High school playoffs have ended, bowl season is in full swing, and the NFL playoff picture grows clearer by the game.
In the midst of this football bonanza, we got to wondering: How do the states stack up across all levels of football?
We asked our NFL, college and Scouts Inc. editors to rank the states and District of Columbia at each level, then combined those rankings for an overall number.
The rankings you see below connect to a further description of each state. They aren't, however, the final word.
We're interested in your description of football in your state. Did we get it right? Did we miss an important fact, player, coach or game that would alter the rankings? Let us know what you think, and we'll add the best submissions to that state's pages.
The illustrations on state pages are by Larry Johnson.
Select a state:
THE RANKINGS
No. 4 pro | No. 1 college | No. 1 high school: The Lone Star State has 10 DI teams, six Heismans*, six national titles**, three AFL titles***, five Super Bowl wins and 24 pro Hall of Famers****.
No. 2 pro | No. 3 college | No. 2 high school: The Golden State has seven DI teams, nine Heismans, eight national titles, one NFL title, one AFL title, eight Super Bowl wins and 15 pro Hall of Famers.
No. 3 pro | No. 2 college | No. 3 high school: The Sunshine State has seven DI teams, six Heismans, eight national titles, three Super Bowl wins and seven pro Hall of Famers.
No. 1 pro | No. 7 college | No. 6 high school: The Keystone State has three DI teams, two Heismans, four national titles, four NFL titles, five Super Bowl wins and 26 pro Hall of Famers.
No. 5 pro | No. 4 college | No. 5 high school: The Buckeye State has eight DI teams, seven Heismans, seven national titles, nine NFL titles and 21 pro Hall of Famers.
No. 9 pro | No. 11 college | No. 4 high school: The Peach State has two DI teams, three Heismans and three national titles.
No. 13 pro | No. 6 college | No. 10 high school: The Great Lakes State has five DI teams, three Heismans, five national titles, four NFL titles and four pro Hall of Famers.
No. 18 pro | No. 5 college | No. 7 high school: The Pelican State has five DI teams, one Heisman, two national titles and five pro Hall of Famers.
No. 7 pro | No. 23 college | No. 13 high school: The Garden State has one DI team, one Heisman and five pro Hall of Famers.
No. 10 pro | No. 13 college | No. 25 high school: The Badger State has one DI team, two Heismans, nine NFL titles, three Super Bowl wins and eight pro Hall of Famers.
No. 14 pro | No. 22 college | No. 11 high school: The Prairie State has three DI teams, one Heisman, 10 NFL titles, one Super Bowl win and 16 pro Hall of Famers.
No. 23 pro | No. 10 college | No. 9 high school: The Heart of Dixie has four DI teams, two Heismans, eight national titles and four pro Hall of Famers.
No. 22 pro | No. 14 college | No. 8 high school: Old Dominion has two DI teams and seven pro Hall of Famers.
No. 17 pro | No. 21 college | No. 14 high school: The Tar Heel State has five DI teams and five pro Hall of Famers.
No. 8 pro | No. 29 college | No. 28 high school: The Show Me State has one DI team, two Super Bowl wins and four pro Hall of Famers.
No. 6 pro | No. 35 college | No. 24 high school: The Empire State has three DI teams, four Heismans, three national titles, four NFL titles, two AFL titles, three Super Bowl wins and nine pro Hall of Famers.
No. 11 pro | No. 32 college | No. 16 high school: The Old Line State has two DI teams, two Heismans, one national title, two NFL titles and two Super Bowl wins.
No. 24 pro | No. 12 college | No. 18 high school: The Volunteer State has four DI teams, two national titles and three pro Hall of Famers.
No. 28 pro | No. 8 college | No. 17 high school: The Sooner State has three DI teams, five Heismans, seven national titles and five pro Hall of Famers.
No. 20 pro | No. 17 college | No. 26 high school: The Hoosier State has four DI teams, seven Heismans, nine national titles and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 29 pro | No. 9 college | No. 19 high school: The Cornhusker State has one DI team, three Heismans, five national titles and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 15 pro | No. 26 college | No. 30 high school: The Centennial State has three DI teams, one Heisman, one national title, two Super Bowl wins and one pro Hall of Famer.
No. 21 pro | No. 25 college | No. 21 high school: The Evergreen State has two DI teams, one national title and four pro Hall of Famers.
No. 19 pro | No. 28 college | No. 31 high school: The North Star State has one DI team, one Heisman, four national titles and seven pro Hall of Famers.
No. 34 pro | No. 15 college | No. 15 high school: The Magnolia State has three DI teams, one national title and seven pro Hall of Famers.
No. 32 pro | No. 16 college | No. 23 high school: The Hawkeye State has two DI teams, one Heisman and one national title.
No. 16 pro | No. 36 college | No. 36 high school: The Bay State has one DI team, one Heisman, three Super Bowl wins and five pro Hall of Famers.
No. 25 pro | No. 30 college | No. 22 high school: The Grand Canyon State has two DI teams.
No. 35 pro | No. 19 college | No. 20 high school: The Razorback State has two DI teams, one national title and four pro Hall of Famers.
No. 12 pro | No. 49 college | No. 29 high school: The Nation's Capital has two NFL titles, three Super Bowl wins and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 31 pro | No. 20 college | No. 35 high school: The Mountain State has two DI teams and five pro Hall of Famers.
No. 41 pro | No. 18 college | No. 12 high school: The Palmetto State has two DI teams, one national title, one Heisman and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 30 pro | No. 24 college | No. 33 high school: The Beaver State has two DI teams, one Heisman and one pro Hall of Famer.
No. 26 pro | No. 37 college | No. 38 high school: The Silver State has two DI teams.
No. 27 pro | No. 39 college | No. 32 high school: The Aloha State has one DI team.
No. 33 pro | No. 34 college | No. 27 high school: The Bluegrass State has two DI teams and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 39 pro | No. 31 college | No. 34 high school: The Beehive State has three DI teams, one Heisman, one national title and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 40 pro | No. 33 college | No. 37 high school: The Sunflower State has two DI teams and four pro Hall of Famers.
No. 37 pro | No. 41 college | No. 43 high school: The Constitution State has one DI team, two Heismans and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 49 pro | No. 27 college | No. 42 high school: The Gem State has two DI teams and one pro Hall of Famer.
No. 42 pro | No. 40 college | No. 39 high school: The Land of Enchantment has two DI teams and two pro Hall of Famers.
No. 38 pro | No. 45 college | No. 48 high school: The Granite State has no DI or NFL teams.
No. 36 pro | No. 48 college | No. 51 high school: The Ocean State has one NFL title.
No. 46 pro | No. 38 college | No. 44 high school: The Cowboy State has one DI team.
No. 43 pro | No. 43 college | No. 45 high school: The First State has three pro Hall of Famers.
No. 48 pro | No. 44 college | No. 40 high school: The Peace Garden State has no DI or NFL teams.
No. 47 pro | No. 46 college | No. 41 high school: The Mount Rushmore State has one pro Hall of Famer.
No. 45 pro | No. 47 college | No. 49 high school: The Pine Tree State has no DI or NFL teams.
No. 50 pro | No. 42 college | No. 46 high school: The Treasure State has no DI or NFL teams.
No. 44 pro | No. 50 college | No. 50 high school: The Green Mountain State has no DI or NFL teams.
No. 51 pro | No. 51 college | No. 47 high school: The Last Frontier has no DI or NFL teams.
*Heisman counts are for trophies won by a player attending college in the given state.
**National titles include those won or shared since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936.
***NFL and AFL titles don't include those won after Super Bowl play began in 1966.
****pro Hall of Famers are based on birthplace.
***NFL and AFL titles don't include those won after Super Bowl play began in 1966.
****pro Hall of Famers are based on birthplace.
Resources consulted include the ESPN Sports Almanac, The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia and the ESPN College Football Encyclopedia.
Hashing out the best football state
States' overall football rank
1. Texas | Conversation
2. California | Conversation
3. Florida | Conversation
4. Pennsylvania | Conversation
5. Ohio | Conversation
6. Georgia | Conversation
7. Michigan | Conversation
8. Louisiana | Conversation
9. New Jersey | Conversation
10. Wisconsin | Conversation
11. Illinois | Conversation
12. Alabama | Conversation
13. Virginia | Conversation
14. North Carolina | Conversation
15. Missouri | Conversation
16. New York | Conversation
17. Maryland | Conversation
18. Tennessee | Conversation
19. Oklahoma | Conversation
20. Indiana | Conversation
21. Nebraska | Conversation
22. Colorado | Conversation
23. Washington | Conversation
24. Minnesota | Conversation
25. Mississippi | Conversation
26. Iowa | Conversation
27. Massachusetts | Conversation
28. Arizona | Conversation
29. Arkansas | Conversation
30. District of Columbia | Conversation
31. West Virginia | Conversation
32. South Carolina | Conversation
33. Oregon | Conversation
34. Nevada | Conversation
35.Hawaii | Conversation
36. Kentucky | Conversation
37. Utah | Conversation
38. Kansas | Conversation
39. Connecticut | Conversation
40. Idaho | Conversation
41. New Mexico | Conversation
42. New Hampshire | Conversation
43. Rhode Island | Conversation
44. Wyoming | Conversation
45. Delaware | Conversation
46. North Dakota | Conversation
47. South Dakota | Conversation
48. Maine | Conversation
49. Montana | Conversation
50. Vermont | Conversation
51. Alaska | Conversation
