As usual, New Orleans area talent present on rosters around NFL

Steve Van Buren, Richie Petitbon,  Eddie Price, Ed Reed, Aeneas Williams, Marshall Faulk, Peyton Manning, Billy Truax…the list goes on.

New Orleans and surrounding area has provided some of the very best talent that the NFL has ever seen. It’s a tribute to the work ethic and the coaching in this area over many decades.

Currently, there are 96 players in NFL camps from the Pelican state, and 41 of them honed their skills in the Big Easy.

The Indianapolis Colts have four players on their roster from greater New Orleans while the Saints, Texans, Carolina and Falcons all have three.

The Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks, Titans, Chiefs, Jaguars and Browns have a pair of players who prepped in New Orleans.

The Redskins, Saints, Chiefs, and Colts have six players from Louisiana dotting their roster. The Falcons and Texans have five, while the Rams, Giants, Cowboys, Cardinals, Jets and Jaguars each have four.

Twenty players in the NFC began their football journey in New Orleans:

-Sherman Badie-Cardinals-John Curtis (Tulane)

-Chris Bazile-Cardinals-East Jefferson (Grambling)

-Duke Riley-Falcons-John Curtis (LSU)

-Deion Jones-Falcons-Jesuit (LSU)

-Sedrick Cooper-Falcons-Shaw (La. Tech)

-Lorenzo Doss-Panthers-St. Aug (Tulane)

-Donte’ Jackson-Panthers-Riverdale (LSU)

-Trai Turner-Panthers-St. Aug (LSU)

-Rico Gathers-Cowboys-Riverside Academy (Baylor basketball)

-Cornelius Lucas-Rams-Edna Karr (Kansas State)

-Will Clapp-Saints-Brother Martin (LSU)

-Arthur Maulet-Saints-Bonnabel (Memphis)

-Rickey Jefferson-Saints-Destrehan (LSU)

-Eli Manning-Giants-Newman (Ole Miss)

-Odell Beckham, Jr.-Giants-Newman (LSU)

-Mike Wallace-Eagles-O.P. Walker (Ole Miss)

-Steven Dunbar-49ers-Rummel (Houston)

-D.J. Fluker-Seahawks-McDonogh 35 (Alabama)

-Cyril Grayson-Seahawks-Rummel (LSU track)

-Rob Kelley-Redskins-O.P. Walker (Tulane)

The AFC also features 20 players from this area (21 if you include Bonnabel graduate Joe Este’ who was recently released by Titans but may return):

-Kenny Young-Ravens-John Curtis (UCLA)

-Malcachi Dupre-Bills-John Curtis (LSU)

-Cethan Carter-Bengals-Rummel (Nebraska)

-Jarvis Landry-Browns-Lutcher (LSU)

-Carlos Henderson-Broncos-McDonogh 35 (LA. Tech)

-Tyrann Mathieu-Texans-St. Aug. (LSU)

-Treston DeCoud-Texans-Lakeshore (Oregon State)

-Alfred Blue-Texans-Hahnville (LSU)

-Anthony Johnson-Colts-O.P. Walker (LSU)

-James Wright-Colts-Belle Chasse (LSU)

-Jeremy Vujnovich-Colts-Belle Chasse (La. College)

-Henre’ Toliver-Colts-Rummel (Arkansas)

-Leonard Fournette-Jaguars-St. Aug (LSU)

-Tanner Lee-Jaguars-Jesuit (Tulane/Nebraska)

-Otha Peters-Chiefs-Covington (UL Lafayette)

-Darrel Willaims-Chiefs-John Ehret (LSU)

-Dillon Gordon-Chiefs-John Curtis (LSU)

-Lamin Barrow-Dolphins-John Ehret (LSU)

-Parry Nickerson-Jets-West Jefferson (Tulane)

-Kendrick Lewis-Titans-O.P. Walker (Ole Miss)

As for the high school breakdown of NFL players from the area, John Curtis, Rummel, St. Augustine and O.P. Walker have four players each on rosters. McDonogh 35, Newman, Jesuit, Bommabel, John Ehret and Belle Chasse have two.

Teams currently without players from the state of Louisiana do have local representation of sorts through coaching staffs.

The Bears’ defense is in the capable hands of Vic Fangio, not a native of New Orleans but coached on the Saints staff from 1986-’94.

The Lions have former LSU nose tackle Bo Davis (1990-’92) as their defensive line coach. Harold Nash, a St. Augustine alum, is the Detroit’s strength and conditioning coach. Devin Fitzsimmons, a native of Folsom, is an assistant special teams coach in the Motor City.

The L.A. Chargers have former LSU offensive tackle Joe Barksdale, a native of Detroit. An ex-Grambling lineman, Alabama native Trent Scott, is trying to make the cut as a free agent. Eric Henderson, an Edna Karr alum, is the Chargers’ assistant D-Line coach.

The Minnesota Vikings have a pair of former LSU defensive ends recruited to Baton Rouge from outside the state, Danielle Hunter and Tashawn Bower, on their roster.

No matter how you look at it, the football hotbed that this Louisiana is making its mark at every NFL location.