Sports · Ranked by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings

The 50 Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools, Ranked by Ainsworth Sports

By: Bob and Kyle
List: 50 NFL players
Video: 5:57
Updated: October 31, 2026

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John Elway, Tony Gonzalez, Tom Brady and Marshawn Lynch all played high school football in California. Here are the 50 greatest NFL players from California high schools, by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings of 5,000 pro players, counted down to #1.

Ainsworth Sports rates 5,000 pro football players, and these are the 50 who played high school football in California. Quarterbacks take 15 of the 50 spots, more than twice as many as any other position. Five players went first overall in the draft (Ron Yary, O.J. Simpson, John Elway, Alex Smith and Jared Goff), and Warren Moon went undrafted and won five straight Grey Cups in the CFL before he played an NFL game. Where all those quarterbacks land is the first argument.

The map marks the hometowns of the 50 greatest NFL players from California high schools. San Diego sent six, more than any other town, and Los Angeles sent five. The other 39 came from 34 towns, as far north as Chico. Twenty-eight of the 50 are in the Hall of Fame, and five are still playing.

Map of California marking the hometowns of the 50 greatest NFL players from California high schools — San Diego sent six of the 50, more than any other town. The other 44 came from 35 towns across California.

Greatest NFL Players from California #50 to #41, a Short Career and a Long Run

#45 Terrell Davis, the Denver Broncos running back, has the best résumé in this stretch. He was the 1998 MVP and the Super Bowl XXXII MVP, he's in the Hall of Fame, and he still holds the NFL record for rushing touchdowns in one postseason, eight in the 1997 playoffs. Denver took him in the sixth round, 196th overall. #45 feels low for all that, but Davis played seven seasons, and Ainsworth's ratings weigh career length.

Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools, #50 to #41
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
50	Gene Washington Wide receiver · San Francisco 49ers	Long Beach Polytechnic HS, Long Beach, CA	Stanford	1969–1979	4	3	No
49	Joel Bitonio Guard · Cleveland Browns	Woodrow Wilson Classical HS, Long Beach, CA	Nevada	2014–2025	7	2	No
48	Eric Allen Cornerback · Philadelphia Eagles	Point Loma HS, San Diego, CA	Arizona State	1988–2001	6	1	Yes
47	Fred Warner Linebacker · San Francisco 49ers	Mission Hills HS, San Marcos, CA	BYU	2018–now	4	4	No
46	Les Richter Linebacker · Los Angeles Rams	Fresno HS, Fresno, CA	California	1954–1962	8	4	Yes
45	Terrell Davis Running back · Denver Broncos	Lincoln HS, San Diego, CA	Long Beach State / Georgia	1995–2001	3	3	Yes
44	Jared Goff Quarterback · Detroit Lions	Marin Catholic HS, Kentfield, CA	California	2016–now	6	0	No
43	Marshawn Lynch Running back · Seattle Seahawks	Oakland Technical HS, Oakland, CA	California	2007–2018	5	1	No
42	Mark Brunell Quarterback · Jacksonville Jaguars	St. Joseph HS, Santa Maria, CA	Washington	1993–2011	3	0	No
41	Billy Kilmer Quarterback · Washington Redskins	Citrus Union HS, Azusa, CA	Citrus JC / UCLA	1961–1978	1	0	No

#43 Marshawn Lynch, the Seattle Seahawks running back, ran for 1,722 yards and 23 touchdowns in eight regular-season games at Oakland Tech in 2003. His Beast Quake touchdown in the 2010–11 playoffs went 67 yards through nine broken tackles. #47 Fred Warner, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker, scored his first NFL touchdown on a 46-yard return of a #44 Jared Goff interception. Goff, the Detroit Lions quarterback, has a better record to his name. In 2024 he became the first quarterback to complete every pass in a game with more than 10 attempts.

#41 Billy Kilmer, the Washington Redskins quarterback, was a basketball All-American at Citrus Union High in Azusa, and his 1,901 points set a CIF Southern Section record. In 1964 he was playing receiver for the San Francisco 49ers when he fumbled the ball Jim Marshall ran 66 yards the wrong way.

Greatest NFL Players from California #40 to #31, Four Quarterbacks

Four of these ten are quarterbacks, and two of them were San Francisco 49ers. #33 John Brodie, the 49ers quarterback for 17 seasons, turned down a Stanford scholarship, walked on and played on the Stanford golf team too. He later won on the Senior PGA Tour and played the U.S. Open in 1959 and again in 1981, the longest gap between appearances on record. #34 Alex Smith, the 49ers quarterback taken first overall in 2005, played at Helix High with Reggie Bush. Both were 2004 Heisman finalists, the first time one high school had two finalists at one ceremony.

Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools, #40 to #31
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
40	Randall Cunningham Quarterback · Philadelphia Eagles	Santa Barbara HS, Santa Barbara, CA	UNLV	1985–2001	4	1	No
39	John Henry Johnson Fullback · Pittsburgh Steelers	Pittsburg HS, Pittsburg, CA	Saint Mary's / Arizona State	1954–1966	4	0	Yes
38	Eric Weddle Safety · San Diego Chargers	Alta Loma HS, Rancho Cucamonga, CA	Utah	2007–2021	6	2	No
37	Lance Briggs Linebacker · Chicago Bears	Elk Grove HS, Elk Grove, CA	Arizona	2003–2014	7	2	No
36	John Lynch Defensive back · Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Torrey Pines HS, San Diego, CA	Stanford	1993–2007	9	2	Yes
35	Dave Grayson Cornerback · Oakland Raiders	Lincoln HS, San Diego, CA	Oregon	1961–1970	6	4	No
34	Alex Smith Quarterback · San Francisco 49ers	Helix HS, La Mesa, CA	Utah	2005–2020	3	0	No
33	John Brodie Quarterback · San Francisco 49ers	Oakland Technical HS, Oakland, CA	Stanford	1957–1973	2	1	No
32	Craig Morton Quarterback · Dallas Cowboys	Campbell HS, Campbell, CA	California	1965–1982	0	0	No
31	Art Powell Wide receiver · Oakland Raiders	San Diego HS, San Diego, CA	San Jose State	1959–1968	4	2	No

#40 Randall Cunningham, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, was an All-American punter at UNLV. In 1990, with Bruce Smith about to sack him in his own end zone, he ducked and threw a 95-yard touchdown to Fred Barnett. #32 Craig Morton, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, was the first quarterback to start Super Bowls for two franchises, and the only one to do it in both teams' Super Bowl debuts.

Half of San Diego's six are in this stretch. #31 Art Powell, the Oakland Raiders receiver, teamed with Don Maynard in 1960, the AFL's first season, and they were the first pair of receivers who each gained more than 1,000 yards. #35 Dave Grayson, the Raiders cornerback, holds the AFL records for interceptions (47) and interception return yards (908). And #36 John Lynch, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back, threw the first pitch in Florida Marlins organization history. Lynch is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his Erie Sailors jersey is in the baseball one.

Greatest NFL Players from California #30 to #21, Records from 1951 and 1973

#27 O.J. Simpson, the Buffalo Bills running back, played high school football at Galileo in San Francisco and won the 1968 Heisman Trophy at USC. The Bills took him first overall in 1969. In 1973 Simpson became the first NFL player to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season, and he's the only one to do it in a 14-game regular season. It won him the 1973 MVP. #27 feels low for a back who led the NFL in rushing four times. Simpson and #23 Ollie Matson are the only two of the 50 from San Francisco high schools.

Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools, #30 to #21
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
30	Daryle Lamonica Quarterback · Oakland Raiders	Clovis HS, Clovis, CA	Notre Dame	1963–1974	5	2	No
29	Warren Moon Quarterback · Houston Oilers	Alexander Hamilton HS, Los Angeles, CA	West Los Angeles / Washington	1984–2000	9	0	Yes
28	Richard Sherman Cornerback · Seattle Seahawks	Manuel Dominguez HS, Compton, CA	Stanford	2011–2021	5	3	No
27	O.J. Simpson Running back · Buffalo Bills	Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, San Francisco, CA	CCSF / USC	1969–1979	6	5	Yes
26	Norm Van Brocklin Quarterback · Los Angeles Rams	Acalanes HS, Lafayette, CA	Oregon	1949–1960	9	2	Yes
25	Jimmy Johnson Cornerback · San Francisco 49ers	Kingsburg HS, Kingsburg, CA	Santa Monica College / UCLA	1961–1976	5	4	Yes
24	Gary Zimmerman Offensive tackle · Minnesota Vikings	Walnut HS, Walnut, CA	Oregon	1986–1997	7	3	Yes
23	Ollie Matson Halfback · Chicago Cardinals	George Washington HS, San Francisco, CA	San Francisco	1952–1966	6	7	Yes
22	Davante Adams Wide receiver · Green Bay Packers	Palo Alto HS, Palo Alto, CA	Fresno State	2014–now	6	3	No
21	Tony Gonzalez Tight end · Kansas City Chiefs	Huntington Beach HS, Huntington Beach, CA	California	1997–2013	14	6	Yes

#26 Norm Van Brocklin, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback, threw for 554 yards on opening night in 1951, and it's still the NFL record for passing yards in a game. #29 Warren Moon, the Houston Oilers quarterback, used his mother's friend's address to get into Hamilton High in Los Angeles. With Edmonton in 1982 he became the first pro quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, exactly 5,000. #22 Davante Adams, the Green Bay Packers receiver, is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in receiving touchdowns with three different teams.

This stretch doubles as a track meet. #23 Ollie Matson, the Chicago Cardinals halfback, was an Olympic medal-winning sprinter, and in 1948 he ran the 440 in 47.1 seconds, then a U.S. high school record. #25 Jimmy Johnson, the San Francisco 49ers cornerback, won the NCAA 110-meter hurdles title at UCLA, and his older brother, Rafer Johnson, won decathlon gold at the 1960 Olympics. #21 Tony Gonzalez, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, holds the NFL tight end records for receiving yards (15,127) and catches (1,325). At Huntington Beach High he beat out Tiger Woods for Orange County High School Athlete of the Year.

Greatest NFL Players from California #20 to #11, Three Allens

Five Allens made the 50, and three of them are in this stretch (#10 Larry Allen and #48 Eric Allen are the others). #18 Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills quarterback, won the 2024 MVP and holds the NFL record for career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, 87. At Reedley College he emailed every FBS head coach and coordinator, and only Eastern Michigan and Wyoming offered him a scholarship. #14 Jared Allen, the Minnesota Vikings defensive end, got 136 sacks after pre-draft scouts rated him higher as a long snapper. #12 Marcus Allen, the Los Angeles Raiders running back, ran for a then-record 191 yards in Super Bowl XVIII.

Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools, #20 to #11
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
20	Frank Gifford Halfback · New York Giants	Bakersfield HS, Bakersfield, CA	Bakersfield / USC	1952–1964	8	6	Yes
19	Mike Haynes Cornerback · New England Patriots	John Marshall HS, Los Angeles, CA	Arizona State	1976–1989	9	2	Yes
18	Josh Allen Quarterback · Buffalo Bills	Firebaugh HS, Firebaugh, CA	Reedley / Wyoming	2018–now	4	0	No
17	Joe Perry Fullback · San Francisco 49ers	Jordan HS, Los Angeles, CA	Compton	1948–1962	3	3	Yes
16	James Lofton Wide receiver · Green Bay Packers	George Washington Preparatory HS, Los Angeles, CA	Stanford	1978–1993	8	2	Yes
15	Dan Fouts Quarterback · San Diego Chargers	Marin Catholic HS, Kentfield, CA	Oregon	1973–1987	6	2	Yes
14	Jared Allen Defensive end · Minnesota Vikings	Los Gatos HS, Los Gatos, CA	Idaho State	2004–2015	5	4	Yes
13	Ron Mix Offensive tackle · San Diego Chargers	Hawthorne HS, Hawthorne, CA	USC	1960–1971	8	0	Yes
12	Marcus Allen Running back · Los Angeles Raiders	Lincoln HS, San Diego, CA	USC	1982–1997	6	2	Yes
11	Gino Marchetti Defensive end · Baltimore Colts	Antioch HS, Antioch, CA	Modesto JC / San Francisco	1952–1966	11	9	Yes

#11 Gino Marchetti, the Baltimore Colts defensive end, and #20 Frank Gifford, the New York Giants halfback, met in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. Marchetti stopped Gifford a foot short of a first down and broke his ankle on the play. In college at San Francisco, Marchetti's team turned down the 1951 Orange Bowl rather than play without its two African American players, and one of them was #23 Ollie Matson. #13 Ron Mix, the San Diego Chargers tackle, was called for two holding penalties in ten years.

Greatest NFL Players from California #10 to #2, Five Trojans

Five of these nine played college football at USC, and three of those five are offensive linemen. #4 Bruce Matthews, the Houston Oilers tackle, started at every spot on the line (99 games at left guard, 87 at center, 67 at right guard, 22 at right tackle and 17 at left tackle) and long-snapped too. His 293 starts are the NFL record for one team. #6 Ron Yary, the Minnesota Vikings tackle, was the first offensive lineman taken first overall, and the Vikings got the pick by trading Fran Tarkenton. #3 Anthony Muñoz, the Cincinnati Bengals tackle, scored four touchdowns on tackle-eligible plays.

Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools, #10 to #2
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
10	Larry Allen Guard · Dallas Cowboys	Vintage HS, Napa, CA	Butte / Sonoma State	1994–2007	11	6	Yes
9	Junior Seau Linebacker · San Diego Chargers	Oceanside HS, Oceanside, CA	USC	1990–2009	12	6	Yes
8	John Elway Quarterback · Denver Broncos	Granada Hills Charter HS, Los Angeles, CA	Stanford	1983–1998	9	0	Yes
7	Ronnie Lott Cornerback · San Francisco 49ers	Eisenhower HS, Rialto, CA	USC	1981–1994	10	8	Yes
6	Ron Yary Tackle · Minnesota Vikings	Bellflower HS, Bellflower, CA	USC	1968–1982	7	6	Yes
5	Bobby Wagner Linebacker · Seattle Seahawks	Colony HS, Ontario, CA	Utah State	2012–2025	10	6	No
4	Bruce Matthews Offensive tackle · Houston Oilers	Arcadia HS, Arcadia, CA	USC	1983–2001	14	7	Yes
3	Anthony Muñoz Offensive tackle · Cincinnati Bengals	Chaffey HS, Ontario, CA	USC	1980–1992	11	9	Yes
2	Aaron Rodgers Quarterback · Green Bay Packers	Pleasant Valley HS, Chico, CA	Butte / California	2005–now	10	4	No

#2 Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, has four MVP awards, more than anyone else on the list, and he's still playing. Cal's Jeff Tedford found him at Butte junior college while recruiting a Butte tight end. #8 John Elway, the Denver Broncos quarterback, broke two players' fingers on his first day of practice at Stanford, and the Yankees drafted him six spots ahead of Tony Gwynn. Ontario has two of the top five, #3 Muñoz from Chaffey High and #5 Bobby Wagner from Colony High. Wagner, the Seattle Seahawks linebacker, holds the NFL record for career assisted tackles, 850.

The #1 NFL Player from a California High School, Tom Brady

1. Tom Brady

Quarterback · New England Patriots

High school: Junípero Serra HS, San Mateo, CA
College: Michigan
NFL years: 2000–2022
Pro Bowls: 15
First-team All-Pro: 3
Hall of Fame: No

Tom Brady is #5 of 5,000 in Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, the highest of any player from a California high school. The New England Patriots quarterback, who played at Junípero Serra High in San Mateo, won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVPs, and nobody else on the list has more than four rings (#7 Ronnie Lott). He made 15 Pro Bowls, the most on the list, and holds the NFL career records for passing yards (89,214), touchdown passes (649) and quarterback wins (251). The Patriots took him in the sixth round, 199th overall, five years after the Montreal Expos drafted him as a catcher.

The case against him is #2 Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has four MVPs to Brady's three, a higher career passer rating (101.8 to 97.2) and the NFL record for career touchdown-to-interception ratio, 4.3 to 1. Ainsworth puts Rodgers #14 of 5,000, and he's still playing. Brady's answer is seven rings to Rodgers's one, and 21 seasons as a starter without playing a single snap after his team was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Packers fans, the comments are open.

The top 10 NFL players: 1. Tom Brady, 2. Aaron Rodgers, 3. Anthony Muñoz, 4. Bruce Matthews, 5. Bobby Wagner, 6. Ron Yary, 7. Ronnie Lott, 8. John Elway, 9. Junior Seau, 10. Larry Allen

How the Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools Are Ranked

The order comes from Ainsworth Sports' all-time pro football player rankings, which rate 5,000 pro players and are updated through the 2025 season. We kept every player who played high school football in California, in Ainsworth's order. That puts Tom Brady (#5 overall) at #1 here and Gene Washington (#392 overall) at #50. We also checked whether the formula's weight on career length had left out a young star. None of California's recent Pro Bowlers had the honors to crack the top 50 yet, and Amon-Ra St. Brown came closest.

Where a player was born doesn't matter, only where he played high school football. Billy Kilmer was born in Topeka, Kansas, and counts for California because he played at Citrus Union High in Azusa. High schools, colleges, stats and honors come from Wikipedia and Pro Football Reference. Five of the 50 are still active (Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Davante Adams, Jared Goff and Fred Warner), so their spots can change when Ainsworth updates.

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Questions About the Greatest NFL Players from California High Schools

Who is the greatest NFL player from a California high school?

Tom Brady is the greatest NFL player from a California high school by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, #5 of 5,000 pro players. Brady played at Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, then at Michigan, and won seven Super Bowls in 23 seasons with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Which California city has produced the most great NFL players?

Among the 50 greatest NFL players from California high schools, San Diego has the most, six. They're Marcus Allen, Art Powell, Dave Grayson, John Lynch, Terrell Davis and Eric Allen. Los Angeles is next with five, John Elway, James Lofton, Joe Perry, Mike Haynes and Warren Moon.

Did Josh Allen go to high school in California?

Yes. Josh Allen played at Firebaugh High School in Firebaugh, California, where he was in the FFA and ranked in the nation's top four for growing cantaloupe, cotton and wheat in 2014. He's #18 among the greatest NFL players from California high schools and won the 2024 NFL MVP.

How many Hall of Famers are among the greatest NFL players from California high schools?

Twenty-eight of the 50 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including 16 of the top 20. The lowest-ranked Hall of Famer is #48 Eric Allen, the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, who had 54 career interceptions. Neither #1 Tom Brady nor #2 Aaron Rodgers is in it, and Rodgers is still playing.

Sources

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Tom Brady by Barcex (CC BY-SA 4.0); Aaron Rodgers by Cramerwiki (CC0); Anthony Muñoz by Cheryle Rivas (Public domain); Bruce Matthews by Jerry Sherk (talk) (CC BY-SA 3.0); Bobby Wagner by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ron Yary by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Ronnie Lott by TeachAids (CC BY-SA 2.0); John Elway by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Junior Seau by JJ Hall (CC BY 2.0); Larry Allen by John Martinez Pavliga (CC BY 2.0); Gino Marchetti by Bowman (Public domain); Marcus Allen by Pfc. Victor Blanco (Public domain); Ron Mix by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Jared Allen by MN National Guard (CC BY 3.0); Dan Fouts by Rex Lilly (CC BY-SA 2.0); James Lofton by Lance Cpl. Taylor Von Sanders-Frazer (Public domain); Joe Perry by Bowman (Public domain); Josh Allen by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Mike Haynes by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Frank Gifford by Unidentified (El Rodeo is the USC yearbook published by Associated Students of USC) (Public domain); Tony Gonzalez by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Davante Adams by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Ollie Matson by Bell Brand Snack Foods (Public domain); Jimmy Johnson by EricEnfermero (CC BY-SA 3.0); Norm Van Brocklin by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); O.J. Simpson by Gerald Johnson (Public domain); Richard Sherman by Washington National Guard (CC BY 4.0); Warren Moon by Warren Moon Press Conference | Oilers Tribute Week (CC BY 3.0); Daryle Lamonica by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Craig Morton by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); John Brodie by Frank Rippon (Public domain); Alex Smith by Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Dave Grayson by Oakland Raiders photographer (Public domain); John Lynch by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Lance Briggs by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Eric Weddle by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 3.0); John Henry Johnson by Bowman (Public domain); Randall Cunningham by Justvikings (Public domain); Billy Kilmer by Unidentified (Southern Campus is the UCLA yearbook published by UCLA) (Public domain); Mark Brunell by Keith Allison (CC BY-SA 2.0); Marshawn Lynch by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Edward Martisius (Public domain); Jared Goff by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Terrell Davis by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Aviation Warfare Systems Operator Toiete Jackson, USAF (Public domain); Les Richter by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Fred Warner by Time2Football (CC BY 3.0); Eric Allen by Bertolinephotos (CC BY-SA 4.0); Joel Bitonio by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Gene Washington by Los Angeles Times (CC BY 4.0).