{NOTE: The original version of this article was published in March 2005 on rivals.com.}

When it comes to producing NFL-caliber players, nobody does it like the Big 3. According to league data, California high school roots are claimed by 200 players who were on active NFL rosters at the end of the 2004 season; Texas and Florida follow closely behind, producing 174 and 173 players, respectively. To put those figures in perspective, the fourth place state on this list (Georgia, with 86) would still be in fourth place if it doubled its proficiency at producing NFL players. That's how big the disparity is between the Big 3 recruiting states and the rest of the country.

None of this comes as much of a shock to those familiar with the world of big-time college football recruiting, and it initially sounds like just another anti-climactic revelation to recognize Massachusetts as the high school home state of 18 NFL players in 2004. However, a closer look at the numbers reveals some surprising revelations to consider.

The 18 NFL players who hail from Massachusetts combine to give the Bay State the same total of league natives as Arkansas, a state that straddles the border between SEC and Big 12 country. In fact, Massachusetts is ranked higher on this list than Big 12 states Colorado (17), Nebraska (14), and Kansas (13), as well as Big 10 states Indiana (16), Wisconsin (16), and Minnesota (14).

Keep in mind here also the fact that the only Division 1A football program in Massachusetts is not a publicly funded cash cow, but rather a private Jesuit institution with more strenuous academic standards than most schools and a recruiting budget based in pragmatics that pales in comparison to those of other football programs in both the ACC and Big East. 

In light of this context, it's worth noting that Massachusetts has produced more current NFL players than 7 previously unmentioned states that are each home to 2 or more Division 1A football teams. These states include Utah (12 players from a state with 3 Division 1A programs), Oregon (13 w/2 D1), Kentucky (9 w/2 D1), Idaho (8 w/2 D1), West Virginia (5 w/2 D1), Nevada (4 w/2 D1), and New Mexico (3 w/2 D1).

Nevertheless, while this information may allow us to gain a better appreciation for the quality of football played at the high school level in Massachusetts, it has yet to expose the most glaring flaw in the regional recruiting process of Bay State prospects.

Perhaps the best way to present the key issue at hand is through a comparison of Massachusetts with a state like Indiana. 

Despite a noticeable difference in acreage, the states field virtually the same number of high school football teams (Indiana just over 300, Massachusetts just under 300) and draw from almost identical population bases (both states are home to between 6.1 and 6.4 million residents). These statistical similarities may account, at least in part, for a parallel per capita output of football athletes capable of earning a job in the NFL (16 from Indiana versus 18 from Massachusetts). However, the unmistakable difference arises when we trace the typical paths these athletes took to gridiron greatness.

Indiana is home to 4 Division 1A football programs (Notre Dame, Purdue, Indiana, and Ball State), which means that prospects in the Hoosier State hypothetically possess 4 times as many chances to earn scholarships at in-state schools that will allow them to compete at the premier level of intercollegiate competition. Consequently, it's understandable that 7 of the 18 Massachusetts players attended Boston College, but what's less understandable (and profoundly problematic) is the fact that 6 of those 18 players attended schools at the Division 1AA or Division 2 level.

What that means in the big picture is that in the high-stakes, multi-million-dollar world of Division 1A football recruiting, a world where every elite recruit represents a potential point of impact on the future winning percentage and earning potential of each given institution, 1 out of every 3 future NFL players from Massachusetts is passed over. That's just not acceptable.

Keep in mind that we're not merely talking about 1A-caliber players who were missed here; we're talking about NFL players, the premier football athletes who can compete with the best in the world, and if a full third of these players are misjudged and inappropriately typecast due to geographic snobbery, then it’s fair to argue that recruiters might need to reconsider their evaluations, recognize talent where it lies, and—perhaps most importantly—stop making assumptions about where it doesn’t.

Nobody's trying to claim that Massachusetts is bubbling over with scores of unrecognized All-Americans, but the numbers speak for themselves: Among the 16 Indiana natives who went on to play in the 2004 NFL season, only 1 played below the Division 1A level. That means that 94% of the best prospects in Indiana were recognized by 1A recruiters and brought onboard to help some of the best teams in the country.

In contrast, only 66% of comparable prospects from Massachusetts were identified and recruited by 1A programs. Since we are, after all, dealing with academic institutions, let's go ahead and give an "A" to recruiting efforts by 1A programs working in Indiana and an ugly "D" to the performance of programs interested in tapping the potential of the Massachusetts talent pool.

Of course, the NFL players discussed here have already finished their college careers, but the cycle continues. USC stud linebacker Lofa Tatupu had to start at Maine despite his NFL bloodlines. Northeastern linebacker Liam Ezekiel had a strong showing at the NFL combine last week and will get a shot to make a roster next fall. Northeastern offensive tackle Ryan Gibbons (6-7/330) has been openly scouted by NFL teams since his sophomore season. Most recently, Brockton defensive end Jason Vega failed to field a single Division 1A scholarship offer despite promising size (6-4/215), position-friendly speed (4.6), strong academics, and a monster senior season (15 tackles and 4 sacks in 2 playoff games alone).

{2015 UPDATE NOTE: Gibbons went on to play multiple seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars, while Vega moved on to star in the CFL and spent time with the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.}

Such players are simply anecdotal examples, for sure, but they combine to paint a picture of why a school like Maine was able to beat Mississippi State last season on the road (in the same year that Mississippi State went on to beat Florida), and why New Hampshire was able to best Rutgers a week after the Scarlet Knights had upset Michigan State.

{The original article then went on to highlight some of the top prospects of the 2005 Massachusetts high school football scene, but the crux of the article’s thesis is what remains above.}