The Very Unique Relationship of Football & the State of Texas

Looking at the enduring love affair between America’s favorite game and the Lone Star State

It’s a brisk December afternoon in Dallas, Texas and thousands of people are flocking into Texas Stadium to watch a football game. Over 30,000 people are in attendance, ready to root for their teams in the hopes of the bragging rights that come with winning a championship. These fans are not here in Dallas to root for the Cowboys or even a college football team like SMU. No, they are here watching the playoffs for the Texas high school championship. On this day, they would see the North Crowley Panthers triumph over the Allen Eagles.

It is often said to the point of hyperbole that football in the state of Texas is like a religion. It dominates the conversation in the state in a way that few other locales can relate to. The state of Texas has produced more NFL professional players and more Hall of Famers than any other state. It is, to put it plainly, a factory of football, and likely the most important state in recruiting when it comes to college football. But the path to being a professional football player is only half of the story in Texas, it is a way of life. It is a game that dictates so much of the culture of Texas from big cities like Houston and Dallas all the way to small towns that no one has ever heard of. The…