AFL/NFL 3,000 Yard Passers State by State Rank: Installment 4

Installment 4 of our database gives in-depth statistical data for states 18-30 in our per capita ranking system, as well as statistical data for QBs to throw for over 3,000 yards that were born in Washington, DC or outside of the U.S.

In addition, at the end of this installment there will be a list of those states yet to have a quarterback throw for 3,000 yards or more..

For those of you interested in an overview of the rankings, a table can be found by clicking the installment 1 link in the text box to your right. In addition, links to all installments for the 3,000 yard passer database can be found in the text box to your right.

For those of you that are interested in other state football production databases presented by Larry Rankin, links can be found by clicking the Larry Rankin profile in the upper right-hand corner or via links at the end of this page.

References

In compiling this data the author used NFL.com, Profootballreference.com, and Wikipedia for research. If you encounter any information you believe to be flawed, the author would appreciate your feedback.

Per Capita Score: 120

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 8

Matt Hasselbeck was a late round pick out of Boston College who wasn’t really expected to make a team. He has went on to have a stellar career.

Though Hasselbeck still plays, it would seem his career is winding down. Among his accomplishments: he has had 8 career 3,000 yard passing seasons, and was the first QB to lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl appearance.

Per Capita Score: 117

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 23

Boomer Esiason probably has had the best career of any New York born QB. In 1989 he led the Bengals to one of the most entertaining Super Bowls in NFL history, which the Bengals lost to the 49ers.

Ron Jaworski also had a distinguished career, leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl loss against the Raiders in 1981.

Also of note is Vinny Testaverde, a highly touted athlete out of college who had an up and down career that spanned 21 years. His over 46,000 career passing yards and 275 touchdowns ranks among some of the top performers in NFL history.

Dubious Distinction: Vinny Testaverde’s performance in 1988 is probably the worst overall performance of any QB with significant playing time in NFL history. His 35 interceptions that season are the most of any QB throwing for more than 3,000, but not the record. George Blanda threw 42 in 1962.

His 47.6% completion percentage is also not the worst ever, but close to it. But his QB Rating of 48.8 is the worst ever compiled by a QB throwing for more than 3,000 yards in a season.

Testaverde compiled these stats on a very poor Buccaneers team very early in his career. Though Testaverde experienced many ups and downs, he went on to have several quality seasons.

Per Capita Score: 110

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 29

Drew Brees has thrown for over 5,000 yards 4 times in his career, a feat no other quarterback has accomplished more than once. He also has a Super Bowl victory and MVP.

Texas is also the birth state of Y.A. Tittle, a Hall of Fame quarterback who played before the passing game was so open and evolved. Though his stats pale in comparison to those of Brees, the career he had during the period in which he played is arguably as significant.

As for the future of Texas QBs, Andy Dalton and Ryan Tannehill have made strong showings early in their careers.

Obscure Stats: Drew Brees’ 468 completions and 71.2% completion percentage in 2011 are both current NFL records.

Per Capita Score: 106

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 7

Danny White had a quality career and went to two Super Bowls, winning one, though he was a backup to Roger Staubach in both games. He would never take a team to the Super Bowl while at the helm, but he did win a lot of games as starting QB for the Cowboys.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is an interesting story, a Harvard graduate picked late in the NFL Draft, he has went on to exceed all expectations and become a solid professional quarterback.

Per Capita Score: 93

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 12

Donovan McNabb had a tremendous career with the Philadelphia Eagles, leading them to a Super Bowl in 2004. Though they lost to the Patriots, it was one of the more exciting Super Bowls in recent memory.

Also of note is Ken Anderson, who had a standout career with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Per Capita Score: 90

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 9

Cam Newton is the most promising QB to come out of Georgia, but he is still early in his career and only time will tell.

Brad Johnson was an afterthought draft pick who wound up having a solid career.

Per Capita Score: 78

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 3

Both Oklahoma QBs to break the 3,000 yard barrier are recent draft picks. Sam Bradford was a top pick who has shown great promise when healthy, but with a series of season ending injuries, a positive outcome seems doubtful.

Brandon Weeden is a first round pick the likes of Chris Weinke. He played pro baseball for several years before pursuing a football career, and was almost 30 by the time of his rookie season. Though he was given a chance with the Browns, inconsistent play and injuries have him currently as a backup for the Cowboys.

Per Capita Score: 66

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 13

Matthew Stafford has been a top yardage passer for several years, though his accuracy and consistency at times comes up short.

Daunte Culpepper was perhaps the most physically intimidating QB to ever play the game. At 6’4” and almost 270 pounds, he was also mobile. In 2004 he had one of the better seasons recorded in NFL history, but sadly his window of effectiveness as a player was short-lived.

Obscure Stats: Matthew Stafford’s 727 attempts in 2011 are the most ever in a season by an NFL QB.

Per Capita Score: 62

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 4

Chad Pennington’s story is one of elite football I.Q. largely negated by inferior physical talent. Had Pennington had a strong arm, he may well have been one of the best to ever play the game.

Per Capita Score: 61

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 6

Sonny Jurgensen is a Hall of Famer who put up big time stats before quarterbacks put up big time stats, and though he never played in a Super Bowl, his over 32,000 career passing yards and 255 TDs are epic accomplishments for the time-period in which he played.

Per Capita Score: 50

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 3

Josh Freeman’s career started out very promising, but via some bad breaks, he is currently an unsigned free agent.

Per Capita Score: 34

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 2

Doug Flutie will never be in the NFL Hall of Fame, but he had one on the most interesting careers in NFL history, or rather 3 careers.

Undersized, during Flutie’s first attempt at the NFL, he wasn’t given much of an opportunity, so after 4 years he went to the CFL where he won 3 Grey Cups and 3 Grey Cup MVPs. Eventually he would be inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame.

After 8 seasons in the CFL, he decided to give the NFL another shot. This time he would stick around for 8 years, lead a team to the playoffs, and earn a Pro Bowl.

Almost in keeping with the theme of being the player who could play but that nobody wanted, in his 1999 season with the Bills, Flutie would lead his team to the playoffs only to be benched for a more prototypical QB.

The Bills subsequently lost.

Per Capita Score: 30

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 3

Michigan has not produced much in the way of QBs. Gary Danielson and Craig Morton combined for a few 3,000 yard seasons in the early 1980s.

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 2

Washington, DC is our nation’s capital, but it is also its own entity, and as a result, not affiliated with any state.

It is also the birth place of Andrew Luck, thought by many to be the most promising young quarterback in all of professional football. Thus far he has led the Colts to 2 playoff appearances in 2 seasons, and has performed well.

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 3

Mark Rypien is a Canadian born former NFL quarterback. Though his window as an effective player was not very long, in the short time he was effective he accomplished a great deal.

Among Rypien’s accomplishments, leading the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl victory and winning the game’s MVP.

3,000 Yard Passing Performances: 2

Robert Griffin III is the son of U.S. Army Sergeants and was born while his parents were stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Griffin’s early career has been statistically promising, and in his rookie campaign he led the Redskins to the playoffs, but in Griffin’s second year in the league, the team finished with a record of 3-13.

There are 20 states that have not produced a 3,000 yard passer. They are as follows: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.