High Schools With the Most Active NFL Players

Some college football programs have a history of sending players to the NFL. The same is true for high schools. But what high schools have become pipelines to the NFL like universities?

We’ve sorted through all the high schools to find which ones have the most players in the NFL today. The schools are spread throughout the country with 21 different states represented. Texas and Florida lead the way with seven schools. California is the only other state with at least five schools.

These high schools have the most active NFL players.

34. (Tied) Daphne High School – 3 players

T.J. Yeldon put up big-time numbers at Daphne. Major Prep Sports

Note: All data is from Pro Football Reference for the 2019 NFL season. The number in parentheses is the player’s years in the league.

Location of school: Daphne, Alabama

Type of school: Public

First alumni in NFL: Kenny King (2003)

Bottom Line: Daphne High School

Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Anderson in 2019. Brian Blanco / AP Photo

Daphne High is one of the youngest schools on this list, having opened its doors in 1989. In fact, of the eight total players who have gone on to the NFL from Daphne, half of those players are older than their high school.

The three current players are all younger than the school and were teammates together from 2008 to 2010. Two of them, T.J. Yeldon and Ryan Anderson, became teammates at the University of Alabama, which is about 200 miles north of Daphne High’s campus.

Active NFL Players Who Attended Daphne High School

Ryan Anderson (3)

Michael Pierce (4)

T.J. Yeldon (5)

34. (Tied) Grandview High School – 3 players

Grandview has a powerhouse program. CHSAANow

Location of school: Aurora, Colorado

Type of school: Public

First alumni in NFL: Joe Klopfenstein (2006)

Bottom Line: Grandview High School

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel celebrates a play against the Houston Texans during a playoff game in 2020. Reed Hoffmann / AP Photo

Grandview High School was created in 1998 to accommodate the growing population in the Denver metropolitan area. Of the 2,025 players that suited up during the 2019 NFL season, only one player was born after Grandview opened.

Less than 10 years later, the Grandview football team won its first state championship, and defensive lineman Mike Pennel was a part of that team.

Pennel also tasted championship gold in the NFL as a reserve on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2019.

Active NFL Players Who Attended Grandview High School

Evan Baylis (3)

Mike Pennel (6)

Eddie Yarbrough (2)