Marcus Davenport #92 of the New Orleans Saints before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Oct. 25, 2021 in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 26: Terence Steele #78 of the Dallas Cowboys smiles on the bench after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Washington Football Team at AT&T Stadium on December 26, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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From San Antonio high school fields to NFL stadiums, the Alamo City has produced its share of professional football talent — part of a Texas pipeline that ranks among the nation’s strongest.
A new study by ACE.com found that 185 active NFL players from the completed 2025 season were born in Texas, trailing only California’s 194. Florida followed with 174 and Georgia with 142.
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San Antonio has its own pipeline to the NFL, with players born in the area or developed at local high schools and colleges reaching the professional ranks.
Here are some of the players with San Antonio-area ties who have made it to the NFL in recent years, according to Pro Football Reference.
Converse Judson produces NFL talent
Few San Antonio-area high schools have as many recent NFL connections as Judson High School in Converse.
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DeMarvin Leal, Rashad Wisdom and Sincere McCormick were teammates at Judson and members of the school’s Class of 2019. All three earned varsity spots as freshmen and eventually reached the NFL.
Leal went on to play defensive line at Texas A&M before the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with Pittsburgh before being released in January. Leal later signed with the New York Giants but was released in April and is currently a free agent.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end DeMarvin Leal (98) reaches out to try ands stop Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary (26) during the second half an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Houston.
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Wisdom and McCormick remained teammates after high school, with both staying in San Antonio to play at UTSA.
Wisdom, a defensive back, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He appeared in a several games in 2025 and is competing during this year’s preseason ahead of the 2026 season.
Safety Rashad Wisdom runs a drill during UTSA’s annual Pro Day at Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence on Monday, March 18, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News
McCormick, a running back, signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He recently signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
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UTSA running back Sincere McCormick runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Tre Flowers is another Judson product who reached the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks selected the defensive back in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Over his career, Flowers has spent time with Seattle, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
San Antonio-area schools send more talent to the NFL
Judson isn’t the only local high school with ties to the NFL. Steele, Stevens, Wagner, Clark and John Jay are among other San Antonio-area programs that have sent players to the professional ranks.
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Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele is among the area’s most established active players. The Cibolo native attended Steele High School before playing at Texas Tech. He signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and has since become a longtime starter on the Cowboys’ offensive line.
Another of the area’s most successful NFL products is defensive end Marcus Davenport, who played at Stevens High School before starring at UTSA.
The New Orleans Saints selected Davenport 14th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, making him one of the highest-drafted players with San Antonio ties. He later played for the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions before signing with the Chicago Bears this year.
Offensive lineman Spencer Burford played at Wagner High School before staying in San Antonio to play at UTSA. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
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San Francisco 49ers’ Spencer Burford during 30-12 win over New York Giants in NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
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Burford spent four seasons with San Francisco before entering free agency and signing with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this year.
Wide receiver Josh Reynolds played at John Jay High School before the Los Angeles Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He later played for the Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. Reynolds is currently a free agent.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 14: Josh Reynolds #8 of the Detroit Lions runs with the ball during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs at Ford Field on January 14, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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Tight end Ben Sims played at Clark High School in San Antonio before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He has played for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings and recently signed with the Miami Dolphins.
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Minnesota Vikings tight end Ben Sims catches a pass against Arizona Cardinals safety Kendell Brooks, back, and cornerback Quavian White, right, during the second half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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San Antonio native Elijah Garcia played at Stevens High School and Rice before reaching the NFL as an undrafted defensive lineman in 2022. He has spent time with the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons and is now with the Carolina Panthers.
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Those San Antonio connections are part of a much larger football pipeline across Texas.
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The state had 167,260 boys participating in high school football, the most in the country, according to the ACE.com study.
But Texas’ ranking drops when NFL players are measured against the size of its high school football population. The state produced 11.1 active NFL players for every 10,000 boys playing high school football, ranking 24th nationally in the study.
Georgia led the participation-adjusted ranking with 43.1 active NFL players per 10,000 high school football players, followed by Florida at 42.3 and Louisiana at 35.8.
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“The thing that surprised us most was how different the picture looks once you move away from the raw totals,” an ACE.com spokesperson said. “Texas is obviously a huge football state, and it produces a massive number of NFL players, but it also has an enormous number of boys playing high school football.”
San Antonio has contributed its share to that statewide pipeline. Players from Judson, Stevens, Wagner, Clark, John Jay and Steele have reached the NFL, while UTSA has helped develop several players who went on to the professional ranks.