The NFL and the South

**Biggin** · December 19th, 2010, 06:04 PM

Watching the NFL today, and I noticed something. Its incredible how many elite players came from the South. Not just the SEC, the South as a whole. Guys who were either born in the South or went to school in the South.

Let's start at RB. Here are the top 25 rushers in the NFL this year.
(college)
1) Arian Foster, HOU (UT)----South
2) Maurice Jones-Drew (UCLA)
3) Jamall Charles (Texas)----South
4) Michael Turner (No. Illinois)
5) Adrian Peterson (OU)----South
6) Chris Johnson (ECU)----South
7) Ahmad Bradshaw (Marshal)----South
8) Steven Jackson (Oregon State)
9) Rashad Mendenhall (Illinois)
10) Peyton Hillis (Arkansas)----South
11) Darren McFadden (Ark)----South
12) LeSean McCoy (Pitt)
13) Ray Rice (Rutgers)
14) Cedric Benson (Texas)----South
15) Frank Gore (Miami)----South
16) LaDanian Tomlinson (TCU)----South
17) BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Ole Miss)----South
18) Fred Jackson (Coe) ((from Texas state))----South
19) Matt Forte (Tulane)----South
20) Thomas Jones (UVA)----South
21) Mike Tolbert (Coastal Carolina)----South
22) Knowshon Moreno (UGA)----South
23) Brandon Jacobs (Auburn)----South
24) Chris Ivory (Tiffin) ((from Texas state))----South
25) Tim Hightower (Richmond)----South

So, only six players in the top 25 rushing yardage did not come from the South.
19 outta 25 is pretty freaking incredible.
76% are from the South.

Now, top 15 WRs
1) Roddy White (UAB)----South
2) Reggie Wayne (Miami)----South
3) Brandon Lloyd (Ill.)
4) Andre Johnson (Miami)----South
5) Greg Jennings (West. Michigan)
6) Terrell Owens (UT-Chat.)----South
7) Desean Jackson (Cal)
8) Mike Wallace (Ole Miss)----South
9) Marques Colston (Hofstra)
10) Calvin Johnson (GT)----South
11) Hakeem Nicks (UNC)----South
12) Dewayne Bowe (LSU)----South
13) Santana Moss (Miami)----South
14) Steve Johnson (UK)----South
15) Larry Fitzgerald

so 10 outta the top 15 are from the South.
67%.

at QB, Peyton, Eli, Mike Vick, Phillip Rivers, Sam Bradford, Matt Ryan, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Jason Campbell, David Garrard, Matt Schaub, Vince Young, Matt Stafford, Brett Farve, Jay Cutler, Rex Grossman.
Half of the NFL QBs are from the South

ima add leading tacklers, sacks and INT guys later

**steer** · December 19th, 2010, 08:26 PM

There are a lot of good players from the south, but a lot of those, especially from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, TCU, Marshal, Virginia... I don't include those as south... Virginia as a state is Mid-Atlantic... Marshal isn't in the south, just southern West Virginia... and the others are Mid Western schools..

**heneedsa** · December 19th, 2010, 08:37 PM

In the South, the athletes are bigger, they are stronger, they are faster, the grass is greener, and the girls arr prettier. From where we sit, this is the best place in the world. I think I heard the other day when I was in Nashvillie that twenty-nine percent of NFL rosters were made up SEC players, not counting the ACC, or the rest of the conferences. It is truly amazing that from just around here the NFL players (7). We have got to see some great players play from just our neck of the woods.

**Jason** · December 19th, 2010, 08:46 PM

Not to sound racist but most in that list are black and the South had slaves. The offspring of those slaves mostly stayed in the South. Like it or not the way slave owners treated their slaves like livestock and would breed the strongest together to create stronger workers is why the South has better athletes. That was the only good that came out of slavery if you want to call it good. You can agree with me or not but that is my opinion.

**Biggin** · December 19th, 2010, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by steer

There are a lot of good players from the south, but a lot of those, especially from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, TCU, Marshal, Virginia... I don't include those as south... Virginia as a state is Mid-Atlantic... Marshal isn't in the south, just southern West Virginia... and the others are Mid Western schools..

If TCU is not South, what is it? Marshall, in WEST FN VIRGINIA is not the South?
lulz you are nuts.

the Mason-Dixon line is what is commonly used to determine geographical location.

I included TX/AR/OK because they are closely linked to Southern football.

Virginia fought for the South in the Civil War, I dont care how they redrew it to be politically correct, but VA is a Southern state.

But to say Marshal in WEST VIRGINIA or Arkansas are not Southern states is nuts.

the Midwest is Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, etc... thats why I didnt consider most kids from the Big XII, just those from Texas and OU, because those guys are usually classified Southern athletes.

Ill say this; ask a good sample size of WVA or Ark. residents if they consider themselves Southern, see what they say.

**Biggin** · December 19th, 2010, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by heneedsa

In the South, the athletes are bigger, they are stronger, they are faster, the grass is greener, and the girls arr prettier. From where we sit, this is the best place in the world. I think I heard the other day when I was in Nashvillie that twenty-nine percent of NFL rosters were made up SEC players, not counting the ACC, or the rest of the conferences. It is truly amazing that from just around here the NFL players (7). We have got to see some great players play from just our neck of the woods.

If you combine the SEC, the ACC (well mainly Miami and FSU), and the two big Big XII schools (OU, Texas), its about 60% of NFL rosters, maybe more.

And when you start discussing elite players, that number shoots up.

Last year's All-NFL team

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)
Running Back: Chris Johnson (Tennesse Titans), Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)
Fullback: Leonard Weaver (Philadelphia Eagles)**
Wide Receiver: Wes Welker (New England Patriots), Andre Johnson (Houston Texans)
Tight End: Dallas Clark (Indianapolis Colts)
Center: Nick Mangold (New York Jets)
Guard: Jahri Evans (New Orleans Saints), Steve Hutchinson(from the state of Florida) (Minnesota Vikings)
Tackle: Ryan Clady (Denver Broncos), Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)

DEFENSE

Defensive End: Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings), Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis Colts)
Defensive Tackle: Kevin Williams (Minnesota Vikings), Jay Ratliff (Dallas Cowboys)
Inside Linebacker: Patrick Willis (San Francisco 49ers), Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens)
Outside Linebacker: DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys), Elvis Dumervil (Denver Broncos)
Cornerback: Charles Woodson (Green Bay Packers), Darrelle Revis (New York Jets)
Safety: Adrian Wilson (Arizona Cardinals), Darren Sharper (New Orleans Saints)

So only eight players that were all-pro last year are not from "southern" colleges and states. Only three defenders were not from Southern states, and all the WRs and RBs are from Southern areas.

Manning-UT
CJ-ECU
Peterson-OU
Weaver-CN
Welker-TT
A. Johnson-Miami
Hutchinson-from state of Florida
Allen-Ok. State
Williams-Ok State
Jay Ratliff-Auburn
Patrick Willis-Ole Miss
Lewis-Miami
DeMarcus Ware-Troy
Elvis Dumerville-Louisville
Adrian Wilson-NC State
Darren Sharper-William & Mary

**somewhat of a local college guy, most people in our area dont realize that Weaver went to Carson Newman

**Biggin** · December 19th, 2010, 09:51 PM

NFL active rosters are 53 men, meaning there are 1,696 players on active rosters.
My count was 417 SEC players in the NFL, or right at 25%. So one quarter of NFL players are from the SEC alone.

the ACC has 254 players in the NFL to begin this season, about 15%.

If you combine the two, its 671 players, or 40% of NFL rosters are SEC/ACC guys

If you add players from Uni. of Texas and Oklahoma, who have 73 at my count, that puts it to 744.

So, 44% of current NFL players are from the SEC, the ACC + Oklahoma and Texas.

That does not count all the guys born in the South who didnt attend those schools. Guys like DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyora (Troy) and Steve Hutchinson (Michigan) who were born down South but didnt go to big schools are not included, too **** hard to count.

**Biggin** · December 19th, 2010, 10:17 PM

now let's dig a little deeper.

the state of Louisana produces the most NFL talent per capita, producing 1 NFL player per 65,720 people.
California, by comparison, produces 1 NFL player per 175,163 people.

Virginia's rate is close to California's, producing 1 NFL player per 175,651 people.
Our little corner of the Earth, Big Stone, has an INCREDIBLE ratio, producing 1 NFL player per every 2,428 residents.
By my count, Wise County has produced 5 NFL players, for a ratio of 1 NFL player per every 8,346 residents.

Players by state from the South:
Texas-181
Florida-177
Georgia-80
Louisiana-68
Alabama-50
Virginia-50
South Carolina-46
North Carolina-42
Mississippi-31
Tennessee-23
Arkansas-16
Oklahoma-16
Kentucky-9

thats 789 players from 13 states. So almost 50% of NFL players (47%) are from Southern states.

**steer** · December 19th, 2010, 10:36 PM

No, I still don't consider those southern states. That's just me though.

**Biggin** · December 19th, 2010, 10:39 PM

I dunno what to say.
West Virginia is one of the most Southern states I have ever been to, I cant believe that anyone would consider that state anything but a Southern state.

A Southern state is more than a geographical location; its a culture as well as geographic location
I consider the socio-political climate as much as geography when talking about Southern states