Super Bowl LVI: Where the Bengals, Rams played high school football

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.

Cincinnati Bengals

Evan McPherson, Fort Payne | Class of 2018

Brandon Allen, Fayetteville | Class of 2011

Josh Tupou, Buena Park | Class of 2012

Jonah Williams, Folsom | Class of 2016

Joe Mixon, Freedom (Oakley) | Class of 2014

Trenton Irwin, Hart (Newhall) | Class of 2015

Jalen Davis, Helix (La Mesa) | Class of 2014

Chidobe Awuzie, Oak Grove (San Jose) | Class of 2013

Trey Hendrickson, Apopka | Class of 2013

Ricardo Allen, Mainland (Daytona Beach) | Class of 2010

Fred Johnson, Royal Palm Beach | Class of 2015

Wyatt Ray, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) | Class of 2015

Mitchell Wilcox, Tarpon Springs | Class of 2015

Vernon Hargreaves III, Wharton (Tampa) | Class of 2013

D'Ante Smith, Grovetown | Class of 2016

Trey Hill, Houston County (Warner Robins) | Class of 2018

C.J. Uzomah, North Gwinnett (Suwanee) | Class of 2011

Vonn Bell, Ridgeland (Rossville) | Class of 2013

Mike Hilton, Sandy Creek (Tyrone) | Class of 2012

Cam Sample, Shiloh (Snellville) | Class of 2017

Mike Thomas, DuSable (Chicago) | Class of 2012

Chris Evans, Ben Davis (Indianapolis) | Class of 2016

Jessie Bates III, Fort Wayne Snider (Fort Wayne) | Class of 2015

Ja'Marr Chase, Archbishop Rummel (Metairie) | Class of 2018

Trent Taylor, Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport) | Class of 2013

Tyler Shelvin, Notre Dame (Crowley) | Class of 2017

Stanley Morgan, St. Augustine (New Orleans, La.) | Class of 2015

Keandre Jones, Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney) | Class of 2016

Zach Kerr, Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg) | Class of 2008

Eli Apple, Eastern (Voorhees) | Class of 2013

Clark Harris, Southern Regional (Manahawkin) | Class of 2002

D.J. Reader, Grimsley (Greensboro) | Class of 2012

Germaine Pratt, High Point Central (High Point) | Class of 2014

B.J. Hill, West Stanly (Oakboro, N.C.) | Class of 2014

Kevin Huber, Archbishop McNicholas (Cincinnati) | Class of 2005

Sam Hubbard, Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) | Class of 2014

Joe Burrow, Athens (The Plains) | Class of 2015

Jackson Carman, Fairfield | Class of 2018

Markus Bailey, Hilliard Davidson (Hilliard) | Class of 2015

Tyler Boyd, Clairton | Class of 2013

Tee Higgins, Oak Ridge | Class of 2017

Hakeem Adeniji, Garland | Class of 2016

Samaje Perine, Hendrickson (Pflugerville) | Class of 2014

Trayveon Williams, King (Houston) | Class of 2016

Tre Flowers, Judson (Converse) | Class of 2013

Michael Thomas, Nimitz (Houston) | Class of 2008

Trey Hopkins, North Shore (Houston) | Class of 2010

Clay Johnston, Wylie (Abilene) | Class of 2015

Quinton Spain, Petersburg | Class of 2010

Drew Sample, Newport (Bellevue) | Class of 2014

Trae Waynes, Kenosha Bradford (Kenosha) | Class of 2011

Bryce Perkins, Chandler | Class of 2015

Eric Weddle, Alta Loma | Class of 2003

Greg Gaines, La Habra | Class of 2014

David Long, Loyola (Los Angeles) | Class of 2016

Coleman Shelton, Loyola (Los Angeles) | Class of 2013

Matt Orzech, Paloma Valley (Menifee) | Class of 2013

Terrell Burgess, San Marcos | Class of 2016

Donte Deayon, Summit (Fontana) | Class of 2012

Troy Reeder, Salesianum (Wilmington) | Class of 2014

Terrell Lewis, St. John's | Class of 2016

Sony Michel, American Heritage (Plantation) | Class of 2014

John Wolford, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) | Class of 2014

Buddy Howell, Coral Gables | Class of 2014

Darious Williams, Creekside (St. Johns) | Class of 2013

Brandon Powell, Deerfield Beach | Class of 2014

Tyler Higbee, East Lake (Tarpon Springs) | Class of 2011

Leonard Floyd, Dodge County (Eastman) | Class of 2012

Grant Haley, Lovett (Atlanta) | Class of 2014

Tremayne Anchrum, McEachern (Powder Springs) | Class of 2016

David Edwards, Downers Grove North (Downers Grove) | Class of 2015

Brian Allen, Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale) | Class of 2014

Ben Skowronek, Homestead (Fort Wayne) | Class of 2016

Jake Gervase, Assumption (Davenport) | Class of 2014

Christian Rozeboom, Sioux Central (Sioux Rapids) | Class of 2015

Odell Beckham Jr., Newman (New Orleans) | Class of 2011

Andrew Whitworth, West Monroe | Class of 2001

Jake Funk, Damascus | Class of 2016

Antoine Brooks, DuVal (Lanham) | Class of 2016

Rob Havenstein, Linganore (Frederick) | Class of 2010

Alaric Jackson, Renaissance (Detroit) | Class of 2016

Cam Akers, Clinton | Class of 2017

Darrell Henderson, South Panola (Batesville) | Class of 2015

Kendall Blanton, Blue Springs South (Blue Springs) | Class of 2014

Austin Corbett, Reed (Sparks) | Class of 2013

Marquise Copeland, Bedford | Class of 2015

Michael Hoecht, Oakwood (Dayton) | Class of 2016

Aaron Donald, Penn Hills (Pittsburgh) | Class of 2010

Sebastian Joseph-Day, Stroudsburg | Class of 2013

Jalen Ramsey, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood) | Class of 2013

Brycen Hopkins, Ensworth (Nashville) | Class of 2015

Van Jefferson, Ravenwood (Brentwood) | Class of 2015

Texas (9)

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Alief Taylor (Houston) | Class of 2013

Bobby Evans, Allen | Class of 2015

A'Shawn Robinson, Arlington Heights (Fort Worth) | Class of 2013

Von Miller, DeSoto | Class of 2007

Matthew Stafford, Highland Park (Dallas) | Class of 2006

Bobby Brown II, Lamar (Arlington) | Class of 2018

Travin Howard, Longview | Class of 2014

Justin Hollins, Martin (Arlington) | Class of 2014

Joe Noteboom, Plano | Class of 2013

Matt Gay, Orem | Class of 2012

Nick Scott, Fairfax | Class of 2014

Johnny Hekker, Bothell | Class of 2008

Cooper Kupp, Davis (Yakima) | Class of 2012

Taylor Rapp, Sehome (Bellingham) | Class of 2016

Chris Garrett, Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee) | Class of 2017