Sports · Ranked by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings

The 50 Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana 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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Terry Bradshaw, Ed Reed, Ja'Marr Chase, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning all played high school football in Louisiana. Here's where 50 of the greatest NFL players from Louisiana high schools land, by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, counted down to #1.

Ainsworth Sports rates 5,000 pro football players, and these 50 all played high school football in Louisiana. Seven are quarterbacks, from Terry Bradshaw and his four Super Bowl rings to Bobby Hebert, the Cajun Cannon who helped give the New Orleans Saints their first winning season. Twelve are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and five are still playing. Wait until you see where Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and a Kansas City Chiefs safety from Baton Rouge named Johnny Robinson land.

The map marks the hometowns of the 50 greatest NFL players from Louisiana high schools. New Orleans sent 11, more than any other town, and Baton Rouge is next with five. Isidore Newman School in New Orleans sent three by itself (Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr.), and so did Ruston High, with Dub Jones, Fred Dean and Kyle Williams. The 50 come from 27 towns in all.

Map of Louisiana marking the hometowns of the 50 greatest NFL players from Louisiana high schools — New Orleans sent 11 of the 50, more than any other town. The other 39 came from 26 towns across Louisiana.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana #50 to #41, a Doctor and a Super Bowl Record

#47 Tommy Casanova, the Cincinnati Bengals safety, was on the cover of Sports Illustrated before his senior year at LSU, under the headline "Tommy Casanova of LSU, Best Player in the Nation." He started medical school while he was still a Bengal, quit football in 1977 to study full time and earned his M.D. in 1980, after three Pro Bowls in six seasons. #49 Jake Delhomme, the Carolina Panthers quarterback, holds the record for the longest completed pass in Super Bowl history, 85 yards to Muhsin Muhammad in Super Bowl XXXVIII. At Teurlings Catholic he made all-state on defense, not at quarterback.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools, #50 to #41
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
50	Landon Collins Safety · New York Giants	Dutchtown HS, Geismar, LA	Alabama	2015–2021	3	1	No
49	Jake Delhomme Quarterback · Carolina Panthers	Teurlings Catholic HS, Lafayette, LA	Southwestern Louisiana	1997–2011	1	0	No
48	Mike Wallace Wide receiver · Pittsburgh Steelers	O. Perry Walker HS, New Orleans, LA	Ole Miss	2009–2018	1	0	No
47	Tommy Casanova Safety · Cincinnati Bengals	Notre Dame HS, Crowley, LA	LSU	1972–1977	3	1	No
46	Derek Stingley Jr. Cornerback · Houston Texans	The Dunham School, Baton Rouge, LA	LSU	2022–now	2	2	No
45	Louis Lipps Wide receiver · Pittsburgh Steelers	East St. John HS, Reserve, LA	Southern Miss	1984–1992	2	2	No
44	Jarvis Landry Wide receiver · Miami Dolphins	Lutcher HS, Lutcher, LA	LSU	2014–2022	5	0	No
43	Pat Williams Defensive tackle · Buffalo Bills	Wossman HS, Monroe, LA	NE State / Texas A&M	1997–2010	3	0	No
42	Billy Joe DuPree Tight end · Dallas Cowboys	Richardson HS, West Monroe, LA	Michigan State	1973–1983	3	0	No
41	Kyle Williams Defensive line · Buffalo Bills	Ruston HS, Ruston, LA	LSU	2006–2018	6	0	No

#46 Derek Stingley Jr., the Houston Texans cornerback, picked off 27 passes at the Dunham School in Baton Rouge and was Rivals' top-ranked player in his class. His grandfather, Darryl Stingley, played for the New England Patriots. #44 Jarvis Landry, the Miami Dolphins receiver, caught 564 passes in his first six NFL seasons, the most ever until Justin Jefferson broke the record in 2025. And #41 Kyle Williams, the Buffalo Bills defensive lineman, ran for 942 yards and 14 touchdowns on varsity as a high school freshman. LSU hired him as its defensive line coach in 2025.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana #40 to #31, Six Touchdowns in a Game

#31 Dub Jones, the Cleveland Browns running back, scored six touchdowns against the Chicago Bears in 1951, four rushing and two receiving. That's still the NFL record, and he shares it with Ernie Nevers, Gale Sayers and Alvin Kamara. Ten years later the Houston Oilers had two players from this stretch, and both won the AFL title. #40 Billy Cannon, the Oilers and Oakland Raiders halfback, ran up 373 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns against the New York Titans in 1961, a pro record at the time. In many scoring systems it's still the best fantasy football game ever. #35 Charley Hennigan, the Oilers receiver, had 1,746 receiving yards that year in a 14-game season, and nobody beat it until Jerry Rice and Isaac Bruce in 1995.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools, #40 to #31
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
40	Billy Cannon Halfback · Oakland Raiders	Istrouma HS, Baton Rouge, LA	LSU	1960–1970	2	2	No
39	Richie Petitbon Safety · Chicago Bears	Jesuit HS, New Orleans, LA	Loyola (LA) / Tulane	1959–1972	4	1	No
38	Warrick Dunn Running back · Atlanta Falcons	Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, LA	Florida State	1997–2007	3	0	No
37	Tommy Mason Running back · Minnesota Vikings	Lake Charles HS, Lake Charles, LA	Tulane	1961–1971	3	1	No
36	Leo Sanford Linebacker · Chicago Cardinals	Fair Park HS, Shreveport, LA	Louisiana Tech	1951–1958	2	0	No
35	Charley Hennigan Wide receiver · Houston Oilers	Minden HS, Minden, LA	Northwestern State	1960–1966	5	4	No
34	Gary Barbaro Safety · Kansas City Chiefs	East Jefferson HS, Metairie, LA	Nicholls	1976–1983	3	0	No
33	Fred Dean Defensive end · San Diego Chargers	Ruston HS, Ruston, LA	Louisiana Tech	1975–1985	4	2	Yes
32	Odell Beckham Jr. Wide receiver · New York Giants	Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, LA	LSU	2014–now	3	0	No
31	Dub Jones Running back · Cleveland Browns	Ruston HS, Ruston, LA	LSU / Tulane	1946–1955	2	1	No

#33 Fred Dean, the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers defensive end, is the only Hall of Famer from #50 to #17. The 49ers were 3–2 when they traded for him in 1981, then won 13 of their last 14 games, playoffs included, and Super Bowl XVI. #34 Gary Barbaro, the Kansas City Chiefs safety, played one year of high school football at East Jefferson and spent most of high school playing trombone in the band. In 1977 he returned an interception 102 yards against the Seattle Seahawks, an NFL record then and still the longest in Chiefs history. #32 Odell Beckham Jr., the New York Giants receiver, caught 33 one-handed passes in a minute from Drew Brees in 2015, a world record at the time.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana #30 to #21, Eli Manning at #22

#22 Eli Manning, the New York Giants quarterback, won two Super Bowls (XLII and XLVI) and was the MVP of both. Nobody on the list has more Super Bowl MVPs. He never missed a game to injury and started 210 in a row from 2004 to 2017, the third-longest streak for an NFL quarterback. At Isidore Newman in New Orleans he threw for a school-record 7,389 yards, a mark that lasted until his nephew Arch broke it in 2022. Ainsworth has Eli Manning #515 of 5,000, and #22 is where Giants fans start typing.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools, #30 to #21
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
30	Eddie Price Fullback · New York Giants	Warren Easton HS, New Orleans, LA	Tulane	1950–1955	3	0	No
29	Gary Johnson Defensive tackle · San Diego Chargers	Mitchell HS, Bossier City, LA	Grambling State	1975–1985	4	2	No
28	Albert Lewis Cornerback · Kansas City Chiefs	DeSoto HS, Mansfield, LA	Grambling State	1983–1998	4	2	No
27	Mark Duper Wide receiver · Miami Dolphins	Avoyelles HS, Moreauville, LA	Northwestern State	1982–1992	3	0	No
26	John David Crow Halfback · St. Louis Cardinals	Springhill HS, Springhill, LA	Texas A&M	1958–1968	4	2	No
25	Bobby Hebert Quarterback · New Orleans Saints	South Lafourche HS, Cut Off, LA	Northwestern State	1985–1996	1	0	No
24	Andrew Whitworth Tackle · Cincinnati Bengals	West Monroe HS, West Monroe, LA	LSU	2006–2021	4	2	No
23	Sammy White Wide receiver · Minnesota Vikings	Richwood HS, Monroe, LA	Grambling State	1976–1985	2	0	No
22	Eli Manning Quarterback · New York Giants	Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, LA	Ole Miss	2004–2019	4	0	No
21	Ja'Marr Chase Wide receiver · Cincinnati Bengals	Archbishop Rummel HS, Metairie, LA	LSU	2021–now	5	2	No

#24 Andrew Whitworth, the Los Angeles Rams tackle, won Super Bowl LVI in his final game, 23–20 over his old team, the Cincinnati Bengals. #32 Odell Beckham Jr. won that ring with him. The Bengals had #21 Ja'Marr Chase, the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year, who set the NFL rookie record that season with 266 receiving yards in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. #28 Albert Lewis, the Kansas City Chiefs cornerback, became the oldest player to score a defensive touchdown in 1998, at 38 years and 26 days, on a 74-yard interception return for the Oakland Raiders. It was the only pick-six of his career.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana #20 to #11, Dak Prescott Just Misses

#11 Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, is the highest-ranked active player and the first one out of the top ten. Ainsworth has him #289 of 5,000, 14 spots behind #10 Isiah Robertson. Prescott was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 and holds the NFL record for passer rating by a rookie quarterback, 104.9. He switched to No. 4 at his first rookie minicamp because his mother's birthday is September 4. A couple more good seasons and Prescott is in the top ten.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools, #20 to #11
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
20	Joe Ferguson Quarterback · Buffalo Bills	Woodlawn HS, Shreveport, LA	Arkansas	1973–1990	0	0	No
19	Tank Younger Fullback · Los Angeles Rams	Grambling Lab HS, Grambling, LA	Grambling State	1949–1958	4	1	No
18	Justin Jefferson Wide receiver · Minnesota Vikings	Destrehan HS, Destrehan, LA	LSU	2020–now	4	2	No
17	Tyrann Mathieu Safety · Arizona Cardinals	St. Augustine HS, New Orleans, LA	LSU	2013–2024	3	3	No
16	Jackie Smith Tight end · St. Louis Cardinals	Kentwood High Magnet School, Kentwood, LA	Northwestern State	1963–1978	5	0	Yes
15	Neil Smith Defensive end · Kansas City Chiefs	McDonogh 35 HS, New Orleans, LA	Nebraska	1988–2000	6	1	No
14	Charlie Joiner Wide receiver · San Diego Chargers	W. O. Boston HS, Lake Charles, LA	Grambling	1969–1986	3	1	Yes
13	Matt Forte Running back · Chicago Bears	Slidell HS, Slidell, LA	Tulane	2008–2017	2	0	No
12	Reggie Wayne Wide receiver · Indianapolis Colts	John Ehret HS, Marrero, LA	Miami (FL)	2001–2014	6	1	No
11	Dak Prescott Quarterback · Dallas Cowboys	Haughton HS, Haughton, LA	Mississippi State	2016–now	4	0	No

#19 Tank Younger, the Los Angeles Rams fullback, played at Grambling Lab and Grambling State, and in 1949 he became the first NFL player from an HBCU. The Rams signed him as a free agent for $6,000. #16 Jackie Smith, the St. Louis Cardinals tight end, started out on clarinet in the Kentwood High band. The Cardinals drafted him in the 10th round, as time ran out, when someone in the room said to take "that redheaded track kid from Louisiana." He's in the Hall of Fame. #18 Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings receiver, came out of Destrehan High ranked the 308th-best receiver in the country by 247Sports and was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana #10 to #2, Eight Straight Hall of Famers

Every player from #9 to #2 is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. #10 Isiah Robertson, the Los Angeles Rams linebacker, is the one who isn't, even with four first-team All-Pro picks and the 1971 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. #4 Johnny Robinson, the Kansas City Chiefs safety, had 57 interceptions, and the Chiefs went 35–1–1 in games where he got one. #5 Terry Bradshaw, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, won four Super Bowls. Pittsburgh got the first pick in 1970 to draft him by winning a coin flip with the Chicago Bears after both went 1–13. At Woodlawn High in Shreveport, #20 Joe Ferguson took over at quarterback after Bradshaw.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools, #10 to #2
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
10	Isiah Robertson Linebacker · Los Angeles Rams	Pine View HS, Covington, LA	Southern	1971–1982	6	4	No
9	Kevin Mawae Center · New York Jets	Leesville HS, Leesville, LA	LSU	1994–2009	8	3	Yes
8	Jim Taylor Fullback · Green Bay Packers	Baton Rouge HS, Baton Rouge, LA	LSU	1958–1967	5	3	Yes
7	Aeneas Williams Cornerback · Arizona Cardinals	Alcée Fortier HS, New Orleans, LA	Southern	1991–2004	8	3	Yes
6	Steve Van Buren Halfback · Philadelphia Eagles	Warren Easton HS, New Orleans, LA	LSU	1944–1951	0	5	Yes
5	Terry Bradshaw Quarterback · Pittsburgh Steelers	Woodlawn HS, Shreveport, LA	Louisiana Tech	1970–1983	3	1	Yes
4	Johnny Robinson Safety · Kansas City Chiefs	LSU Lab School, Baton Rouge, LA	LSU	1960–1971	7	6	Yes
3	Ed Reed Safety · Baltimore Ravens	Destrehan HS, Destrehan, LA	Miami	2002–2013	9	5	Yes
2	Marshall Faulk Running back · St. Louis Rams	George Washington Carver HS, New Orleans, LA	San Diego State	1994–2005	7	3	Yes

#3 Ed Reed, the Baltimore Ravens safety, is the only player in NFL history to score touchdowns on an interception, a fumble recovery, a blocked punt and a punt return. Reed played at Destrehan High, and so did #18 Justin Jefferson. #2 Marshall Faulk, the St. Louis Rams running back, grew up selling popcorn at New Orleans Saints games in the Superdome. Faulk won the 2000 MVP and three straight Offensive Player of the Year awards (1999–2001), and he ran for 12,279 yards and caught 767 passes. Ainsworth puts Faulk #50 of 5,000. That leaves one.

The #1 NFL Player from a Louisiana High School, Peyton Manning

1. Peyton Manning

Quarterback · Indianapolis Colts

High school: Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, LA
College: Tennessee
NFL years: 1998–2015
Pro Bowls: 14
First-team All-Pro: 7
Hall of Fame: Yes

Peyton Manning is #3 of 5,000 in Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, the highest of any player from a Louisiana high school. The Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback won five MVP awards, the NFL record, and two Super Bowls (XLI and 50). His 14 Pro Bowls and 7 first-team All-Pro teams are both the most on this list, and his 2013 season in Denver holds the NFL single-season records for touchdown passes (55) and passing yards (5,477). Manning's career started at Isidore Newman in New Orleans, where he went 34–5 in three seasons as the starter and threw 92 touchdown passes.

The nickname "the Sheriff" goes back to Jon Gruden on a 2009 Monday Night Football broadcast, talking about Manning's audibles on the road. The case against him is #5 Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw has four Super Bowl rings to Manning's two and two Super Bowl MVPs to Manning's one, and Pittsburgh will tell you rings are the whole point. Ainsworth's ratings put Bradshaw #92 of 5,000. Steelers fans, the comments are open.

The top 10 NFL players: 1. Peyton Manning, 2. Marshall Faulk, 3. Ed Reed, 4. Johnny Robinson, 5. Terry Bradshaw, 6. Steve Van Buren, 7. Aeneas Williams, 8. Jim Taylor, 9. Kevin Mawae, 10. Isiah Robertson

How the Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana 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 the 49 highest-rated players who played high school football in Louisiana, in Ainsworth's order, down to #50 Landon Collins at #1,207 overall. Where a player was born doesn't matter, only where he played high school football. High schools, colleges, stats and honors come from Wikipedia and Pro Football Reference.

The 50th is placed by hand. Ainsworth's ratings reward long careers, so a young star rates far below his honors. Derek Stingley Jr. came into the league in 2022 and is #3,917 overall, but his two first-team All-Pro picks and two Pro Bowls match #45 Louis Lipps, so we put him right behind Lipps at #46. Five of the 50 are still active, and their spots can change when Ainsworth updates.

Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools Video Chapters

Questions About the Greatest NFL Players from Louisiana High Schools

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

Peyton Manning is the greatest NFL player from a Louisiana high school by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, #3 of 5,000 pro players. Manning played at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and won five MVP awards and two Super Bowls for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

Which Louisiana city has produced the most great NFL players?

Among the 50 greatest NFL players from Louisiana high schools, New Orleans has the most, 11. Baton Rouge is next with five. Isidore Newman School in New Orleans sent three by itself (Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr.).

Where did Justin Jefferson go to high school?

Justin Jefferson played at Destrehan High School in Destrehan, Louisiana, where Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed played too. Jefferson is #18 among the greatest NFL players from Louisiana high schools, and Reed is #3.

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

Twelve of the 50 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including nine of the top ten. The lowest-ranked is #33 Fred Dean, the defensive end the San Francisco 49ers traded for in 1981 on their way to winning Super Bowl XVI.

Sources

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Peyton Manning by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Marshall Faulk by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0); Ed Reed by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0); Johnny Robinson by Topps (Public domain); Terry Bradshaw by The ASI Show (CC BY 2.0); Steve Van Buren by Bowman Gum (Public domain); Aeneas Williams by Greg Peterson (CC BY-SA 2.0); Jim Taylor by Topps (Public domain); Kevin Mawae by Ray Montgomery. Cropped by User:Blueag9. (CC BY 2.0); Dak Prescott by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0); Reggie Wayne by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0); Matt Forte by Mike Shadle (CC BY-SA 3.0); Charlie Joiner by San Diego Chargers (Public domain); Neil Smith by Daniel Speiss (CC BY-SA 2.0); Jackie Smith by Glendale Stamps (Public domain); Tyrann Mathieu by All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Justin Jefferson by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tank Younger by Bowman (Public domain); Ja'Marr Chase by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Eli Manning by Alexander Jonesi (CC BY-SA 2.0); Sammy White by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Andrew Whitworth by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); John David Crow by Shutterbug459 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Gary Johnson by Kiwanis (Public domain); Eddie Price by Bowman (Public domain); Dub Jones by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Odell Beckham Jr. by Maryland GovPics (CC BY 2.0); Charley Hennigan by Jay Publishing (Public domain); Leo Sanford by Bowman (Public domain); Tommy Mason by Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided (Public domain); Warrick Dunn by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley (Public domain); Billy Cannon by Topps (Public domain); Kyle Williams by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 3.0); Billy Joe DuPree by Scottycc (CC BY-SA 3.0); Pat Williams by Pat_Williams_and_Ronnie_Brown_at_2009_Pro_Bowl.jpg: Michi Moore derivative work: Lpdrew (CC BY 2.0); Jarvis Landry by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Louis Lipps by Cramerwiki (CC0); Derek Stingley Jr. by https://www.flickr.com/people/138374196@N05 Tammy Anthony Baker from Louisiana (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mike Wallace by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Jake Delhomme by kyle tsui from Washington, DC, USA (CC BY 2.0); Landon Collins by All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0).