5 Famous NFL Stars That Came From California

We are partway through the 2019-2020 season of the National Football League (NFL). For many, this sport is what makes October through December the most wonderful time of the year -- not the holidays of Thanksgiving or Christmas. As Bill Belichick famously put it, “Christmas comes at an inconvenient time right in the middle of the football season.” You can love football and the holidays, though. You don’t have to be a Bill Belichick.

Throughout the season, many fans are glued into how their team is doing. They want to know their team’s record, who is injured on their team, and how this all factors into their playoff chances. Oftentimes a team’s name will get shortened to simply it’s home location in an effort to more efficiently talk about performance. For example, “New England” rather than “the New England Patriots,” or “Minnesota” in place of “the Minnesota Vikings.” This puts a lot of focus on the location of the team and it’s local connection, but many players on these teams are actually from far away places.

It’s rare that an NFL player will grow up in an area, go to school nearby, and then play professionally for their hometown team. More often than not, a player’s college and professional career will take them around the country. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at five NFL stars that originally came from California. Only a couple of these athletes ended up playing professionally in their home state.

1. Derek Carr

Current Team: Oakland Raiders
Position: Quarterback
College: California State University, Fresno
Hometown: Fresno, CA

Derek Carr is one of the few exceptions here: He grew up in Fresno, CA, then went on to college in Fresno, and now is playing on the Oakland Raiders. He’s definitely a Californian to his core -- which makes the fact that he’s the highest paid NFL player from CA all the more exciting.

2. Tyron Smith

Current Team: Dallas Cowboys
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: University of Southern California
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Tyron Smith didn’t end up playing for a California football team in the NFL, but he did play college ball at USC. This is right in his hometown of Los Angeles.

3. Tom Brady

Current Team: New England Patriots
Position: Quarterback
College: University of Michigan
Hometown: San Mateo, CA

Tom Brady is a household name in the frigid states of New England. However, he actually is from San Mateo, CA, on the other side of the country. He’s one of the oldest players in the NFL and has been with the Patriots his entire career, so not everyone knows he’s actually a California kid.

4. Julian Edelman

Current Team: New England Patriots
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Kent State University
Hometown: Redwood City, CA

Julian Edelman is also a fixture of the New England Patriots who comes from California. Similar to Tom Brady, he went to college in the Midwest before ending up with the Pats.

5. Brandin Cooks

Current Team: Los Angeles Rams
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Oregon State University
Hometown: Stockton, CA

Brandin Cooks is another player who ended up playing for an NFL team in the Golden State -- the Los Angeles Rams. He’s originally from Stockton.