The 2025 season is right around the corner. Amid the stress-filled bustle of grinding it out on the turf, Colorado took a pause. Aside from running drills on the field, what’s another way to build camaraderie? Yeah, banter sessions do count. So, that’s what they did. The Buffs went the old route and sparked a locker room debate. It wasn’t about the Xs and Os, the game film, or even about rivalries, which turn up the heat pretty quickly. but rather a full-blown pride contest about who got the football factory in their backyard. The question? “Which state produces the best football players?”
And that’s what it took for the players to take refuge in their state pride. From coaches to athletes, tossing out names, regions, and stats like they were defending the national title. The gridiron is stitched into the very identity of America’s social fabric. So, if you think that it could fizzle out that easily, you have to think twice. Honestly, this question has sparked barbershop arguments and family cookout showdowns for decades. So, what was Warren Sapp’s response?
“It’s not even a question,” he started. While the rest of the roster picked their states, the chatter boiled around Texas, Georgia, and others. But Sapp stood tall with a different answer, with his daughter rooting with the same response. “The great state of Florida. We thank you, and we take a bow,” said the Buffs’ coach as he trotted on with a cheeky laugh.
A proud Florida native and Miami alum, he is rooting for his state. Yeah, makes sense, doesn’t it? Florida, Texas, and California are widely considered America’s football factory. The NFL’s most iconic stock comes from the Florida pipeline. We are talking Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin, Lamar Jackson, and Frank Gore. Not to forget the Buffs’ head coach himself. Sapp’s daughter, Mercedes, agreed with, “You heard him. #FL” (repost feature)
Other players also voiced agreement with Sapp. “Everybody knows it’s Florida,” “Florida. Is that even a question?” “Come on now, Florida man.” But then, there was a tight confession as well. “Of course, it’s hard not to say we are the best,” said QB Julian Lewis.
The rest of the roster vouched for different states. “That’s Texas, man, 713. Everybody know. Most NFL Draft Picks in the NFL,” said WR Kaleb Mathis. While others went for “Alabama, all day, every day. Every year, every month, Alabama.” “Absolutely 100% Texas,” “It’s Cali, baby. West coast,” among other states.
Florida, Texas, Cal : the football factories
The battleground for the rugged sport, producing the best football players, has zoomed down to three states. Texas, California, and Florida. Yes, Texas’s football culture is deeply ingrained, producing high-quality quarterbacks. But Florida and California are not behind. The NFL, which absorbs the most elitest talent across the country, shows us the numbers. In the 2024 NFL week 1 roster, Texas high schools topped the charts with 184, followed by Florida with 173, and California with 163. There’s your answer. Florida’s IMG Academy is widely known for developing players, and it has the most alumni playing in the pro league. Saint Thomas Aquinas is another high school known for developing players.
Talking about growing up in the Florida culture, NFL QB Teddy Bridgewater explained. “It challenged you because everyone was talented,” he said about how playing football in Florida prepared him for the NFL. “Every neighborhood, you go out and play sandlot football, you go play organized football, and the talent level is there. In high school, you’re going against some of the best athletes in the country. I think that prepared me for where I am today.”
Now, instead of focusing on the NFL stock who attend high school in either of these schools, let’s look at states with the most NFL players. Again, the same trifecta. But this time, Florida came up No. 1 with 192 players, followed by Texas (189) and California (168). So, here you go.
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