By Dean Michaels
Football is the sport of choice for more and more high school students each year. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the number of participants on 11-player football teams was 1,110,527 last year. The 1,109,278 boys involved in the sport account for approximately 25 percent of the 4,455,740 boys that participate in athletics.
For the 12th year in a row, involvement in football surpassed the one-million mark.
The number of participants playing high school football on 11-, nine-, eight-, and six-player teams is significantly larger than the next most-played sport, outdoor track and field, in which 572,123 boys participated.
Most Popular Boys High School Sports
| Sport | Number of Participants |
|---|---|
| Source: NFL | |
| Football (11-man) | 1,109,278 |
| Track and Field | 572,123 |
| Basketball | 540,207 |
| Baseball | 472,644 |
| Soccer | 391,839 |
Texas boasts the most high-school students playing football with 161,210 participants. California, however, had the most players selected in the 2011 NFL Draft with 42, topping last year's leader, Florida (34).
The breakdown of states with double-digit players drafted by NFL clubs in 2011:
| State | Players Drafted |
|---|---|
| Source: NFL | |
| California | 42 |
| Florida | 36 |
| Texas | 29 |
| Georgia | 19 |
| North Carolina | 10 |
| Ohio | 10 |
A total of 243 high schools contributed to the 254 players selected in the seven rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. There were 11 schools with two or more players selected. Colton High School in Colton, California led all high schools with three players -- ALLEN BRADFORD (Tampa Bay), JIMMY SMITH (Baltimore) and SHAREECE WRIGHT (San Diego) -- chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft.
"Our staff is very proud," says Colton head coach RICHARD BRAY. "It is great for the school, the city of Colton, and our program. We are happy for their chance to keep playing a sport that all three young men have played since childhood. This starts a new tradition for Colton football, one that others will try to carry on."
The breakdown of high schools that had multiple players drafted by NFL teams in 2011:
| High School | Total | Players (NFL Team / Round) |
|---|---|---|
| Source: NFL | ||
| Colton (Colton, CA) | 3 | Allen Bradford (Tampa Bay/6); Jimmy Smith (Baltimore/1); Shareece Wright (San Diego/3) |
| Aliquippa (Aliquippa, PA) | 2 | Jonathan Baldwin (Kansas City/1); Tommie Campbell (Tennessee/7) |
| Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, FL) | 2 | Patrick Peterson (Arizona/1); J.T. Thomas (Chicago/6) |
| East Ridge (Clermont, FL) | 2 | Chimdi Chekwa (Oakland/4); Greg Lloyd (Philadelphia/7) |
| Fort Dorchester (Charleston, SC) | 2 | Byron Maxwell (Seattle/6); Robert Quinn (St. Louis/1) |
| Gwynn Park Senior (Brandywine, MD) | 2 | Rashad Carmichael (Houston/4); Phil Taylor (Cleveland/1) |
| John I Leonard (Greenacres, FL) | 2 | Kenrick Ellis (NY Jets/3); Markus White (Washington/7) |
| Kaiser (Fontana, Calif.) | 2 | Chris Carter (Pittsburgh/5); David Carter (Arizona/6) |
| Lakeland (Lakeland, FL) | 2 | Ahmad Black (Tampa Bay/5); Mike Pouncey (Miami/1) |
| Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, CA) | 2 | D'Aundre Reed (Minnesota/7); Tyron Smith (Dallas/1) |
| Saint Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | 2 | Marcus Gilbert (Pittsburgh/2); Leonard Hankerson (Washington/3) |
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Football's Popularity Amongst High School Students Keeps Growing