylan Catholic
Dean Lowry, Green Bay
 
Cahokia
Terron Armstead, Miami
 
Crystal Lake
Dennis Gardeck, Arizona
 
Danville
Trent Sherfield, Miami
 
De La Salle
Jamarco Jones, Tennessee
 
Downers Grove North
David Edwards, Los Angeles
 
Downers Grove South
Scott Daly, Detroit
 
Edwardsville
A.J. Epenesa, Buffalo
Riley Patterson, Jacksonville
 
Evanston
Naquan Jones, Tennessee
 
Fenwick
Robert Spillane, Pittsburgh
 
Glenbard West
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis
 
Hinsdale Central
Brian Allen, Los Angeles
 
Hoffman Estates
Eric Saubert, Denver
 
Homewood-Flossmoor
Kendric Pryor, Jacksonville
 
Jacksonville
Blake Hance, San Francisco
 
Lake Park
Perrion Winfrey, Cleveland
 
Lake Zurich
Jack Sanborn, Chicago
 
Lakes
T.J. Edwards, Philadelphia
 
Lane Tec
Laken Tomlinson, New Yok Jets
 
Lemont
Ethan Pocic, Cleveland
Clayton Fejedelem, Miami
 
Lincoln-Way East
Nick Allegretti, Kansas City
 
Lyons
Jake Elliott, Philadelphia
 
Marian Catholic
Dennis Kelly, Indianapolis
 
Marmion Academy
Graham Glasgow, Denver
 
Marquette Catholic
Mike Ford, Atlanta
 
McHenry East
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay
 
Naperville Central
Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay
 
Nashville Community
Royce Newman, Green Bay
 
Nazareth Academy
Julian Love, New York Giants
 
Peoria
Kendrick Green, Pittsburgh
 
Plainfield South
Eric Johnson, Indianapolis
 
Providence Catholic
Miles Boykin, Pittsburgh
 
Rockford East
Robert Jones, Miami
 
Rockford Lutheran
James Robinson, Jacksonville
 
Rolling Meadows
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco
 
Sacred Heart-Griffin
Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver
 
Sanburg
Dan Feeney, New Yok Jets
 
South Elgin
Jake Kumerow, Buffalo
 
St. Rita
Kenny Golladay, New York Giants
Patrick O'Connor, Tampa Bay
 
St. Viator
Cole Kmet, Chicago
 
Sycamore
Ben Niemann, Arizona
Nick Niemann, LA Chargers
 
Wheaton-Warrenville South
Corey Davis, New Yok Jets

** This includes only active NFL players as of Aug. 30
** NFL.com was used for NFL roster information
** High school is where they finished their prep career