Indianapolis ranked tied for tenth among U.S. cities producing the most NFL players.

Florida is home to four of the top 10 cities with the most players on active NFL rosters. IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. produced the most players of any high school program with 14 current NFL players. Texas led all states with 190 players on NFL rosters on kickoff weekend. Indiana ranked 20th overall with 25 representatives on active rosters.

Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin is a nine-time pro bowler and nine-time All-Pro, destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After collecting a pair of IHSAA Class 3A state titles at powerhouse Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Martin signed with Notre Dame. He set a new Notre Dame record with 52 career starts – which is the most by an offensive lineman – while leading the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the 2012 BCS National Championship game. Martin was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cowboys with the No. 16 overall pick. He was selected to the 2010s All-Decade team and has a 97.0 HOF monitor score in his 12th season, which is the highest score of any active lineman in the league.

Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin celebrated his 29th birthday at Northwest Stadium on Sunday with six receptions to guide his team to its first victory of the season. McLaurin is the only receiver in franchise history to compile four seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards. As the No. 1 option in D.C., McLaurin ranks top-10 in franchise history with 25 career receiving touchdowns (tenth), 386 receptions (ninth), and 5,322 receiving yards (eighth).

As a freshman in 2010, “Scary Terry” entered nationally recognized Indianapolis Cathedral at just 5-foot-3, 125-pounds. After leading the Fighting Irish to a fourth consecutive IHSAA Class 4A state title in 2013 with three touchdowns to complete his senior campaign, McLaurin became the second player in program history to earn the Indiana Mr. Football Award. He was a two-time team-captain at Ohio State and finished his career sixth all-time in program history with 19 career TDs.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner signed a three-year, $25 million extension on Aug. 8. Werner also played at Cathedral and Ohio State, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors after leading the Buckeyes with 54 tackles in 2020. Werner was drafted by the Saints with the No. 60 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has 37 career starts in his fourth season and has tallied 245 career tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one interception.

The Cleveland Browns promoted receiver David Bell to the active roster last Wednesday. The Indy-native is a product of his environment. Bell led Warren Central’s football and basketball programs to undefeated seasons capped off with state titles during his prep career. As a senior, Bell caught 85 passes for 1,542 receiving yards and 25 TDs in 14 games.

Bell committed to play football at Purdue and ultimately became the 21st consensus All-American in Boilermakers program history. In ‘21, Bell led FBS averaging 101.6 receiving yards per game. He finished his career fourth all-time with 232 receptions, and fifth-all time with 2,946 receiving yards and 21 receiving TDs. Bell was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has caught three career receiving TDs.

Browns tackle Dawand Jones is coming off a stellar rookie campaign where he was named to the First-Team All-Rookie team by the Pro Football Writers Association. In high school, Jones led Ben Davis to its ninth state title in his first year as a starter. He spent four seasons at Ohio State, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten at right guard in 2021. After transitioning to right tackle in 2022, Jones earned First-Team All-American by CBS Sports. The mammoth 6-foot-8, 374-pound Indy-native was selected by the Browns in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was getting lined up at the barber shop before the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl when his agent reached out to make sure he “kept an eye on” receiving an invite to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Less than five minutes later, Tracy “almost fell out” after reading the news that he’d been granted the opportunity to demonstrate his speed and confirm his extended highlight reel in front of dozens of NFL scouts inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

“I called my mom and dad,” Tracy said inside the Indiana Convention Center on March 1. “We immediately started crying, because it’s a blessing to come back to your hometown and get to experience this.”

Tracy set double-digit school records in high school at Decatur Central, most notably with 72 career TDs. He spent four years at Iowa, then finished his collegiate career with two more seasons at Purdue. Tracy led the Boilermakers with nine total TDs in 2023 and earned Third-Team All-Big Ten as a return specialist.

“I want them to see how versatile I am,” Tracy said at the podium. “I want them to see that I can catch the ball very well out of the backfield. I want them to see how explosive I am.”

Three months later, the Giants drafted Tracy In the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Tracy made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite his longest run of 10 yards, Tracy finished with two carries for two rushing yards and one catch for five receiving yards.

The Seattle Seahawks selected tackle Mike Jerrell in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the lone NCAA Division II player to get the call. The Pike product committed to Division II Findlay in 2018, but did not start until after the 2020 season, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jerrell finished his collegiate career with 40 consecutive starts and played in 48 games, second-most by an offensive lineman in program history. He experienced a culture shock from an average of 1,557 fans in Findlay, Ohio to a home opener of 68,714 at Lumen Field.

The Indianapolis Colts have two players sporting the horsehoe for their hometown team, including 2023 second-round draft pick JuJu Brents and linebacker Cameron McGrone. Brents graduated from Warren Central and signed with Iowa, then immediately emerged as the No. 3 cornerback and starting nickelback as a true freshman to begin the 2018 season. Brents transferred to Kansas State in 2021 and started 27 games in two seasons, earning First-Team All-Big 12 in 2022. Brents suffered a knee injury in the season opener, which placed him on Injured Reserve.

Michigan landed Indiana’s top Class of 2018 recruit, McGrone, who was ranked 24th overall in the nation by 247Sports. The Lawrence Central alum made 15 starts in three seasons with the Wolverines. McGrone was signed by the Colts off the New England Patriots’ practice squad on Dec. 30, 2022. McGrone suffered a dislocated elbow during training camp and was placed on IR on Aug. 27.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chris Evans was teammates with McGrone at Michigan. As a dual-sport track star at Ben Davis, Evans caught the attention of former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh at a satellite camp in Indianapolis and committed to play for the Wolverines. Evans showcased his elusiveness on the field when he became the third player in Michigan’s illustrious program history to eclipse 100 rushing yards in his first college game. The Bengals drafted Evans in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. In his first three seasons, Evans has three rushing and three receiving TDs. Evans suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during training camp, which cost him what was supposed to be his fourth NFL season.