Ohio Produces 5th Most NFL Players in the Country; Michigan 12th

The end of the NFL season is coming down to its 2023-24 season end, and with big implications.

Of course, key players make a HUGE difference on any roster, and it may surprise some, but one of the states that produces the most NFL talent is Ohio.

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Calculating the Best States for NFL Talent

A new study from Journoresearch.com recently analyzed the lifetime stats of current and former NFL players across every state in the U.S., and created an index score for each state.

"Delving into the career trajectories of more than 35,000 NFL players paints a vivid picture of the varied landscapes contributing to their success. Each state seems to bring its unique flavor to the league from coast to coast.

Data on all former and currently active NFL players was gathered, and broken down to average earnings per player, Hall of Fame entries, career touchdowns, and games played.

Which State Has Best NFL Index?

Not surprisingly, Texas - where football is practically a religion - came in first with an index score of 87.55 out of 100. Of course, LaDainian Tomlinson was from Texas, and has the most touchdowns of any player from the state in the NFL at 162. Texas also had the highest number of former and current professional players at 2,644, and the most Hall of Famers, 36.

California was right behind Texas with a score of 72.36, Pennsylvania with a score of 64.31, and Florida with a score of 57.86.

Only one state scored a 00.00, and that was Vermont. It is the only state to never have a resident play in the NFL.

Where did Ohio and Michigan Land?

Surprisingly, sitting in 5th place was Ohio, which had a score of 51.88. Chris Carter, who played with the Eagles, Vikings, and Dolphins, has the state record for most NFL touchdowns at 131. Ohio has also produced 1,569 NFL players, and currently has 74 Ohioans playing in the league.

Currently, Matt Prater is the longest-tenured active player with 249 games under his belt, playing since 2006, and while he started his career in Detroit, he now plays for the Arizona Cardinals. He was born in Mayfield Heights, while maybe the most famous, current players in the league are likely Jason, and Travis Kelce, both from Cleveland Heights.

As for Michigan, well, it's still not a bad showing at No. 12 in the country with a score of 36.43. And while that might seem low, the national average score for states was at 24.36, so we're still far better than average in that area.

In fact, Michigan has produced 793 NFL players overall, and still boasts names like Antonio Gates, Brandon Carr, Chike Okeafor, and the great Wide Receiver, Greg Jennings from Kalamazoo, who had an incredible career with the Green Bay packers before moving on to the Minnesota Vikings and Dolphins before retiring in 2015. Michigan also has 55 current NFL players.