Top 10 NFL Players from Washington State
These are players who either grew up or spent a significant portion of their childhood/adolescence in the state of Washington. Starting off this series with my home state, we’ll see if it’s continued.
John Albert Elway Jr. is a former American football quarterback and current executive vice president of football operations and general manager of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Although he spent some time in Missoula, Montana, Elway was born in Port Angeles, Washington. He lived in Aberdeen (where Kurt Cobain is also from) before moving to Pullman, Washington, where his dad was an assistant coach at Washington State University. John played one year of high school football in Pullman before moving to California.
David William DeCastro is an American football guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Born in Kirkland, DeCastro graduated from Bellevue High School before going to Stanford University. He was a first-round pick in 2012 and has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers so far, though he was recently released into free agency. He has made six Pro Bowls and has been named First Team All-Pro twice.
You know the guy Tom Brady replaced? Jokes aside, Bledsoe had a good career, making four Pro Bowls and throwing for 44,611 yards and 251 touchdowns with three teams. He grew up in Eastern Washington, graduating from Walla Walla High School and attending Washington State University.
Trufant was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School before enrolling at Washington State University. He was drafted 11th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, keeping him close to home. He played there for most of his career, with only a brief stint as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason team. He later signed a one-day contract to retire with the Seahawks in 2014. He made only one Pro Bowl but also helped mentor a young secondary that would become known as the Legion of Boom.
Still young, Kupp could find himself moving up this list. He quickly proved himself as one of the better slot receivers in the league, with only health holding him back. He was born in Yakima, Washington, and graduated high school in the same city. He then attended Eastern Washington University before being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
One of the best punters in the league, Hekker holds the record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history. He has been named First Team All-Pro four times and a Pro Bowler four times and was included in the 2010s All-Decade Team. Born in Redmond, Washington, he attended Bothell High School before going to Oregon State University.
Born and raised in Seattle, Dillon attended the University of Washington after attending community college. He was a second-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1997. He won a Super Bowl with the Patriots and made four Pro Bowls during his career.
Desmond Trufant is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. The younger brother of Marcus Trufant, Desmond was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2013 draft. Like his brother, he was born and raised in Tacoma. However, he attended the University of Washington. Health has been an issue in his career, but he made a Pro Bowl with the Falcons in 2015. After a brief stint with the Detroit Lions, he signed with the Chicago Bears.
Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Born in Fort Lewis, Stewart had a phenomenal high school career, setting records at Timberline High School in Lacey for rushing yards and touchdowns despite missing half of his sophomore season. Highly recruited for both football and track, Stewart chose to attend the University of Oregon. He was selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Although his success didn't fully translate to the NFL, he had a decent career, making one Pro Bowl and rushing for 7,809 yards, including postseason play.
Best known for his time with the Seahawks, Kearse was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He was born in Lakewood and attended Lakes High School. He then went to the University of Washington, where he now works as a graduate assistant. He caught 17 touchdowns and gained 3,290 yards in his career as a member of the Seahawks, Jets, and Lions. He won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013.