According to data from Pro-Football-Reference.com, Alabama universities are among the nation's leaders in producing NFL players, and not just because of the University of Alabama and the Alabama Tigers.

Of course, the University of Alabama and Auburn University are big contributors to the state's lofty status. Alabama has produced 444 NFL alumni, followed by Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State and Michigan. Alabama has 81 NFL players on its roster, more than any other university.

Auburn has produced 339 professional players, ranking 24th nationally.

Alabama's universities have produced a total of 1,069 players in the league, 10th most in the nation. All of the top 10 states except Louisiana have larger populations than Alabama. Alabama ranks 6th in the nation in producing professional athletes per capita.

Alabama's high ranking was due in large part to the contributions of its smaller colleges: Each of the state's Division I football programs (Alabama, Auburn, University of Alabama-Albuquerque, Troy, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Jacksonville State, North Alabama, Samford and South Alabama) have at least 15 NFL alumni, with Troy leading the list of non-SEC schools with 71.

Among the state's Division II schools, Tuskegee University (14) has produced the most NFL players, followed by the University of West Alabama (13). Miles College (2) and Spring Hill College (1) have also produced major leaguers.

Only two NFL players have attended a junior college in Alabama: former Cowboys receiver Bernard Ford, who spent one year at Marion Military Academy before transferring to Central Florida, and former Seattle Seahawks receiver Ricardo Lockette, who ran track at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville in 2007 before transferring to Fort Valley State University. Lockette went on to win the Super Bowl in 2013 with the Seahawks.

Numerous pros have also come from the now-defunct programs at Stillman (5), Birmingham Southern (3) and St. Bernard (1).

Charles Vaughn is a contributing writer for Yellow Hammer News.