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 The number of rounds stayed at 30 throughout the decade of the 1950s. By the middle of the decade, the NFL once again felt the squeeze of competition as the Canadian Football League was attempting to gain popularity by signing big-name college stars from the United States. In order to combat the threat, the NFL held early drafts from 1956-1959. The first four rounds of the drafts were held in late November or early December and rounds 5-30 were held in January.
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among the years below to see more in-depth coverage of that year's draft: |
 Colorful
nicknames were commonplace in football
during this era. Drafted in the 1st round were Fred “Curly” Morrison, Leo “The Lion” Nomellini, and Harold “Bud” Grant.
Also drafted were players with names like “Muscles”, “Snakey”, “Tank”, “Dopey”, “Red”, and
“Choo-Choo”. |
 The Cleveland Browns
had a historic ninth-round, though their choices made history off the
football field. Burl Toler, a guard from San Francisco U., never played in
the pros, but became the first ever African-American NFL official. Their other
pick: Hall of Fame coach Don Shula. |
 Cleveland took Bert Rechichar, an all-purpose back, with the 10th pick.
Traded to Baltimore a year later, he also served as the Colt’s
placekicker. On September 27, 1953, Rechichar set the NFL record for the longest field goal (56), a mark broken when Tom Demspey booted a 63-yarder in 1970. |
 Future Hall of Famer Doug Atkins was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the
1st round. However, the defensive end made his claim to fame with the Chicago Bears who acquired him through a trade in 1955. |
 The Chicago Bears used their
2nd round pick on Florida back Rick Casares who went on to become the team’s all-time leading rusher in a career that lasted through 1964. Walter Payton
eventually surpassed Casares’ career total in 1979. |
 The Baltimore Colts selected fullback Alan Ameche with the third pick. Nicknamed “The Horse”, Ameche scored the
overtime touchdown in the famous 1958 NFL Championship. Pittsburgh picked
up quarterback Johnny Unitas in the 9th round, but the Steelers cut Johnny U. before the season. |
 With their
2nd round pick, the Packers selected tackle Forrest Gregg from SMU. Gregg’s Hall of Fame career can
best be summed up by legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who called him the “greatest player I ever coached.” |
 The Cleveland Browns drafted Hall of Famer Henry Jordan in the
5th round with a pick acquired through a trade with the Packers. Two seasons later, the defensive tackle was traded to Green Bay. |
 Green
Bay solidified their future by drafting two future Hall of Famers in the first three rounds.
The Packers took running back Jim Taylor in the 2nd round and linebacker Ray Nitschke in the
3rd round. |
 Pittsburgh's
personnel department had a long wait in the draft as the team had traded away their first seven picks. The
Steelers' first pick came in the 8th round with Tom Barnett selected as the 91st player overall. |
1950s Draft Notes
Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant was selected 14th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1950. An end, Grant played two seasons in the NFL. He caught 56 passes for 997 yards and 7 touchdowns in 1952 for Philadelphia.
Roosevelt Brown, the Hall of Fame tackle from the New York Giants, holds the distinction of the being the lowest round draft pick ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Giants took Rosey, who played his college ball at Morgan State, in the 27th round, 321st overall.
King Hill, a quarterback from Rice, became the last bonus pick when the Chicago Cardinals selected him in the 1958 NFL Draft. Hill played 14 seasons in the NFL with the Cardinals, Eagles, and Vikings.
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