Hall of Famer and Driller legend Frank Gifford is one of the first names associated with NFL talent conceived in the Central Valley.
The New York Giants' 1952 first-round pick set a standard that many have since followed.
“People love football here, they love the game, they love the passion. They love to go watch it. I think it's just something that you do,” said Bryan Nixon, a former longtime high school football coach and Bob Elias Hall of Famer.
In his 31-year coaching career, Nixon has seen the start of many NFL player's careers, including Cody Kessler, Jared Norris, and one of the more recent popular names, Jordan Love.“I think (Love) had some of the characteristics of the work ethic, the knowledge of the game, the wanting to study the game, the wanting to be better on a daily basis,” Nixon said.
The intangibles are seen in the attitude, something common across any athlete itching to play at the next level.
“They're fierce, fierce competitors,” said Paul Golla, current head football coach at Independence High School.
Golla has coached a handful of NFL pros, and he believes what separates these athletes is the environment around them.
“I think it's just a long history of kids that have worked hard and parents have worked hard and it spills out onto the football field," Golla said. "Not just that, it's the community support. It's different here in Bakersfield. "Plenty of football stars have gone on to play at the collegiate level, but the percentage drops when talking about making it to the NFL.
Roughly two to eight out of every 10,000 players get a snap in the NFL.
Driller alum Jeff Buckey is one of those, representing Kern County at the highest level.
“I think it was always a great source of pride from all of us that came here to represent Bakersfield,” Buckey said.
One could argue it's more impressive that NFL players from Kern County consistently give back to the community.
Former No. 1 overall pick David Carr coaches alongside his brother Darren Carr at Bakersfield Christian High School.
Buckey’s NFL teammate and 10-year veteran Michaels Stewart coached at Bakersfield High School.
“I can count at least 10 offhand that have come back and gone to their different schools," Buckley said. "I think that just shows a lot of how football has continued to grow here and continues to flourish and I think it'll continue to do that for several years to come. "
As high school football continues to grow in Kern County, so will its high-level talent -- and it support.
“When people are successful here, people recognize it and people want to rep the 661 and they want to make sure that, 'Hey, that's one of ours,'" Nixon said. "I think that's the beauty of being in Kern County. " Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
