Detroit high schools produced the most NFL players in opening week with 19

Sauce Gardner’s hometown is practically an NFL factory.

There were 19 players from Detroit high schools on NFL rosters for opening week, the most of any city. Bradenton, Florida had the second most players (17), followed by Houston with 16 players.

“Football in Detroit is tough, it’s really grimy and grimy there. There’s a lot of talent, though,” said Gardner, an All-Pro cornerback for the New York Jets who attended Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit. “A lot of people have a story. The majority of people I know in the league in Detroit worked really hard to get out and were successful.

Las Vegas (15), Miami (14) and Atlanta (14) were next on the list. Overall, Texas had the most players of any state, with 187. Florida (178) and California (173) followed. Georgia (150) was the only other state with more than 100.

“High school football is the foundation for the advancement of our great sport,” said Roman Oben, NFL vice president of football development. “Recently, we have experienced an increase in secondary school attendance. It’s amazing to see players on NFL rosters who come from non-traditional states that aren’t considered hot recruiting regions. Talent can come from all over the world, and it takes growth in all areas to build the NFL roster.

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