The "Football Belt" is the area surrounding Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania that is the cradle of football, not only boasting the first professional game, professional team, Pro Football Hall of Fame, but also the most winningest coaches in football history and the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. Generally considered to be the Pittsburgh region, it is the area within three to four hours of downtown Pittsburgh. The area includes northern West Virginia and Eastern Ohio as well as all of western and part of central Pennsylvania.
Football "firsts" in the Pittsburgh region
Quarterbacks from the Pittsburgh region
Runningbacks from the Pittsburgh region
Wide Receivers from the Pittsburgh region
Defensemen from the Pittsburgh region
Coaches from the Pittsburgh region
Various offensemen from the Pittsburgh region
Heisman winners from the Pittsburgh region
- Charlie Batch , Steel Valley High School
- George Blanda , Youngwood High School
- Matt Bonislawski , Highlands High School
- Marc Bulger , Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Matt Cavanaugh , Chaney High School
- Dan Darragh , Seton-LaSalle Catholic
- Len Dawson , Alliance High School
- Jody Dickerson , Sto-Rox High School
- Matt Dunaway , Knoch High School
- Matt Federico , Hempfield High School
- Gus Frerotte , Kittaning High School
- Chuck Fusina Sto-Rox High School
- Dean Gabey Bethel Park High School
- Luke Getsy , Steel Valley High School
- Bruce Gradkowski ,Seton-LaSalle Catholic
- Elvis Grbac , St. Joseph High School
- Terry Hanratty , Butler High School
- Major Harris , Brashear High School
- Jeff Hostetler , Conemaugh High School
- Ken Karcher , Shaler High School
- Jim Kelly , East Brady High School
- Bernie Kosar , Boardman, Ohio, High School
- Richie Lucas , South Allegheny High School
- Johnny Lujack , Connellsville High School
- Dan Marino , Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Fred Mazurek , Brownsville High School
- Mike McMahon , North Allegheny High School
- David Mike , Aliquippa High School
- Joe Montana , Ringgold High School
- Joe Namath , Beaver Falls High School
- Tyler Palko , West Allegheny
- Vito Parilli , Rochester, Pennsylvania, High School
- Frank Patrick , Derry High School
- John Rasp , Norwin High School
- Jason Smargiasso , Wilmington High School
- Sandy Stephens , Uniontown High School
- Willie Thrower , New Kensington High School
- Johnny Unitas , St. Justin's High School
- Dan Walkowiak , Hempfield High School
- Scott Zolak , Ringgold High School
- Kevan Barlow , Peabody High School
- Nick Goings , Scotia High School
- Mike Archie , Sharon High School
- Curtis Martin , Allderdice High School
- Adam Walker , SteelValley High School
- Archie Griffin , Eastmoor High School
- Tony Dorsett , Hopewell High School
- Mercury Morris , Avonworth High School
- Larry Csonka , Stow High School
- Don Nottingham , Ravenna High School
- Larry Brown (running Back) , Schenley High School
- Tom Matte , Shaw High School
- Sam Havrilak , Monessen High School
- Jack Maitland , St. Clair High School
- Gene Thomas , North High School
- Bill Mack , Hampton High School
- Bob Long , Washington High School
- Ken Herock , Munhall High School
- Fred Biletnikoff , Tech Memorial High School
- Paul Warfield , Warren High School
- Mike Ditka , Aliquippa High School
- Bill Malinchak , Monessen HS
- Jim Lash , Garfield HS
- Steve Craig , Garfield HS
- John Frank , Mt. Lebanon HS
- Dietrich Jells , Tech Memorial HS
- Ed McCaffrey , Waynesboro HS
- Joe Jurevicius , Cleveland
- Leon Hart ,
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