What is it about Aliquippa PA?

[English Patriot]

Just the names that have come from this place that doesn't even have 10k residents living in it is astonishing.

Ditka, Dorsett, Revis, (our very own) Ty Law, Jonathan Baldwin, Tommie Campbell just to name a few.

Anyone know more about how such an under the radar kind of place can produce HOF talent?

 

[oldrover]

Not to mention former NBA star Pete Maravich, MLB pitcher Doc Medich, and composer/conductor/Pink Panther author Henry Mancini...

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Tom Cruise was a great defensive back for them back in the 80's

 

[RayClay]

It's coal mining country. I guessed and I seem to be right. More prominently steel mills, but it's materials for the same product.

Lots of tough industry and NFL players in other Pa. towns.

Coal country Pottsville had an NFL franchise in the twenties.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Somewhat related - A few QB's from Pittsburgh area high schools (Aliquippa is a half hour drive from Pitt for those who aren't familiar with the area):

Joe Montana
Dan Marino
Johnny Unitas
Jim Kelly
Joe Namath
George Blanda
Scott Zolak

 

[supafly]

Somewhat related - A few QB's from Pittsburgh area high schools (Aliquippa is a half hour drive from Pitt for those who aren't familiar with the area):

Joe Montana
Dan Marino
Johnny Unitas
Jim Kelly
Joe Namath
George Blanda
Scott Zolak

And as far as non-QBS go, there's a pretty good TE on our roster at the moment who went to Woodland Hills high school here as well (Pittsburgh).

Let's hope the 'Quip connection holds true for Revis just as well as it did for Law!

 

[strngplyr]

Good ole PA.

 

[Joker]

The power of motivation..that place is so dreary, disheartening, soul numbing and hopeless that it ignites a nuclear urge to GET OUT at any cost.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

And as far as non-QBS go, there's a pretty good TE on our roster at the moment who went to Woodland Hills high school here as well (Pittsburgh).

Let's hope the 'Quip connection holds true for Revis just as well as it did for Law!

We also had a HOF RB back in the late 90s who attended Alderdice

 

[Froob]

Not to mention former NBA star Pete Maravich, MLB pitcher Doc Medich, and composer/conductor/Pink Panther author Henry Mancini...

Speaking of Pistol Pete. This **** still blows my mind Pistol Pete Maravich in "Red on Roundball" - Passing - YouTube

 

[jmt57]

There are a few places in Florida that are pretty well represented with NFL players as well.

Florida high schools Miami Norland, St. Thomas Aquinas boast most NFL players on Week 1 rosters | Youth Football | USA Football

HIGH SCHOOLS WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS
High School, City, State
Number of NFL Players

Miami Norland, Miami, Fla.
6
Antwan Barnes, NYJ; Dwayne Bowe, KC; Antonio Brown, PIT; Lester Jean, HOU; Xavier Rhodes, MIN; Tourek Williams, SD


Saint Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
6
Geno Atkins, CIN; Giovani Bernard, CIN; Marcus Gilbert, PIT; Leonard Hankerson, WAS; Major Wright, CHI; Sam Young, BUF


Pahokee High School, Pahokee, Fla.
5
Dwight Bentley, DET; Anquan Boldin, SF; Janoris Jenkins, StL; Pernell McPhee, BAL; Antone Smith, ATL​

 

[upstater1]

My answer is also recruiting. Not everyone on the team lived there prior to being recruited. I know this was true of Josh Lay. Also, Sean Gilbert was from Aliquppa. They just have a lot of top coaches from college ranks as well.

By the way, another recruited kid is Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette (not recruited for Aliquippa).

As for Rob Gronkowski, he did do his senior year at a Pitt school, but that was because his father opened a weightlifting franchise in the Pitt area after Gronk's parents divorced. Otherwise, Gronk is from Williamsville, NY but for that one year.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Just the names that have come from this place that doesn't even have 10k residents living in it is astonishing.

Ditka, Dorsett, Revis, (our very own) Ty Law, Jonathan Baldwin, Tommie Campbell just to name a few.

Anyone know more about how such an under the radar kind of place can produce HOF talent?

I believe you neglected to mention couple more comparatively unknowns: Joe Namath and Dan Marino.

 

[VrabelJr]

A couple of years ago my draft binkie was Brandon Lindsey, a DE that played at Pittsburgh. My sole purpose for obsessing over him was that he was from Aliquippa. He never ended up making it though.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Great State Debate: Pennsylvania home to six HOF QBs - ESPN


Unitas, Blanda, Namath, Montana, Marino and Kelly all hail from Western Pa.

 

[supafly]

Great State Debate: Pennsylvania home to six HOF QBs - ESPN


Unitas, Blanda, Namath, Montana, Marino and Kelly all hail from Western Pa.

It's about the only positive the area has to offer, trust me

I take that back--it's really not that bad. The people aren't the best, but there are plenty of places that have proven to be much worse. I'm pretty much just kidding.

 

[OhExaulted1]

It's about the only positive the area has to offer, trust me

I take that back--it's really not that bad. The people aren't the best, but there are plenty of places that have proven to be much worse. I'm pretty much just kidding.

It's home to the Beaver County Prison. Everybody either works there or lives there. Football seems to be a good escape route.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

It's about the only positive the area has to offer, trust me

I take that back--it's really not that bad. The people aren't the best, but there are plenty of places that have proven to be much worse. I'm pretty much just kidding.

I'll take your word for it.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

There are a few places in Florida that are pretty well represented with NFL players as well.

Florida high schools Miami Norland, St. Thomas Aquinas boast most NFL players on Week 1 rosters | Youth Football | USA Football

HIGH SCHOOLS WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS
High School, City, State
Number of NFL Players

Miami Norland, Miami, Fla.
6
Antwan Barnes, NYJ; Dwayne Bowe, KC; Antonio Brown, PIT; Lester Jean, HOU; Xavier Rhodes, MIN; Tourek Williams, SD


Saint Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
6
Geno Atkins, CIN; Giovani Bernard, CIN; Marcus Gilbert, PIT; Leonard Hankerson, WAS; Major Wright, CHI; Sam Young, BUF


Pahokee High School, Pahokee, Fla.
5
Dwight Bentley, DET; Anquan Boldin, SF; Janoris Jenkins, StL; Pernell McPhee, BAL; Antone Smith, ATL​

At Pahokee they would chase rabbits to improve their speed.....
Legend of the Rabbits (ESPN Story) - YouTube

 

[fester]

I live in the Woodland Hills school district ( 5 or 6 current NFL players are Woodland Hills grads) and I've officiated wrestling for Aliquippa so I'm reasonably familiar with two of Western Pennyslvania's football factories. There are a couple of common traits between the two districts.

1) Self-selection bias -- families who think their kids are scholarship capable and can move school districts have moved into these districts before and will move into these districts in the future. Both places are dirt cheap to live in (I bought my ready to move in condition house in a decent neighborhood for under 100K).

2) Cultural expectations of success with supporting environment. The high school kids are in an environment where their buddies or their older brother's buddies have D-1 scholarships and those kids are coming back with advice on how to continue along that path. Throw in constant coaching that has a proven methodology of getting kids D-1 ready, it is a reinforcing cycle.

3) Get the **** Out -- this is more of an Aliquippa motive than a Woodland Hills motive as there are some nice areas in Woodland Hills, but there is no hope besides football in 'Quippa.

4) Start them early and often -- the Woodland Hills midgets practice down the street from my house -- they are there 3x week starting at age 6 and they play basically the same system with age appropriate modifications until high school.