New Hampshire: No. 42 football state
If New Hampshire native and Olympic skier Bode Miller were a football player, Chad Johnson and T.O. might face fewer TV cameras. Hall of Fame tackle Ed Healey of Dartmouth became the first player sold in the NFL when the Bears purchased him from Rock Island for $100. Jerry Azumah, a standout at New Hampshire, played seven seasons as a kick returner and defensive back for the Bears before retiring last spring.
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Dartmouth won the national championship in 1925 at 8-0 and turned down a Rose Bowl invitation after an undefeated 1937 season. As recently as 1970, Dartmouth was nationally ranked, finishing No. 14 in The Associated Press poll. The Big Green also have a high nickname quotient with greats such as Murry "The Reckless Rover" Bowden, Frank "The Iron Major" Cavanaugh and Bill "Air Mail" Morton (not to mention Red, Swede and Doc). New Hampshire senior wide receiver David Ball broke Jerry Rice's record for touchdown receptions this season.
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The University of New Hampshire is a top I-AA program that pulls talent from within its own borders. The Granite State would fare better if only we were talking about hockey. Spring 2006 D-I signees: two. Fall 2006 high school football teams: 51.
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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

