Alabama

Player: Terrell Owens

Birth City: Alexander City

College: Tennessee-Chattanooga

Teams: 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills, Bengals

Stats: 1,078 Rec, 15,934 Yds, 14.8 Y/R, 153 TD

Accolades: 5-time All-Pro, 6-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Did Owens take a blowtorch to every locker room he entered in his 15 NFL seasons? Yes. Have Hall of Fame voters held his me-first, "Love-me-some-me" antics against him? Absolutely. Did Bart Starr lead the Packers to five NFL titles and two Super Bowl wins while collecting an NFL MVP and two Super Bowl MVPs? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Doesn't matter. Owens' numbers are just too prolific to ignore. He's sixth all-time in receptions, third all-time in receiving yards and second all-time in touchdown catches. And he averaged nearly 15 yards a catch.

Runners-up: Bart Starr, Ozzie Newsome

Alaska

Player: Mark Schlereth

Birth City: Anchorage

College: Idaho

Teams: Redskins, Broncos

Stats: 156 games and 140 starts in 12 NFL seasons

Accolades: 3-time Super Bowl champ, 2-time Pro Bowler

Why him? The former 10th-round pick of the Washington Redskins is easily Alaska's greatest NFL player. "Stink" started at guard for three Super Bowl teams, played in 15 playoff games and unofficially led the NFL in surgeries -- 29 over 12 seasons, including 15 on his left knee -- and the number of times he peed his pants during a game. He also helped pave the way for Terrell Davis' MVP season of 1998 when the Hall of Famer rushed for 2,008 yards.

Runner-up: Travis Hall

Arizona

Player: Randall McDaniel

Birth City: Phoenix

College: Arizona State

Teams: Vikings, Buccaneers

Stats: 222 starts (playoffs included) over 14 NFL seasons

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Defensive tackle Curley Culp, the only other Hall of Famer from the Grand Canyon State, won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs, but McDaniel gets the nod here. He went to 12 straight Pro Bowls and didn't miss a single start from 1990-2001. He retired with 220 regular-season starts. He also played on one of the NFL's greatest teams to never win it all, the 1998 Vikings.

Runner-up: Curley Culp

Arkansas

Player: Willie Roaf

Birth City: Pine Bluff

College: Louisiana Tech

Teams:  Saints, Chiefs

Stats:  189 starts over 13 NFL seasons

Accolades:  Hall of Fame, 3-time All Pro, 11-time Pro Bowler

Why him? It's a tough call between Roaf and fellow Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy, but "Nasty" played two more seasons and went to three more Pro Bowls. He's also a member of two NFL All-Decade Teams (1990s, 2000s). The No. 8 overall pick of the Saints in the 1993 draft started all 16 games in nine of his 13 seasons and only missed more than three starts once -- in 2001 -- when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Runner-up: Cortez Kennedy

California

Player: Tom Brady

Birth City: San Mateo

College: Michigan

Teams: New England Patriots

Stats: 183-52-0 QBrec, 63.8 Cmp%, 61,582 Yds, 7.5 Y/A, 456 TD

Accolades: 5-time Super Bowl champ, 2-time NFL MVP, four-time Super Bowl MVP, 2-time All Pro, 12-time Pro Bowler

Why him? With Terrell Davis now enshrined, the Golden State claims 22 Hall of Famers. But there's only one G.O.A.T. There's NFL greatness, and then there's the "Only Tom Brady Club." As in, only Brady has started in seven Super Bowls. Only Brady has won five rings with the same team. Only Brady has been Super Bowl MVP four times. And, entering his 18th season, that list will only continue to grow.

Runners-up: Aaron Rodgers, Anthony Munoz, O.J. Simpson, Tony Gonzalez

Colorado

Player:  Matt Hasselbeck

Birth City: Boulder

College: Boston College

Teams: Packers, Seahawks, Titans, Colts

Stats: 85-75-0 QBrec, 60.5 Cmp%, 36,638 yards, 6.9 Y/A, 212 TD

Accolades: 3-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Yes, Hasselbeck is a bit of an odd choice here since he grew up in Massachusetts. He was born, however, in the The People's Republic of Boulder where his father, Don, played tight end for the Buffaloes before being drafted by the Patriots. He edges out DE Aaron Smith, a two-time Super Bowl champ with the Steelers, for the Centennial State's best. One of the card-carrying members of the Brett Favre backup club, Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl after the 2005 season and was a 3-time Pro Bowler. He also went 5-3 as a starter in 2015 at age 40 after the Colts lost Andrew Luck for the season.  

Runner-up: Aaron Smith

Connecticut

Player: Floyd Little

Birth City: New Haven

College: Syracuse

Teams: Broncos

Stats: 1,641 Rush, 6,323 Yds, 3.9 Y/A, 43 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1-time All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler

Why him? It's a close call between Little, the first true star of the Broncos, and Dwight Freeney, a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro who won a Super Bowl with the Colts and nearly got another ring last season with the Falcons. Little, the last of the famous trio of Syracuse running backs to wear No. 44, behind Jim Brown and Ernie Davis, gets the nod because he's in the Hall of Fame. Freeney may well get there, too.

Runner-up: Dwight Freeney

Delaware

Player: Luke Petitgout

Birth City: Milford

College: Notre Dame

Teams: Giants, Buccaneers

Stats: 110 NFL starts over nine seasons

Accolades: Super Bowl champ

Why him? Delaware isn't exactly a hotbed of NFL talent, and Petitgout is the best of the Blue Hen State. Petitgout was the Giants' 19th overall pick in the 1999 draft and played in two Super Bowls for Big Blue, earning a ring after the 2004 season. He started all 16 games at right tackle in 2000 and 2001, then moved to the left side where he protected Eli Manning's blind side for five seasons before being traded to Tampa. 

Runners-up: Tim Wilson, Paul Worrilow

District of Columbia

Player:  Jonathan Ogden

Birth City: Washington, D.C.

College: UCLA

Teams: Ravens

Stats: 176 NFL starts over 12 seasons

Accolades: Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champion, 4-time All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowler

Why him? The fourth overall pick of the 1996 draft was a 6-foot-9, 340-pound wall who is up there with the greatest left tackles in NFL history. The QBs changed often in Baltimore, but Ogden remained a staple on the blind side while earning a spot on the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s and helping pave the way for Jamal Lewis to go over 2,000 yards in 2003.  

Runner-up: Shawne Merriman 

Florida

Player: Emmitt Smith

Birth City: Pensacola

College: Florida

Teams: Cowboys, Cardinals

Stats: 4,409 Rush, 18,355 Yds, 4.2 Y/A, 164 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 3-time Super Bowl champ, MVP, Super Bowl MVP, 4-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Picking the best Hall of Famer from Florida is like picking the nicest car at a Lamborghini dealership: There's no wrong choice. Do you side with the ferocious Deacon Jones, who literally coined the phrase for sacking a QB? Or Deion Sanders, arguably the NFL's greatest lockdown corner? Or Smith, the NFL's all-time rushing champ? We're going with Emmitt because he was the workhorse that made the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s go. He eclipsed 300 carries in seven of his seasons and his 18,355 total rushing yards is a record that will never be broken. 

Runners-up: Deacon Jones, Deion Sanders 

Georgia

Player: John Hannah

Birth City: Canton

College: Alabama

Teams: Patriots

Stats: 183 NFL starts

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7-time All-Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Jim Brown would be the easiest choice ever here, but he retired in 1965, at age 30, and this list is limited to Super Bowl-era players. That leaves Hannah, arguably the greatest interior lineman in NFL history, at the top of a list of worthy Georgia natives that includes Hall of Famers in Mel Blount, Larry Little, Rayfield Wright, Richard Dent and Ray Guy as well as likely future Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson. Every guy on that list has as least two Super Bowl rings, except Hannah and Megatron, but Hannah has more All-Pro nods than any of them.

Runners-up:  Mel Blount, Larry Little, Rayfield Wright, Richard Dent, Ray Guy, Calvin Johnson

Hawaii

Player: Matt Blair

Birth City: Hilo

College: Iowa State

Teams: Vikings

Stats: 160 games, 16 INT, 20 F/R, 20 blocked kicks

Accolades: 1-time All-Pro, 6-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Marcus Mariota may have been the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but he has some catching up to do. Blair played in four Super Bowls as a member of the "Purple People Eaters" defense that included Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller.

Runner-up: Marcus Mariota

Idaho

Player: Larry Wilson

Birth City: Rigby

College: Utah

Teams: Cardinals

Stats: 169 games, 52 INT, 800 Yds, 7 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 5-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Wilson was the Troy Polamalu of his era, a versatile weapon who could rattle QBs and quickly change a game with a safety blitz or a pick-six. He had 66 takeaways in his 13 NFL seasons, five pick-sixes and 14 fumble recoveries, two of which he returned for TDs. Jake "The Snake" Plummer had his moments of NFL glory but Wilson is the top potato when it comes to Idaho's greatest NFL player.

Runners-up: Jake Plummer, Jordan Gross

Illinois

Player: Dick Butkus

Birth City: Chicago

College: Illinois

Teams: Chicago Bears

Stats: 119 games, 22 INT

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 5-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Butkus is the OG when it comes to spleen-rattling NFL middle linebackers. Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke, another Illinois native, played longer and won five NFL titles and two Super Bowl rings with the Packers, but Butkus is, well, Dick Butkus -- the most terrifying Monster to ever roam the Midway. He ate running backs for breakfast and feasted on pretty-boy QBs while racking up 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries.  

Runners-up:  Ray Nitschke, Steve Atwater

Indiana

Player: Rod Woodson

Birth City: Fort Wayne

College: Purdue

Teams: Steelers, Ravens, Raiders, 49ers

Stats: 71 INT, 1,483 Yds, 12 TDs, 32 F/R

Accolades: Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champion, 6-time All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Hall of Famers Bob Griese and Chris Doleman are all-time greats but "Woody" is in a class of his own. His 71 career picks rank third all-time while his 12 pick-sixes are an NFL record. He also scored four TDs off kickoff and punt returns and effortlessly made the transition from corner to safety in 2000 while quarterbacking the secondary of the historic Ravens defense. 

Runners-up: Bob Griese, Chris Doleman

Iowa

Player: Kurt Warner

Birth City: Burlington

College: Northern Iowa

Teams: Rams, Giants, Cardinals

Stats: 67-49-0 QBrec, 65.5 Cmp%, 32,344 Yds, 7.9 Y/A, 208 TD, 128 INT

Accolades: Hall of Fame, Two-time MVP, Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, 2-time All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Warner is a real-life Disney script. The unheralded passer from Iowa went from stocking groceries at the Hy-Vee to stacking MVP trophies before winding up in Canton. He's the last player to win NFL MVP honors and the Super Bowl in the same season. 

Runner-up: Darren Sproles 

Kansas

Player: Barry Sanders

Birth City: Wichita

College: Oklahoma State

Teams: Lions

Stats: 3,062 carries, 15,269 Yds, 5.0 Y/A, 99 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, MVP, 6-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Picking between Sanders and the "Kansas Comet" Gale Sayers is a tough call, but Sanders had the longer career and is second to only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton on the all-time yards list. Both of these elusive backs could find room to run in a telephone booth.

Runner-up: Gale Sayers 

Kentucky

Player: Champ Bailey

Birth City: Fort Campbell

College: Georgia

Teams: Redskins, Broncos

Stats: 215 games, 52 INT, 464 Yds, 4 TD

Accolades: 3-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Bailey played his high school and college ball in Georgia, but he was born in the Bluegrass State -- and he's the pick over Hall of Famers Dermontti Dawson and Paul Hornung. He apprenticed under the ageless Darrell Green in Washington and was the NFL's best shutdown corner in his prime, taking the torch from Prime Time and then passing it to Revis Island. He's a sure bet to wind up in Canton. 

Runner-up: Dermontti Dawson

Louisiana

Player: Peyton Manning

Birth City: New Orleans

College: Tennessee

Teams: Colts, Broncos

Stats: 186-79-0 QBrec, 65.3 Cmp%, 71,940 Yds, 7.7 Y/A, 539 TD, 251 Int

Accolades: 5-time MVP, 2-time Super Bowl champ, Super Bowl MVP, 7-time All-Pro, 14-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Louisiana is loaded with some of the greatest Hall of Famers in NFL history, including Terry Bradshaw, Marshall Faulk, Aeneas Williams and Willie Davis. And Ed Reed is a sure bet to wind up in Canton, too. But there's only one Sheriff. Manning rewrote the NFL record books while winning five MVPs, two Super Bowls and appearing on every single commercial during NFL telecasts. He's the only QB in NFL history to lead two different franchises to a Lombardi Trophy. He'll also never pay for a meal in Omaha. 

Runners-up: Terry Bradshaw, Marshall Faulk, Ed Reed 

Maine

Player: Al Harris 

Birth City: Bangor

College: Arizona State

Teams: Bears, Eagles

Stats: 149 games, 20.5 sacks

Why him? Harris, the former ninth overall pick of the Bears in the 1979 draft, was born in Bangor, the town that was the inspiration for fictional Derry in many of Stephen King's novels. While Harris was never the most terrifying defender on Buddy Ryan's Bears and Eagles defenses, he he had a solid 11-year NFL career that includes an interesting footnote: He sat out the 1985 season over a contract dispute, so he never got a Super Bowl ring. He still owns the distinction of being Maine's best NFL player.

Runner-up: OLB John Bunting

Maryland

Player: Sean Landeta

Birth City: Baltimore

College: Towson

Teams: Giants, Rams, Buccaneers, Packers, Eagles

Stats:  284 games, 1,401 punts, 60,707 Yds, 74 long, 43.3 Y/P

Accolades: 2-time Super Bowl champ, 3-time All-Pro, 2-time Pro Bowl

Why him? A punter? Yes, a punter. No, Landeta never terrorized QBs like linebackers Cameron Wake or Julian Peterson, both five-time Pro Bowlers born in Maryland, but he played more NFL seasons than both of them combined (21) while winning two Super Bowl rings and making three All-Pro teams.

Runners-up: Cameron Wake, Julian Peterson, Doug Flutie

Massachusetts

Player: Howie Long 

Birth City: Somerville

College: Villanova

Teams:  Raiders

Stats: 179 games, 84 sacks, 2 INT for 84 Yds, 10 F/R

Accolades: Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champ, 2-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti won two Super Bowl titles with the Dolphins and made five All-Pro teams … but Long is the pick here. He was unblockable in his prime and helped lead the Raiders to their last Super Bowl title after the 1983 season. His sons, Chris and Kyle, are also former first-round picks. Chris just picked up a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots and Kyle has been named to three Pro Bowls. 

Runners-up: Nick Buoniconti, Tom Nalen

Michigan

Player: Jerome Bettis

Birth City: Detroit

College: Notre Dame

Teams: Rams, Steelers

Stats: 3,479 Rush, 13,662 yards, 3.9 Y/A, 91 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champion, 2-time All-Pro, 6-time Pro Bowler

Why him? When in doubt, just give it to "The Bus." While Michigan is also home to Super Bowl-era Hall of Famers Paul Krause and Joe DeLamielleure, Bettis made his final stop in Canton in his fifth year of eligibility. Krause -- the NFL's all-time interceptions leader with 81 -- and DeLamielleure both waited at least 13 years before getting the call. "The Bus" is also sixth on the NFL's all-time rushing list, behind LaDainian Tomlinson, though Frank Gore will likely pass him this season.  

Runners-up: Joe DeLamielleure, Paul Krause

Minnesota

Player: Larry Fitzgerald

Birth City: Minneapolis

College: Pittsburgh

Teams: Arizona Cardinals

Stats:  1,125 Rec, 14,389 Yds, 12.8 Y/R, 104 TD

Accolades: 1-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Fitzgerald learned from two of the best to ever do it, Cris Carter and Randy Moss, as a ball boy for Denny Green's Vikings. He's the youngest player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions and ranks third in NFL receptions behind Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez, eighth in receiving touchdowns and ninth in receiving yards. The only thing missing in his Hall of Fame career is a Super Bowl ring.

Runners-up: Dave Casper, Jim Langer

Mississippi

Player: Jerry Rice

Birth City: Crawford

College: Mississippi Valley State

Teams: 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks

Stats: 1,549 receptions, 22,895 Yds, 14.8 Y/R, 197 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 3-time Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, 10-time All-Pro, 13-time Pro Bowler

Why him? How's this for a Mississippi fantasy team: Brett Favre firing fastballs to Jerry Rice and handing off to Walter Payton. "Sweetness" is in the discussion for the greatest NFL players of all-time, but Rice has to be the pick here. The son of a Mississippi brick layer built the Taj Majal of NFL careers over his 21 seasons, and still owns the NFL's all-time marks for receiving yards, TDs and receptions. He's the original G.O.A.T.

Runners-up: Walter Payton, Brett Favre 

Missouri

Player:  Kellen Winslow

Birth City: St. Louis

College: Missouri

Teams:  Chargers

Stats: 541 Rec, 6,741 Yds, 12.5 Y/R, 45 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 3-time All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Willie Brown and Roger Wehrli went to more Pro Bowls, but Winslow's legacy among Show-Me State Hall of Famers is more lasting. He all but created the blueprint for the modern NFL tight end in Don Coryell's Chargers attack. The 6-foot-5, 251-pound Winslow was too fast for linebackers and too big for DBs. He had at least 88 catches in three of his five Pro Bowl seasons and will also be remembered for his Gronk-esque 13-catch, 166-yard performance in the Chargers' 41-38 overtime win over the Dolphins in the 1981 AFC divisional playoffs.

Runners-up: Willie Brown, Roger Wehrli

Montana

Player: Jerry Kramer

Birth City: Jordan

College: Idaho

Teams: Packers

Stats: 130 games, 6 FGM

Accolades: 5-time NFL champion, 2-time Super Bowl champion, 5-time All-Pro, 3-time Pro Bowler

Why him? What, you really thought we were going to say Ryan Leaf? Kramer, who has lived in Idaho most of his life but was born in Montana, is arguably the greatest NFL player not in the Hall of Fame. He was the lead blocker on Vince Lombardi's legendary sweep play and also made the block on Bart Starr's TD sneak that won the Ice Bowl. He has been a Hall of Fame finalist 10 times. 

Runner-up: QB John Friesz

Nebraska

Player: Ahman Green

Birth City: Omaha

College: Nebraska

Teams: Seahawks, Packers, Texans

Stats: 2,056 Rush, 9,205 Yds, 4.5 Y/A, 60 TD

Accolades: 4-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Tough call here, but we're going with Green over Hall of Fame center Mick Tingelhoff.  After being traded to the Packers before the 2000 season, Green was arguably the best back in football over the next five seasons. A lover of comic books and Batman, Green might as well have worn a cape, gaining more yards from scrimmage (9,036) and rushing yards (6,848) than any other NFL player. He had 2,250 yards from scrimmage alone in 2003, including 1,883 on the ground. 

Runner-up: Mick Tingelhoff

Nevada

Player: Steven Jackson

Birth City: Las Vegas

College: Oregon State

Teams:  Rams, Falcons, Patriots

Stats: 2,764 Rush, 11,438 Yds, 4.1 Y/A, 69 TD, 461 Rec., 3683 Yds, 9 TD

Accolades: 3-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Yes, Max McGee caught the first TD in Super Bowl history -- hung over, no less-- but he's not Nevada's greatest player, despite winning two Super Bowl rings with Lombardi's Packers. It's Jackson, who racked up eight 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Rams and ranks 18th all-time in rushing yards with 11,438 yards. Frank Gore, Edgerrin James, Adrian Peterson and Fred Taylor are the only guys ahead of him not in the Hall of Fame … yet. Jackson's 15,121 total yards from scrimmage in 11 seasons and change is quite a body of work. Fellow Las Vegas native DeMarco Murray is coming on fast, though. He has 6,515 rushing yards in just six seasons of work.

Runners-up: Max McGee, DeMarco Murray

New Hampshire

Player:  Greg Landry

Birth City: Nashua

College: Massachusetts

Teams: Lions, Colts, Bears

Stats: 44-51-3 QBrec, 55.5 Cmp%, 16,052 Yds, 7.0 Y/A, 98 TD, 103 Int

Accolades: 1-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Landry is an easy choice for tiny New Hampshire, the best of 24 NFL players who were born in the Granite State. The 11th overall pick of the 1968 draft had a decent NFL career that spanned 15 seasons and three teams. Landry was the last Lions QB to make the Pro Bowl, in 1971, before Matthew Stafford earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2014. That tells you just how starved Motown has been for franchise QBs over the years.

Runner-up: Don Macek

New Jersey

Player: Franco Harris

Birth City: Fort Dix

College: Penn State

Teams: Steelers, Seahawks

Stats: 2,949 Rush, 12,120 Yds, 4.1 Y/A, 91 TD, 307 Rec, 2,287 Yds, 7.4 Y/A, 9 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl champ, 1-time All-Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler

Why him? When you're known for winning four Super Bowls and for being the hero of one of the NFL's all-time greatest plays, you earn the distinction as the Garden State's best. That said, more than 500 players in the Super Bowl era hail from New Jersey, including fellow Hall of Famers Elvin Bethea and Dave Robinson, putting Harris among great company. That includes current notable NFL players such as Joe Flacco, Richie Incognito, Greg Olsen and Victor Cruz and other greats like Wayne Chrebet and Joe Theismann. And don't forget two glue guys from Super Bowl teams -- Frank Winters, Brett Favre's longtime center in Green Bay, and Tony Siragusa -- who'd fit right in on an episode of the "The Sopranos."

Runners-up: Elvin Bethea and Dave Robinson

New Mexico

Player: Ronnie Lott

Birth City: Albuquerque

College: USC

Teams:  49ers, Raiders, Jets

Stats: 192 games, 63 INT, 1,113 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 16 F/F, 5 TDs

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl champ, 6-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler,

Why him? This is about as easy as it gets on this list. Ronnie Lott is arguably the greatest safety in NFL history, and as essential to Bill Walsh's 49ers dynasty as Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. He's also that dude who cut off a tip of his pinkie so he wouldn't miss a game. Just ask your dad about it. His 63 interceptions are tied for eighth in NFL history, and he also jarred loose 16 fumbles and recovered 17 during a 14-year NFL career in which he decimated receivers over the middle and played the run like an extra linebacker.

Runner-up: Norm Evans

New York

Player:  Rob Gronkowski

Birth City: Amherst

College: Arizona

Teams: Patriots

Stats: 405 Rec, 6,095 Yds, 15.0 Y/R, 68 TD

Accolades: 2-time Super Bowl champ, 3-time All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Gronk is basically that kid in Pop Warner who's so big and fast that the parents on the other team want his mom to produce a birth certificate, except he's playing in the NFL. It just doesn't seem fair when he's rumbling through defenses like a 16-wheeler speeding down a mountain with no brakes. So what if he has only started 75 regular-season games in seven seasons? He's the pick as the Empire State's best player over a trio of Super Bowl-era Hall of Famers in John Mackey, Art Monk and Kevin Greene and three great QBs: Boomer Esiason, Ken O'Brien and Vinny Testaverde.

Runners-up: John Mackey, Art Monk, Kevin Greene

North Carolina

Player: Bruce Matthews

Birth City: Raleigh

College: USC

Teams: Oilers/Titans

Stats: 293 NFL starts

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7-time All-Pro, 14-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Bruce Matthews missed just three starts in 19 NFL seasons. That includes a run of starting every single game from 1988 through 2001, lasting through four different presidential administrations. He also played all five positions on the offensive line during his incredible career with the Oilers and Titans, though not at the same time, obviously. Though, let's be honest, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better NFL offensive line than five Bruce Matthews. Matthews' remarkable run puts him ahead of three other Super Bowl-era Hall of Famers from the Tar Heel State -- Carl Eller, Chris Hanburger and Charlie Sanders -- as well as two other guys who have strong cases for Canton, Julius Peppers and Torry Holt.

Runners-up: Carl Eller, Chris Hanburger, Charlie Sanders, Julius Peppers, Torry Holt

North Dakota

Player: Phil Hansen

Birth City: Ellendale

College: North Dakota State

Teams: Bills

Stats: 61.5 sacks, 496 Tkl

Why him? Yes, Carson Wentz went No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, but the battle for greatest NFL player from North Dakota comes down to two Paul Bunyan-esque defensive linemen. Defensive tackle Gary Larsen played in three Super Bowls and was named to two Pro Bowl teams as a member of the Vikings' "Purple People Eaters" defense while Phil Hansen played in three straight Super Bowls during his 11-year career with the Bills. While Larsen has the Pro Bowls, Hansen has more sacks -- 61.5 to Larsen's 38.5, according to Vikings records -- which gives him the edge here. Do-everything H-back Jim Kleinsasser, a fan favorite during his 13 seasons with the Vikings, is a close third.

Runners-up: Gary Larsen, Jim Kleinsasser

Ohio

Player: Jack Lambert

Birth City: Mantua

College: Kent State

Teams: Steelers

Stats:  23.5 sacks, 1,479 Tkl, 7-time All Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl champ, 6-time All Pro, 9-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Ohio, like Texas, Pennsylvania and California, is home to an absurd amount of NFL talent. Imagine a team with Hall of Famers Dan Dierdorf, Tom Mack, Bob Brown and Orlando Pace opening up holes for Larry Csonka and protecting Roger Staubach and Len Dawson while they fire passes to Paul Warfield and Cris Carter. On defense, just pick your poison with Alan Page and Jack Lambert up front and Dick LeBeau and future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson roaming the secondary. Picking just one player from this list is all but impossible, but Lambert's list of accolades makes him an unassailable choice, if push comes to shove. He won four Super Bowls as key piece of the Steel Curtain defense and was named to six All-Pro teams and nine Pro Bowls.

Runners-up:  Roger Staubach, Charles Woodson

Oklahoma

Player: Steve Largent

Birth City: Tulsa

College: Tulsa

Teams: Seahawks

Stats: 819 Rec, 13,089 Yds, 16.0, Y/R, 100 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1-time All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Largent, who went on to serve as a congressman for his home state, is the pick over two Hall of Fame defensive linemen, Dan Hampton and Lee Roy Selmon, and the great Wes Welker. Largent only played in one conference championship game in his prolific 14-year career, becoming the first bona fide star for the expansion Seahawks. He was the first NFL receiver to reach 100 touchdown catches and is tied for ninth all-time for receiving TDs with Tim Brown.

Runners-up: Dan Hampton, Lee Roy Selmon, Wes Welker

Oregon

Player: Ndamukong Suh

Birth City:  Portland

College: Nebraska

Teams: Lions, Dolphins

Stats: 47 sacks, 261 tackles

Accolades: 3-time All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Call him a dirty player if you want, just don't forget to call Suh the best NFL player born in the Beaver State. The menacing defensive tackle with cartoonish strength has been a nightmare for interior offensive linemen and opposing QBs since his rookie season with the Lions when he racked up 10 sacks. Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox, who was a two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler in 11 seasons with the 49ers, is a strong runner-up, but Suh already has one more All-Pro nod in seven seasons.   

Runner-up: Dave Wilcox

Pennsylvania

Player: Joe Montana

Birth City: New Eagle

College: Notre Dame

Teams: 49ers, Chiefs

Stats: 117-47-0 QBRec, 63.2 Cmp%, 40,551 Yds, 7.5 Y/A, 273 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl champion, 2-time NFL MVP, 3-time Super Bowl MVP, 3-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler,

Why him? Pennsylvania, with newest Hall of Fame inductee Jason Taylor, lays claim to the second-most NFL Hall of Famers behind Texas. And, man, just look at the quarterbacks: Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Dan Marino. But let's be honest: There's only one friggin' Joe Montana. Tom Brady may have one more ring than his boyhood hero, but Montana still holds Super Bowl career records for most passes without an interception (122 in 4 games) and the all-time highest quarterback rating of 127.8. He also won three Super Bowl MVP trophies and piloted 31 fourth-quarter comeback wins, most famously leading the 49ers on a 92-yard touchdown march in the closing moments of Super Bowl XXIII to beat the Bengals. That's why they call him "Super Joe."

Runners-up: Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, Chuck Bednarik, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, Joe Namath

Rhode Island

Player: Al Del Greco

Birth City: Providence

College: Auburn

Teams: Packers, Cardinals, Oilers/Titans

Stats: 248 games, 347 FGM, 449 FGA, 543 XPM, 551 XPA

Why him? Welcome to Coffee Talk! Here's a topic: Rhode Island, neither a road, nor an island. Discuss. Next topic: Al Del Greco, greatest NFL player from Rhode Island, neither a defensive player nor really an offensive player. Talk among yourselves. OK, old SNL bits aside, a kicker is an odd choice for greatest NFL player from any state, even tiny Rhode Island. But there's a reason Del Greco got the nickname "Automatic." He's 19th on the NFL's all-time career points list with 1,584 and 18th for field goals made with 347. Del Greco racked up all those points playing for three different teams in five different cities over 17 NFL seasons. Lastly, is there a more Rhode Island last name than Del Greco? Case closed.

Runners-up: Will Blackmon

South Carolina

Player: Art Shell

Birth City: Charleston

College: Maryland-Eastern Shore

Teams: Raiders

Stats: 207 NFL games over 15 seasons

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2-time Super Bowl champ, 2-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

Why him? It's a two-man debate between Shell and Giants legend Harry Carson for the title of South Carolina's best. They're the state's only two Hall of Famers. Shell played two more seasons than Carson -- 15 to 13 -- and was named to two All-Pro teams, so he gets the nod. A member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1970s, Shell played his entire career with the Silver & Black -- in Oakland, then L.A. -- and became the NFL's first African-American head coach of the modern era when Al Davis hired his former left tackle to coach the Raiders in 1989.  

Runner-up: Harry Carson

South Dakoka

Player: Adam Vinatieri

Birth City: Yankton

College: South Dakota State

Teams: Patriots, Colts

Stats: 530 FGM, 629 FGA, 786 XPM, 799 XPA

Accolades: 4-time Super Bowl champ, 3-time All-Pro, 3-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Three-hundred and 22 NFL games … and counting. That's just one amazing marker of Adam Vinatieri's storied NFL career that looks all but destined to end with a trip to Canton. Vinatieri, entering his 22nd NFL season, is third on the all-time points list behind new Hall of Famer Morten Andersen (2,544) and Gary Anderson (2,434) with 2,378. He's also the NFL's all-time scoring leader in the playoffs and arguably the most clutch kicker in NFL history, drilling game winners in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII, not to mention drilling the field goal in the snowstorm to win the infamous "Tuck Rule Game" over the Raiders that propelled the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title.

Runners-up: Dallas Clark, Jay Novacek, John Dutton

Tennessee

Player: Reggie White

Birth City: Chattanooga

College: Tennessee

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers

Stats: 232 games, 198 sacks, 1,048 tackles

Accolades: Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champion, 8-time All-Pro, 13-time Pro Bowler

Why him? "The Minister of Defense" made opposing QBs pray for mercy during a 15-year career where he made an astonishing 13 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1986 through 1998 and helped bring a Super Bowl trophy back to "Titletown, USA." He's definitely in the debate for greatest defensive player of all-time and retired as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks with 198, a mark that has since been eclipsed by Bruce Smith. White is also remembered for being the biggest free-agent prize of all time when he hit the market, being wooed by every single NFL franchise before settling on frigid Green Bay and the Packers after Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolf took him to Red Lobster. 

Runners-up: Jason Witten, Patrick Willis

Texas

Player: Joe Greene

Birth City:  Temple

College: North Texas

Teams: Steelers

Stats: 181 games, 1 INT, 26 Y/R, 16 F/R

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4-time Super Bowl champion, 5-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Texas has more NFL Hall of Famers than any state, with newest enshrinee LaDainian Tomlinson making it 31. That's enough to make you not want to mess with Texas when it comes to picking one man to represent the Lone Star State. Greene is an unassailable choice because, like Jack Lambert in Ohio, his list of accolades is nearly unmatched. Four Super Bowl rings. Five All-Pro Teams. Ten Pro Bowls. And one unforgettable Coke commercial. If you think the Tyler Rose, Earl Campbell, or the great Eric Dickerson or "Samurai" Mike Singletary were the better pros, great. Just don't bring it up with Mean Joe -- unless you've got an extra Coke.

 Runners-up:  Eric Dickerson, Mike Singletary, Gene Upshaw, Earl Campbell

Utah

Player:  Steve Young

Birth City: Salt Lake City

College: BYU

Teams: Buccaneers, 49ers

Stats: 94-49-0 QBrec., 64.3 Cmp%, 33,124 Yds, 8.0 Y/A, 232 TD, 107 Int

Accolades:  Hall of Fame, 2-time NFL MVP, 3-time Super Bowl champ, Super Bowl MVP, 3-time All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen went to 14 Pro Bowls with the Rams. Steve Young won two MVP trophies and threw a record six touchdowns in a Super Bowl where he was named MVP.  There's a healthy debate here between these two Utah-born NFL legends, but Young gets the nod. The only thing keeping him from racking up more accolades in San Francisco was some guy named Joe Montana.

Runner-up: Merlin Olsen

Vermont

Player: Steve Wisniewski

Birth City: Rutland

College: Penn State

Teams: Raiders

Stats: 206 NFL starts

Accolades:  2-time All-Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler

Why him?  There are zero Hall of Famers from Vermont, a state that has sent just 10 players to the NFL, but Wisniewski certainly has a compelling Canton case. He went to eight Pro Bowls in 13 seasons with the Raiders and missed only two starts in his career. From 1996 to 2001 he never missed a game. The football genes certainly run deep in the family. His brother Leo also played three seasons with the Colts, while his nephew Stefen is currently the backup center for the Eagles.

Runners-up: None

Virginia

Player: Lawrence Taylor

Birth City: Williamsburg

College: North Carolina

Teams: Giants

Stats: 132.5 sacks

Accolades: Hall of Fame, MVP (1986), 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, 8-time First-Team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Taylor is the most dominant defensive force the NFL has ever seen, period. You want to argue that? Bring it up with Bill Belichick. While fellow Virginia native Bruce Smith owns the NFL record for most sacks with 200, Taylor was the Michael Jordan of terrorizing QBs and reinvented how outside linebackers were used. He's also the last defensive player to earn the league's MVP award.

Runners-up:  Bruce Smith, Charles Haley, Fran Tarkenton

Washington

Player: John Elway

Birth City: Port Angeles

College: Stanford

Teams: Denver Broncos

Stats: 148-82-1 QBrec, 56.9 completion percentage, 51,475 passing yards, 7.1 Y/A, 300 TD

Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2-time Super Bowl MVP, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, 9-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Elway was a Southern California high-school legend before becoming a star at Stanford, but he was born in Washington and mostly raised in there and in Montana while his father coached college football. After infamously forcing a trade to Denver in the 1983 NFL Draft, the former No. 1 overall pick lugged average Broncos teams to three Super Bowls, but couldn't win the big game all by himself. Mike Shanahan, Terrell Davis and a big-play defense helped fix that as Elway -- who used to check into hotel rooms as John Wayne -- rode off into the sunset with two Super Bowl rings. Sorry, Baltimore. Elway owned the record for most wins by a QB when he retired and is easily the best of the Evergreen State's Hall of Famers.

Runners-up: Brian Urlacher, Karl Mecklenburg

West Virginia

Player: Randy Moss

Birth City: Rand

College: Marshall

Teams: Vikings, Raiders, Patriots, Titans, 49ers

Stats:  982 Rec, 1,5292 Yards, 15.6 Y/R, 156 TD

Accolades: 4-time All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler, Offensive Rookie of the Year

Why him? Defensive backs who had to line up across from Moss are still feeling phantom burns. That's because "The Freak" made a career out of smoking fools after falling to the 21st overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Moss played on two of the greatest NFL teams to never win a Super Bowl, and while he was at times a malcontent who bounced between five teams -- including the Vikings twice -- and infamously said "I play when I want to play," he belongs in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. In his heyday, he was the NFL's most explosive weapon.

Runners-up:  Sam Huff, Gino Marchetti

Wisconsin

Player: J.J. Watt

Birth City: Waukesha

College: Wisconsin

Teams: Texans

Stats: 76 Sk, 299 Tkl, 15 FF, 4 TD (1 defense, 3 offense)

Accolades: 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 4-time First-Team All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Watt is the most unblockable force in the NFL since Lawrence Taylor. He has not one, but two 20.5-sack seasons. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year also earned 13 first-place MVP votes following the 2014 season, the closest any defensive player has gotten since L.T. won the honor in 1986.

Runners-up: Mike Webster, Joe Thomas

Wyoming

Player: Boyd Dowler

Birth City: Rock Springs

College: Colorado

Teams: Packers, Redskins

Stats: 474 receptions for 7,270 yards, 15.3 Y/R, 40 TD

Accolades: 2-time Super Bowl champion, Rookie of the Year, 2-time Pro Bowler

Why him? Dowler was the Gronk of the Lombardi Packers, a 6-foot-5, 224-pound flanker and wideout who led Green Bay in receiving seven times from 1959 to 1969 while winning five NFL titles and two Super Bowl rings. He's a better option than another great pass-catcher from Wyoming, Chris Cooley.

Runner-up: Chris Cooley