The 23 greatest all-time football players from the Los Angeles area

Hailing from Compton, Allen was fortunate enough to have survived his rough childhood and play football. Following one year at Compton's Centennial High School, Allen attended a different school each of the next three years, all either in the Central Valley or up in Northern California. Football provided a positive outlet for Allen, who showed enough promise to play at Division II Sonoma State and earn an invitation to the East-West Shrine Game. A second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, Allen enjoyed a 14-year, Hall-of-Fame NFL career (1994-2007) that included 11 Pro Bowl nods and seven first-team All-Pro selections.

Though born in Louisiana, Asomugha grew up in Los Angeles. He attended several high schools throughout the L.A. area, but football remained a constant. Following a strong college career at Cal, where he recorded more than 180 tackles and had eight interceptions, Asomugha was a first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2003. He spent all but three of his 11 NFL seasons sporting the silver and black. For his pro career, Asomugha had 15 interceptions and nearly 400 tackles while being named a first-team All-Pro twice (2008, '10) and earning three Pro Bowl trips.

A Southern California native, Davis prepped at Bonita High School in La Verne, some 30 miles east of L.A. in Los Angeles County. He helped the Bearcats to an 11-0 record in 1942, then shunned hometown USC to go across the country and play at Army. That proved to be the right move for Davis, who averaged 8.3 yards and scored 59 touchdowns for his career, won the Heisman Trophy in 1946 , and teamed with fellow backfield legend Doc Blanchard to help lead Army to three national championships (1944-46). Following his military service, Davis debuted in the NFL in 1950 for the Los Angeles Rams and made the Pro Bowl that season. However, a knee injury ultimately ended Davis' pro career following the 1951 season.

John, the son of famed football coach Jack Elway, found stardom at Granada Hills High in the San Fernando Valley. A Parade All-American on the prep level, Elway became a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year  (1980, 1982) at Stanford. It took some time, but Elway finally won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos to conclude the 1997 season and repeated the next season when he was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII. A nine-time Pro Bowler, NFL MVP (1987), and two-time AFC Offensive Player of the Year (1987, ’93), Elway ranks among the league's all-time leaders in passing yards (51,475), completions (4,123), and touchdowns (300).

Is Gonzalez the greatest football player ever to come out of Southern California? The Hall of Famer is certainly the best tight end ever to grace the gridiron. His 15,325 receiving yards and 1,325 receptions, spanning 17 seasons (1997-2013) with Kansas City and Atlanta, are the most by a tight end. The native of Torrance, who starred at Huntington Beach High (where he posted 62 receptions for 945 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior), also caught 111 touchdowns during a career that featured 14 Pro Bowl selections and was a six-time All-Pro first-teamer.

Whether providing air-tight coverage, displaying his blazing speed, or laying the lumber, Haynes was one of the elite defensive backs during an NFL career that spanned from 1976 to '89. A product of the famed John Marshall High School in Los Angeles (where the football stadium was named in his honor), Haynes is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames. He recorded 46 interceptions during his pro career, which began with New England and ended with the then-Los Angeles Raiders. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Haynes helped the Raiders win Super Bowl XVIII.

An L.A. native, Johnson played at both Palisades High and Dorsey, but trouble followed him quite often as a teen. Johnson played at West Los Angeles College, then was good enough to land at nearby USC. Johnson made the most of his two seasons in the program, twice honored as a two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 performer, the league's offensive player of the year, and a unanimous All-American in 1995, when he caught 102 passes for 1,434 — both ranking within the top five on the school's single-season records list. Though Johnson had his issues on and off the field in the NFL, he played 11 seasons and caught 814 passes for 10,571 yards and 64 touchdowns. He was named to three Pro Bowls and helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl (XXXVII ).

Before Lofton had himself a Hall-of-Fame career as an eight-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro receiver, mostly with the Green Bay Packers, he was a star quarterback and defensive back at Los Angeles' George Washington High School. From there, Lofton earned All-American status at Stanford and won the long jump at the 1978  NCAA Track and Field Championships. All that paved the way for Lofton to enjoy an NFL career from 1978-93. During that time, he caught 764 passes for 14,004 yards and 75 touchdowns.

Lott attended Eisenhower High School in Rialto, nearly 60 miles east of L.A. in San Bernardino County — close enough to grab a spot on our list. After winning a national championship (1978) and earning consensus All-American honors (1980) at USC, Lott established himself as arguably the greatest safety in NFL history. Lott, in many ways, revolutionized the position. With more than 1,100 tackles and a total of 63 interceptions, the the ever-present Lott proved that a safety can be effective in coverage and playing near the line of scrimmage.

Matthews' No. 72 jersey was retired by Arcadia High School in the San Gabriel Valley. That was just the beginning for Matthews, who was named a consensus All-American at USC in 1982. From there, Matthews enjoyed a 19-year NFL career that was all spent with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise. A pros' pro, Matthews played every spot on the offensive line and was named a first-team All-Pro seven times and selected to a whopping 14 Pro Bowls. Matthews was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

The pride of L.A.'s George Washington High School and Compton Junior College (currently known as El Camino College Compton Center), McElhenny was an All-American at Washington before putting together a Hall-of-Fame NFL career with San Francisco, Minnesota, the  New York Giants, and  Detroit from 1952-1964. He rushed for more than 5,200 yards, recorded just over 3,200 receiving and combined for 58 touchdowns while being named a six-time Pro Bowler. McElhenny was also selected as a first-team All-Pro on five occasions. 

From Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood to Canton, Ohio. Mix's road to the Pro Football Hall of Fame began at Hawthorne High School, where his strength was a story. Mix stayed close to home by attending USC, where he set himself up for pro football greatness. The versatile lineman played in AFL, then the NFL, from 1960-71. Mix won an AFL championship with the Los Angeles Chargers in 1963, was named All-AFL nine times, and was an eight-time AFL All-Star. He is also a member of the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame.

Hailing from La Puente in Los Angeles County, Montoya overcame a heart murmur in high school to continue his football career at the college level. After playing at a local community college, Montoya transferred to UCLA, where he earned All-Pac-10 recognition in 1978. Though Montoya was drafted in the seventh round of the 1979 NFL Draft by Cincinnati, he played 11 seasons in the league. During that time, Montoya started 195 of 223 games, was named to four Pro Bowls, earned second-team All-Pro recognition in 1989, and was part of two Super Bowl teams with the Bengals.

A product of Los Angeles' Hamilton High, Moon starred at Washington as the Pac-8 Co-Player of the Year in 1977 and Rose Bowl MVP in 1978. Before Moon starred in the NFL, he solidified himself as one of the greats in CFL history In his six seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. Moon threw for 21,228 yards with 144 touchdowns to 77 interceptions and won five Grey Cup titles. In 1983, Moon was named CFL's Most Outstanding Player. The following year, he was headed to Houston for the start of a stellar NFL career, which featured nine Pro Bowl nods, winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1990) and throwing for 49,325 yards and nearly 300 touchdowns over 17 seasons (1984-2000). Moon is the only player inducted into both the Canadian and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The pride of Chaffey High School in the San Bernardino County city of Ontario, Munoz then starred at USC, where he joined the aforementioned Ronnie Lott on the 1978 national title squad. If that weren't enough, Munoz was also a standout on the vaunted USC baseball team. On the pro level, however, he established himself as one of the greatest linemen of all time. Munoz is perhaps the best player in Cincinnati Bengals history. He was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and named first-team All-Pro on nine occasions. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Nickerson is regarded by many to be the best defender to come out of Los Angeles, which is saying a lot. Nickerson starred at Watts' Verbum Dei High School, then headed north to the Bay Area to play at Cal. Both stops prepared Nickerson to enjoy an extremely successful NFL career, spanning 16 seasons (1987-2002), most notably with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. He totaled more than 1,500 tackles, with 21 sacks and 12 interceptions while earning five Pro Bowl nods and twice being named an All-Pro first-teamer.

Unassuming, yet confident. Smith put together one special NFL career, which lasted 14 seasons — all spent with the Denver Broncos. During his NFL tenure, Smith totaled 30 interceptions, broke up 104 passes, and recorded 15 sacks while also establishing himself as one of the hardest-hitting safeties during the 1980s and into the '90s. A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection (1984, '86), it should have been no surprise that Smith enjoyed a successful NFL career. Smith was a two-way standout at Santa Monica High School, where he was named CIF Southern Section Co-Player of the Year in 1976, then an All-American at USC, where he posted 205 tackles and 16 interceptions. 

A two-way football star and track standout at West Los Angeles' University High School, Smith then attended Santa Monica College, where he made a name for himself despite standing at 5 feet, 9 inches. That success earned Smith a scholarship to Utah, where he was a two-time All-Mountain West performer (1999, 2000). Still defying the odds, Smith played parts of 16 seasons in the NFL, generating most of his success with the Carolina Panthers. A five-time Pro Bowler, Smith ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders for all-purpose yards (19,180), receiving yards  (14,731), receptions (1,031), and receiving touchdowns (81). 

Brash, in-your-face, Sherman played the game like his hair was on fire and pushed the envelope with his on-field approach and trash-talking. Yeah, he was usually able to back it up. Voted "Most Likely to Succeed" at Compton's Dominguez High School, Sherman rarely left the football field, starring on offense, defense and as one of the state's top return men. From there, Sherman landed at Stanford, where he played his first three seasons at receiver before shifting to defensive back. While playing parts of 11 pro seasons, Sherman intercepted 37 passes, including eight in both 2012 and '13.  A five-time Pro Bowl pick and three-time All-Pro first-teamer, Sherman helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII.

Another San Bernardino star, Wagner prepped at Colony High in Ontario, where, even though he enjoyed a strong football career, he was not highly recruited. So, Wagner ended up at Utah State and was a three-time First-Team All-Mountain West selection while recording 445 tackles. Of course, the best was yet to come for Wagner, who, as of the 2023 season, was in his 12th NFL season — on his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks. An eight-time Pro Bowler, six-time first-team All-Pro, and a Super Bowl champion, Wagner has recorded more than 1,600 tackles and 30 sacks during a career that's still going.

A standout at Carson High School from the city of Carson, the great Wesley Walker then posted  86 receptions for 2,206 yards and 22 touchdowns during his four seasons at Cal. Known for his blistering speed and ability to elude defenders after the catch, Walker spent his entire NFL career with the New York Jets (1977-89). With New York, Walker recorded 438 receptions for 8,306 yards and an impressive 71 touchdowns. He was a two-time Pro Bowler (1977, '82) and named first-team All-Pro in 1978. Walker is a member of the New York Jets Ring of Honor.

Hailing from the ritzy Alta Loma portion of San Bernardino Country, Weddle was a two-time All-CIF selection while starring at Alta Loma High. From there, the versatile Weddle went to Utah, where he was twice named Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2005, 2006) and a consensus All-American. All that prepared Weddle for a stellar 13-year NFL career, where he spent most of that time with the then-San Diego Chargers. He totaled more than 1,100 tackles and 29 interceptions while being named a first-team All-Pro twice and was selected to six Pro Bowls. Fitting, in his final NFL season of 2019, Weddle won his only Super Bowl as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.

Born in L.A., White prepped at San Fernando High School in the Valley. However, it was at USC that White turned himself into a legend. He's the school's all-time leading rusher with 6,245 career yards and one of two Trojans to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season. For White, that came in 1979 when he gained an NCAA-best 2,050 and averaged 6.2 yards per carry while rushing for 19 touchdowns en route to winning the Heisman Trophy. The two-time unanimous All-American then played eight seasons in the NFL but was hampered by injuries. However, he did make a Pro Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 1987, when he led the league with 1,374 rushing yards.