13 former Florida high school football stars playing in Super Bowl 2023
The crown jewel spectacle of the National Football League’s season, the Super Bowl, takes place Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
When the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs square off in Super Bowl LVII, viewers will be tuning in for the best commercials or gambling on prop bets throughout the game.
Some watching though may wonder where did the players get their respective starts at in high school? Many players from the big game will be facing off against guys that played high school football within the same state growing up.
We looked up every player on the Eagles and Chiefs rosters and where they played their respective high school football careers. In the Sunshine State, there were thirteen players we found that will be playing in Sunday's big game.
According to NFL Communications’ website, the state of Texas leads the country in number of players currently in the league. IMG Academy is tops in the state of any school with the most players in the league with 14. Below is the list by state of how many players are in the NFL.
STATES WITH THE MOST NFL PLAYERS
Texas: 199
Florida: 185
California: 166
Georgia: 151
Ohio: 74
Louisiana: 65
Alabama: 58
North Carolina: 58
Pennsylvania: 58
Illinois: 56
Maryland: 45
Virginia : 41
Tennessee: 37
Mississippi: 36
PLAYERS IN SUPER BOWL 2023 FROM FLORIDA
Here are all the players (including injured and practice squad players) grouped by team in alphabetical order and the high school listed next to the player’s name.
Kansas City Chiefs (8)
Deon Bush, defensive back, Columbus
Joshua Kaindou, defensive end, IMG Academy
Tommy Townsend, punter, Boone
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, wide receiver, Lakewood
Jordan Franks, tight end, Wakulla
Chris Oladokun, quarterback, Sickles
Austin Reiter, offensive lineman, Lakewood Ranch
Dicaprio Bootle, defensive back, Southridge
Philadelphia Eagles (5)
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, safety, Cocoa
Josh Jobe, cornerback, Columbus
Linual Joseph, defensive tackle, Alachua Santa Fe
Janarius Robinson, defensive end, Bay
Fred Johnson, offensive lineman, Royal Palm Beach
(Photo of Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling courtesy of Sports Illustrated)
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.
