Pennsylvania 10th in NFL players this year
By Mike White | Tuesday, Sept. 22, 10:00 p.m.
What states are producing the most NFL players? No surprise that California, Texas and Florida are the top three. But this year Pennsylvania is 10th.
USA Football recently perused all of the opening-day rosters in the NFL and found that 205 players come from California high schools. Texas is second with 179 and Florida third with 176.
Next in line is Ohio with 90, Georgia 80, Louisiana 80, Alabama 53, South Carolina 51, Virginia 51 and Pennsylvania 50. Here is the interesting part. Five of those 50 Pennsylvania players are from one WPIAL high school - Woodland Hills. They are Ryan Mundy (Steelers), Lousaka Polite (Miami), Jason Taylor (Miami), Steve Breaston (Arizona) and Shawntae Spencer (San Francisco).
Breaston, pictured on the left, missed the first game this season with a knee injury, but played last week. After Pennsylvania, Michigan is 11th with 49, followed by North Carolina with 46, Maryland 43 and New Jersey 43.
I think the Ohio number further illustrates what I've come to realize: Ohio football is definitely better overall than Pennsylvania. Ohio has more top teams and produces more top-notch players, especially at running back and receiver.
Miami is the town that has produced the most players this year in the NFL. Thirty-one players are from Miami. Houston is next with 23 and, maybe a little surprisingly, Detroit third with 15.
This Week In High School Sports
For the latest edition of the Post-Gazette's "This Week In High School Sports," here is the link: