Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson are Amazed by The Elite Talent Coming Out of Louisiana: “Remind You of Pennsylvania”

The LSU has produced some of the best wideouts in the game this century. However, the state of Louisiana has been even more fertile and produced more talent, though not everyone stayed at Baton Rouge.

On Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson reflected on the state’s ability to churn out talent, comparing it to the times when Pennsylvania used to be fertile grounds for the QBs, producing four Hall of Famers.

“The four leading NFL receivers in the NFL were all born 120 miles of each other. It’s almost like Ocho, reminds me of like Pennsylvania. Montana, Marino, Namath, Kelly, all of them from that little pocket. That little small Pennsylvania, a lot of Hall of Famers came out of there.”

Shannon revealed the fact that four leading receivers in the league all come from Louisiana, being born 120 miles of each other. Those are Ja’Marr Chase who was born in Harvey, Justin Jefferson from St. Rose, CeeDee Lamb hails from Opelousas, rookie sensations- Brian Thomas Jr is from Walker while Malik Nabers comes from Lafayette. All small cities and towns in  Louisiana.

These are elite talents in the NFL and four of them went to LSU. Chase is about to win the Triple Crown, being the leading receiver in the NFL. Playing in a pass-heavy offense run through Joe Burrow, he has 1612 yards on 117 receptions and an impressive tally of 16 TDs.

Jefferson, who secured the highest non-QB contract this off-season, has continued his impressive start to life in the league, amassing 1479 yards on 100 catches and finding the end zone ten times.

CeeDee Lamb who had to play much of the season without Dak Prescott, showed why he got a big contract this season. He yet again managed to surpass the 1000-yard mark, catching 101 passes for 1194 yards and 6 TDs.

Rookie Thomas Jr has been dependable and the only bright spot in an otherwise poor season for the Jaguars, getting 1179 yards on 80 receptions and contributing 10 TDs.

Malik Nabers has caught 104 passes playing with Daniel Jones and Drew Lock. He has 1140 yards this season and managed to get into the end zone 6 times.

To add more glory to the state of Louisiana, DeVonta Smith with 833 yards and 8 TDs, and Keon Coleman with 525 yards and four TDs are also from Amite City and Opelousas. Odell Beckham jr also came out of Baton Rouge.

Hall of Famers from Pennsylvania

Shannon Sharpe drew a fascinating parallel between Louisiana’s recent surge in producing future Hall of Fame wide receivers and Pennsylvania’s historical legacy of producing legendary quarterbacks in the last century.

Joe Montana, born in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, is one of the greatest QBs of all time. Montana became only the second quarterback to lift four Lombardi Trophies. Over his 16-season career, primarily with the 49ers, he also won two MVP awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Dan Marino, hailing from Pittsburgh, made history in 1984 as the first QB to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season. Widely regarded as the greatest pocket passer of all time, Marino never won a Super Bowl, falling short in his lone appearance against Montana’s 49ers. Nonetheless, his remarkable career earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Jim Kelly, another Pittsburgh native, became a prolific passer for the Buffalo Bills, famously leading them to four consecutive Super Bowls in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although the Bills fell short each time, Kelly’s talent and impact on the game earned him induction into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Joe Namath, from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, etched his name in history by leading the New York Jets to their only Super Bowl victory in 1969, upsetting the heavily favored Baltimore Colts. Namath, who began his career in the pre-Super Bowl era, won MVP awards in both the AFL and NFL, culminating in his Hall of Fame induction in 1985.

Sharpe believes that Louisiana is carving out a similar legacy in football, with its crop of elite wide receivers well on their way to Hall of Fame careers. This is a testament to Louisiana’s rich football culture and its ability to consistently produce top-tier talent