19 seasons later this New Jersey alum still playing in the NFL

Becoming a professional athlete is one of the most difficult professional accomplishments in the United States. In High School Football, over one million High School Athletes compete every fall but only Seven Percent of those High School Athletes get the opportunity to play high-level College Football.

Out of the 73,000 College Football players eligible to turn pro each year, only 22 percent of those Intercollegiate Athletes are even considered for the NFL Draft. For New Jersey High School athletes, researcher have found that on average, only 1 in 9,180 become professional athletes.

This New Jersey High School Graduate Will Play 19th NFL season

At 41-years old, Joe Flacco has started games at Quarterback for six NFL teams, and he will return to Ohio to play the 2026 season.

The Cincinnati Bengals are re-signing Flacco to a one-year contract with a base valued salary of $6 million. The 18th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft could earn up to $9 Million if he hits all incentives in his latest contract.

Last season, Flacco started six games for the Bengals in which he threw 13 Touchdowns and Four Interceptions. Cincinnati acquired the veteran Quarterback in a trade with the Cleveland Browns after Flacco started four games for the team located four hours north of the Bengals stadium.

Flacco played the majority of his NFL career with the Ravens, starting 163 games with Baltimore. The Super Bowl XLVII MVP Award winner has also started games for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Indianapolis Colts. He also spent 2021 NFL Training Camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, and was later traded to the Jets.

The Audubon High School has 272 Career Passing Touchdowns, 21st most in NFL History, and he is a member of an exclusive group of Quarterbacks from New Jersey to start games in the National Football League.