The stage is set for Super Bowl LVI this Sunday in Inglewood at SoFi Stadium between the Los Angeles Rams host the Cincinnati Bengals. And despite your rooting interest, hometowns of the Super Bowl participants also take pride in seeing local standouts participate in the biggest game of the year.
Matthew Stafford leads the 16 players from the Lone Star State and he was the top-rated quarterback from the Class of 2006 coming out of Highland Park (Dallas). Stafford threw for 8,958 yards during his high school career and led the Scots to a 15-0 record and UIL 4A Division 1 state title in 2005.
The other starting quarterback in Super Bowl LVI — Joe Burrow — was a four-star recruit coming out of Athens (The Plains, Ohio) in 2015. He threw for 11,416 yards and 157 touchdowns to go with 2,067 yards rushing and 27 more scores during his high school career. He was named Mr. Football of Ohio in 2014 and was also an all-state point guard in basketball.
Joe Mixon was one of 13 players who played high school football in the Golden State and was a five-star recruit along with being the top-rated all-purpose back from the Class of 2014 coming out of Freedom (Oakley). Over his final three years of high school he rushed for 4,281 yards and 57 touchdowns. He added 37 receptions for 682 yards and 10 scores.
Loyola (Los Angeles) is the only school that features multiple players as David Long (Class of 2016) and Coleman Shelton (Class of 2013). Both play for the Rams.
In total, 27 states along with Washington, D.C. have at least one player on both rosters.
Alabama (1)
Arkansas (1)
California (6)
Florida (6)
Georgia (6)
Illinois (1)
Indiana (2)
Louisiana (4)
Maryland (3)
Isaiah Prince,
Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt) | Class of 2015
Michigan (1)
Khalid Kareem,
Harrison (Farmington Hills) | Class of 2016
New Jersey (2)
North Carolina (3)
Ohio (5)
Pennsylvania (1)
Tennessee (1)
Texas (7)
Virginia (1)
Washington (1)
Wisconsin (1)
Wyoming (1)
Logan Wilson,
Natrona County (Casper, Wyo.) | Class of 2015
Los Angeles Rams
Arizona (1)
California (7)
Delaware (1)
District of Columbia (1)
Florida (6)
Georgia (3)
Illinois (2)
Indiana (1)
Iowa (2)
Louisiana (2)
Maryland (3)
Michigan (1)
Mississippi (2)
Missouri (1)
Nevada (1)
Ohio (2)
Pennsylvania (2)
Tennessee (3)
Texas (9)
Utah (1)
Virginia (1)
Washington (3)
Wisconsin (1)