A Large Number Of Pro Athletes Are From Georgia
In late 2020, market data company Gitnux reported that, “4.06% of NFL players in 2020 preseason rosters were from Georgia.” Presently, in addition to football players, Georgia is also where many other professional athletes are from.
In recent years we’ve seen sports betting become legal and popular in many states. As a result, sites like OLBG Sports Betting Community have dug into data on cities and states where pro athletes are coming from. For example, OLBG found that Atlanta ranks 8th as the city where NBA players are from, with 49 players.
In addition, Offers recognized Georgia as one of the most athletic states in the country. “Georgia, which ranks third, has a whopping 107 professional athletes born there, with 78 playing in the NFL,” they said.
Then, at the start of this past 2023 NFL season, The Action Network published a report that included a graphic illustrating how many NFL players were from each state. They said 68 players were from Georgia.
We know the Philadelphia Eagles have been jokingly called the Georgia Bulldogs of the NFL due to the number of players from this college football powerhouse that the Eagles have drafted. However, widening the lens here, let’s take a fun look at the current landscape all of professional sports.
These Professional Athletes Are From Georgia
We will stay in the NFL to start. Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb is from Cedartown. He then stayed in state of course, playing for the Bulldogs before being drafted and moving north to Ohio. Staying with the Browns, their quarterback is from Georgia as well. Deshaun Watson is from Gainesville.
In the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks forward Jae Crowder is from Villa Rica. Two-time NBA champion and current Denver Nuggets shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is from Thomaston. However, the biggest name in the NBA, from Georgia, also has one of the biggest contracts. That recognition goes to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was born in Atlanta and then attended Wheeler High School in Marietta.
In Major League Baseball, Minnesota Twins infielder Kyle Farmer is from Atlanta. The Texas Rangers utility man, Jared Walsh also hails from the Peach State. In addition, both also went to the University of Georgia.
Though he’s currently a scout for the Minnesota Wild, Mark Mowers played in the NHL for ten years. He was born in Decatur.
Georgia’s pride in pro sports will seemingly continue well into the future. The Georgia Bulldogs offense alone is projected to have two first-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft. Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey are the names to look out for. In addition, McConkey grew up in Chatsworth.
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