The state of Missouri has been at the center of the NFL for the past decade thanks to the dominance of the Kansas City Chiefs. It got us thinking, who are the best NFL players of all time who were born and raised in Missouri? For this list, we are looking for players who were not only born in the state but also went to high school in Missouri. Let’s take a look.
Born in Missouri, HS Elsewhere
There were a couple of players worth mentioning who were born in Missouri but ended up going to high school elsewhere.
Lawyer Milloy was born in St. Louis but went ot high school in Lincoln, Washington. Milloy was a four-time Pro Bowler at defensive back, and he was a First-Team All-Pro selection in 1999 with the Patriots. He was also a Super Bowl Champion in New England. Milloy ended up playing 234 games in his career and finished with 1,439 tackles, 21 sacks, and 25 interceptions.
Linebacker Bryan Cox was also born in St. Louis but ended up going to high school in Illinois. Cox played 165 games from 1991-2002, and he racked up 939 tackles, 51.5 sacks, and 22 forced fumbles. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and had 14 sacks in 1992 with the Dolphins.
Best NFL Players Born and Raised in MO
Now, let’s get to our top five NFL players who were born and raised in the state of Missouri.
5. Aldon Smith – DE
Born: Kansas City, MO
High School: Raytown
NFL Career: 2011-15, 2020
Aldon Smith started his NFL career in style as he racked up 14.0 sacks as a rookie and finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. In year two, he had 19.5 sacks and was a Pro Bowl selection, along with a First-Team All-Pro selection. After that, things fell apart. He played 11 games in 2013, 7 in 2014, and 9 in 2015. He had just 14.0 sacks in that span before off-the-field trouble and suspensions knocked him out of the league for the next four seasons.
Smith was able to return to the NFL in 2020 and had 5.0 sacks in 16 games. After such a strong start, Smith will always be thought about in “what if” territory. Who knows what he could have been if he didn’t struggle so much off the field.
4. Jeremy Maclin – WR
Born: St. Louis, MO
High School: Kirkwood
NFL Career: 2009-17
Jeremy Maclin has the most receiving yards, receptions, and receiving touchdowns of any player born in the state of Missouri. His best work came in 2014 and 2015 when he had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. In 2014, Maclin had 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Eagles. He finished that season second in the Comeback Player of the Year race after missing the entire 2013 season.
Maclin averaged 64 receptions, 854 yards, and 6 touchdowns per season over his eight-year career with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Ravens.
3. Henry Jones – DB
Born: St. Louis, MO
High School: St. Louis University HS
NFL Career: 1991-2002
Henry Jones played 158 games in a 12-year career with the Bills, Falcons, and Vikings. Jones played 10 seasons with the Bills and was a Pro Bowler, along with a First-Team All-Pro selection in 1992. That season, he had 8 interceptions and returned two of those for touchdowns. His 8 interceptions led the league, and he also had 263 return yards from those interceptions, which was tops in the league.
Jones had multiple interceptions in five seasons and 70+ tackles in eight of his seasons. He started at least 13 games in eight seasons and finished his career with 18 interceptions, 713 tackles, and 7 forced fumbles.
2. Ezekiel Elliott – RB
Born: St. Louis, MO
High School: John Burroughs
NFL Career: 2016-Present
Ezekiel Elliott had an insanely good stretch to start his NFL career that began with a rushing title and 1,631 yards in his first season with the Cowboys. He scored 15 touchdowns that season, and he was on the All-Pro First-Team. Elliott played only 10 games in year two because of a suspension, but had 983 yards before leading the league again in rushing in 2018 with 1,434. He was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2018.
Elliott averaged 1,351 yards and 10 touchdowns per season from 2016-19. From 2020-24, he saw a big dip in production as he averaged 745 yards and 7 touchdowns per year. Elliott has over 9,100 yards in his career and 74 rushing touchdowns. He has over 4,300 more rushing yards than the next Missouri-born player, Napoleon Kaufman (4,792).
1. Justin Smith – DE
Born: Jefferson City, MO
High School: Jefferson City
NFL Career: 2001-14
Justin Smith played 221 games over 14 seasons while spending half of that time with the Bengals before spending the second half with the 49ers. He gets the edge over Elliott thanks to longevity and one more All-Pro selection.
Smith was strongest down the stretch in his career with the 49ers. From 2009-13, he made the Pro Bowl five times and was a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2011. He was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2012 and 2013. Smith racked up 87.0 sacks in his career, 16 forced fumbles, and he started 217 games. Smith had at least 7.0 sacks six times in his career.
