Quarterbacks in the NFL come from all over the country. Ever wonder just where the majority of these NFL stars come from? The state of Texas leads the nation in producing NFL quarterbacks again this season. This should come as no surprise with the reputation that Texas high school football has gained over time. This 2012 season, Texas high schools have produced thirteen NFL quarterbacks on an active 53-man NFL roster. Of these thirteen quarterbacks eight of them saw action for their respective team during week one of the season.
Drew Brees, from Austin’s Westlake High School, leads the way of the new age Texas quarterbacks currently playing in the NFL. Brees led Westlake to a perfect 16-0 record and a class 5A state football championship during his senior season in 1996. Brees later starred at Purdue before being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2001 NFL draft. Brees led the New Orleans Saints to their first ever Super Bowl victory during the 2009 season. Named the Super Bowl MVP, Brees was the first ever quarterback from a Texas high school to throw a touchdown pass during the Super Bowl.
The 2012 NFL draft class proved just how dominant the quarterback position is in the state of Texas. The 2012 class alone produced three first round picks that were quarterbacks from the state of Texas. Andrew Luck (Houston Stratford), Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove), and Ryan Tannehill (Big Spring) were all taken in the first eight picks of this year’s draft. All three of these quarterbacks started week one of the season.
The recent growth and popularity of 7-on-7 should get credit for the number of quarterbacks that are having success and advancing all the way to the NFL. Played during the spring and summer, 7-on-7 finishes up each year with a state-wide tournament featuring 128 teams. A small school and large school champion is crowned following a three-day tournament each July. 7-on-7 focuses only on passing the football and helps to develop both quarterbacks and wide receivers during the off-season.
The quarterback position is the premier position in the sport of football. The state of Texas knows how to play football and how to produce the best talent. It should be of no surprise that Texas has the most quarterbacks currently playing in the NFL.
NFL quarterbacks who played Texas High School Football:
Drew Brees – Austin Westlake HS; New Orleans Saints
Andy Dalton – Katy HS; Cincinnati Bengals
Chase Daniel – Southlake Carroll HS; New Orleans Saints
Robert Griffin III – Copperas Cove HS; Washington Redskins
Graham Harrell – Ennis HS; Green Bay Packers
Kevin Kolb – Stephenville HS; Arizona Cardinals
Andrew Luck – Houston Stratford HS, Indianapolis Colts
Luke McCown – Jacksonville HS; Atlanta Falcons
Colt McCoy – Jim Ned HS; Cleveland Browns
Greg McElroy – Southlake Carroll HS; New York Jets
Christian Ponder – Colleyville Heritage HS; Minnesota Vikings
Matthew Stafford – Highland Park HS; Detroit Lions
Ryan Tannehill – Big Spring HS; Miami Dolphins
References
www.nfl.com/players
http://espn.go.com/high-school/football/story/_/id/4325177/offenses-exploding-7-7-competition-texas/
When I saw this blog I immediately stopped because it said something about the NFL. I enjoy watching and reading about the NFL but I had no idea there were so many players from Texas in the league. I knew there were some, but thirteen NFL quarterbacks have been produced from Texas high schools? Wow! I also just realized three of the first eight draft picks this year were from Texas and all three of them started in the first week of the season. Robert Griffin III is doing a sensational job playing quarterback for the Washington Redskins and he looks nothing like a rookie. He is one of the most prominent players in the NFL today and has been doing all of his training in Texas. His family settled in Copperas Cove when he was around seven years old and he dominated in football, basketball, and track. Drew Brees has been a top NFL quarterback for years and it is no surprise that he is from Austin. Texas just simply has the best athletes.
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ReplyDeleteI didn’t know Texas had thirteen quarterbacks on active roster in 2012. This blog post really caught my attention. When I got done reading your blog, I was impressed with the numbers of quarterbacks in the NFL that were from Texas. Most of the quarterbacks you mention in your blog actually start for the teams that drafted them. I was really shock to see that Ryan Tannehill was from Big Spring because I didn’t know that. Big Spring is in West Texas and that’s in my neck of the woods, so it’s pleasing to know that someone from my area made it to the NFL. Making it to the NFL is not an easy thing to do, especially as a quarterback. I got to give my hat off to those guys from Texas that made it to the professional football league. I’m going to have to agree with your statement that Texas produces the best talent and I believe it is because we, as Texans take pride in our football.
ReplyDeleteTexas football has changed so much over the past 20 years. Before Texas high school football became so pass happy, California was the place to get your quarterback, because their high schools were running all types of passing offenses before many of the other states. Your blog piqued my interest, so I checked to see how many players have been drafted from each state since 1988. The numbers are staggering. California, Texas, and Florida are tops with 745, 624, and 583 respectively. The next closest state with 306 is Georgia. It is crazy to think of how big football is in the United States and to see that these three states produce more players than any other state by this large of a number is crazy.
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