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Why doesn’t the state of Tennessee produce more football players in the NFL?

Posted on 4/25/24 at 4:38 pm
Posted by Paul Allen
Montauk, NY
Member since Nov 2007
75280 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 4:38 pm
I saw where only 3 first round draft picks in the last decade were from the state of Tennessee. The state has a population of 7 million people.

Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama all had over 13. North Carolina had 12.

Why would a state with a growing population for the better part of two decades along with its largest metro areas of Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville not have more players in the NFL?
Posted by Longhorn Actual
Member since Dec 2023
949 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 4:46 pm to
Their superior bloodlines all went to Texas (example: Davy Crockett).

Those that remained went to the University of Tennessee.
Posted by chalmetteowl
Chalmette
Member since Jan 2008
47865 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 4:48 pm to
Most of the state is hillbilly mountain country…
Posted by themetalreb
Mississippi
Member since Sep 2018
4071 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 4:49 pm to
Too many white people in Tennessee....other than Memphis and maybe Nashville, no athletes in rural Tennessee.
Posted by AlonsoWDC
Memphis, where it ain't Ten-a-Key
Member since Aug 2014
8778 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 4:59 pm to
Because Memphis can only do so much.

And outside of the major population centers, things in rural Tennessee get real methy.
This post was edited on 4/25/24 at 5:01 pm
Posted by S
RIP Wayde
Member since Jan 2007
155945 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:06 pm to
1998 Tennessee football: 13-0
Posted by Boodis Man
Member since Sep 2020
4695 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:11 pm to
The most talent is in Memphis, but street clout > football in that city
Posted by KiwiHead
Auckland, NZ
Member since Jul 2014
27782 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:13 pm to
That's actually a good question. Even in the 90s when Tennessee was at the top, so many of their top players came from out of state . Manning from NOLA, Tee Martin from Mobile, Schuler from NC, Clausen from CA. Michael Munoz from Cincinnati. Fat Phil recruited the frick out of CA particularly San Diego.

You would think Memphis would produce a lot, but really, the Memphis area does not really produce a great amount of talent ( except for Melrose HS) for football and if there is 4 and 5 star talent it gets scooped up by Ole Miss and MSU not to mention the University of Memphis or out of state like Barrett Jones.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
20543 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:30 pm to
The state of Tennessee overall has very few college recruits. Something like a half dozen 4 stars, maybe 10 or so a year. Then recruits Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, etc to fill their class. They just don’t have a bunch, much of that is just a limited population. But it’s much lower than some of the other SEC states.
Posted by Oilfieldbiology
Member since Nov 2016
37590 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:32 pm to
Because while Tennessee is unequivocally southern, it doesn’t have the population of African Americans that LA, MS, AL, GA, and FL have.
Posted by lepdagod
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2015
3454 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:35 pm to
Jayden Daniels said on Shannon Sharpe podcast that the players at LSU were just built different... all they did was play football because it wasn't anything else to do...
Posted by BlueWaffleHouse
LA
Member since Jul 2012
1860 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 5:54 pm to
Rural Tennessee is basically just a carbon copy of Deliverance.
Posted by Auburn80
Backwater, TN
Member since Nov 2017
7597 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 7:07 pm to
Memphis is closer to Ole Miss, Miss St, and Arky than UT.
Posted by TooFyeToFly
Atlanta, Georgia
Member since Nov 2012
1258 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 7:40 pm to
quote:

Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama all had over 13. North Carolina had 12.



These states have more black people.
This post was edited on 4/25/24 at 7:41 pm
Posted by H-Town Tiger
Member since Nov 2003
59134 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 9:59 pm to
Google the cotton belt. That’s your answer
Posted by yaboidarrell
westbank
Member since Feb 2017
5399 posts
Posted on 4/25/24 at 10:07 pm to
Half of Tennessee's Black population lives in Memphis. The other half are in north Nashville, east Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Outside of the urban areas, Tennessee is lily white.
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