With the Super Bowl approaching, it's a perfect time to highlight the success Mississippians have found playing football at the highest level.
Mississippi has more players per capita in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other state.
It started with Bruiser Kinard from Pelahatchie and Ole Miss.
Then there’s Brookhaven’s Lance Alworth, Yazoo City’s Willie Brown, and Vicksburg’s Billy Shaw.
Three of our Hall of Famers went to Jackson State: Gulfport’s Lem Barney, Columbia’s Walter Payton, and Jackson’s Jackie Slater.
And who could forget Jerry Rice, from Crawford and Mississippi Valley State.
And, of course, Bret Favre from Kiln and Southern Miss.
And there are even three more Hall of Famers from out-of-state that played their college ball in Mississippi: Gene Hickerson at Ole Miss, Ray Guy at Southern Miss, and Deacon Jones at Valley.
For more interesting facts about Mississippi's 200-year history, watch a new interstitial each week of 2017 with Mississippi: A Thread through Time on MPB TV.
