The 5 Greatest NFL Players From the State of Alaska

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Jan 7, 2017; Anchorage, AK, USA; The neighborhhod of Esteban Santiago, a veteran who allegedly opened fire in a baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport on Friday, killing five people and injuring six more.. Mandatory Credit: Anna Reed/Statesman Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK /

The state of Alaska may be the largest in the United States, but it’s well behind in producing some of the greatest NFL players of all-time.

Then again size isn’t everything. The state population is barely over 738,000. That’s relatively the same number of people who live in the city of Detroit. Just for an idea of the talent pool it’s offering. Nonetheless the state wasn’t completely devoid of pro football talents over the years. In fact a number of them experienced significant personal and team success. Here are the five names who stood out the most.

#5: Steve Smith

No, not that Steve Smith. People sometimes forget that for a brief period time there were two quality wide receivers with that name. There is of course the one who had a brilliant career in Carolina and Baltimore. Then there was this young man from Anchorage. He arrived in 2007 and was part of the New York Giants team that upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He didn’t play much of a role in that run though he has the ring to prove he was there.

His greater contributions came a couple years later. It looked like Smith was destined for stardom in 2009. That was his first year as a full-time starter and he didn’t disappoint. Smith totaled 1,220 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. The performance earned him a Pro Bowl nod. Unfortunately that would prove to be his high point. Injuries became an increasing issue over the next three seasons until he was finally forced to walk away at the age of 28.

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