In celebration of the NFL Draft, we've asked the members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to share some of their thoughts and recollections from when they were drafted. Follow a Hall of Famer as he takes a trip down memory lane, and relive draft history.
"The day of the draft I spent my morning with my roommate, Dennis Smith," commented Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2000 inductee Ronnie Lott. "In those days the draft was not televised so we were waiting by the phone to hear from a team."
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| Ronnie Lott |
Making the day a bit tense for the defensive back was a prank phone call he received. "I got a call from Dennis Thurman who told me that the Packers had just drafted me as the fifth player in the first round," remembered Lott about his draft day on April 28, 1981. "He teased that I better get my raccoon heavy coat ready for the cold weather."
"As it turned out he was, of course, joking. The 49ers took me as the 8th pick in the first round," Ronnie said recently. "The rest is history!"
Hall of Famers Taken in the 1981 NFL Draft
Lawrence Taylor, LB
1st Round (2nd overall) by the New York Giants
Ronnie Lott, DB
1st round (8th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers
Mike Singletary, LB
2nd round (38th overall) by the Chicago Bears
Howie Long, DE
2nd round (48th overall) by the Oakland Raiders