Saturday brought to an end the 85th annual NFL draft, an event that has undergone several changes but at its core has remained the same and continues to grow.
The inaugural draft was held Feb. 8, 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, with 81 selections made over the course of nine rounds. There were no scouting departments or media coverage, yet it's become one of the most important sporting events of the year.
Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder, this year's Mr. Irrelevant as the final player taken, is the 25,537th player picked in an NFL draft. For now, he bookends a list that begins with Jay Berwanger.
Berwanger, the star halfback at the University of Chicago, was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935 – it's been called the Heisman Trophy since '36. Berwanger was selected first overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he never played a down in the NFL. He refused to sign with the Eagles because he didn't think they could afford the $1,000 per game he was asking, nor did he sign with George Halas' Bears after Philadelphia dealt his negotiating rights to Chicago.
So Riley Smith, the Alabama quarterback who was taken second overall by the Boston Redskins, was actually the first NFL draftee to play in a game.
The draft was originally held at rotating sites – if your city had a team and a hotel, you could host – before making New York City its home for a 50-year stretch that ended in 2015. It has since been held in auditoriums, an entertainment district, an art museum and an NFL stadium before this year finding it's wildest home yet – cyberspace, as the league adjusted to the coronavirus pandemic and held its draft remotely.
The NFL draft is a sporting phenomenon that touches all corners of the country, including the Aiken Standard's coverage area. Here's a list of locals who have heard their name called on draft day.
Note: Several other local football players have made their way into the NFL as undrafted free agents, including active players like the Kansas City Chiefs' Antonio Hamilton (Strom Thurmond) and the Dallas Cowboys' Joe Thomas (Blackville-Hilda) and recent retiree Rafael Bush (Williston-Elko).
Troy Williamson, WR
The pick: 7th overall (1st round, 7th pick) in 2005 by the Minnesota Vikings
College: South Carolina
High school: Silver Bluff
The numbers: Had 87 catches for 1,131 yards and 4 touchdowns in 49 games – 39 with the Vikings, 10 with the Jaguars.
Jamal Reynolds, DE
The pick: 10th overall (1st round, 10th pick) in 2001 by the Green Bay Packers
College: Florida State
High school: Aiken
The numbers: Had 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 18 games across 3 seasons with the Packers.
William Perry, DT
The pick: 22nd overall (1st round, 22nd pick) in 1985 by the Chicago Bears
College: Clemson
High school: Aiken
The numbers: Had 29.5 sacks, 2 rushing touchdowns, including 1 in Super Bowl XX victory over New England, and 1 receiving touchdown. Played in 138 games, 114 with Bears and 24 with Eagles.
Corey Chavous, S
The pick: 33rd overall (2nd round, 3rd pick) in 1998 by the Arizona Cardinals
College: Vanderbilt
High school: Silver Bluff
The numbers: Had 20 interceptions and 2 touchdowns in 171 games with the Cardinals (61), Vikings (64) and Rams (46). Picked off 8 passes in 2003 and made the Pro Bowl.
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
The pick: 34th overall (2nd round, 2nd pick) in 2014 by the Dallas Cowboys
College: Boise State
High school: Silver Bluff
The numbers: Has 39 sacks in 80 games with the Cowboys. Pro Bowl selection in 2017 and 2018, last April signed a five-year, $105 million contract with the Cowboys.
Barney Chavous, DE
The pick: 36th overall (2nd round, 10th pick) in 1973 by the Denver Broncos
College: South Carolina State
High school: Schofield
The numbers: Had 75 sacks, 8 fumble recoveries and 1 touchdown in 178 games with the Broncos across 13 seasons. Started in Super Bowl XII against Charlie Waters and Dallas.
Fred Vinson, CB
The pick: 47th overall (2nd round, 16th pick) in 1999 by the Green Bay Packers
College: Vanderbilt
High school: North Augusta
The numbers: Had 21 tackles, 1 sack and 2 interceptions in 1999 season.
Michael Dean Perry, DT
The pick: 50th overall (2nd round, 23rd pick) in 1988 by the Cleveland Browns
College: Clemson
High school: South Aiken
The numbers: Had 61 sacks and 13 forced fumbles in 148 games with the Browns (109), Broncos (38) and Chiefs (1). Named an All-Pro 4 times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 6 times. Named AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1989.
Ray Roundtree, WR
The pick: 58th overall (3rd round, 4th pick) in 1988 by the Detroit Lions
College: Penn State
High school: South Aiken
The numbers: Played in 4 games for the Lions in 1988.
Charlie Waters, S
The pick: 66th overall (3rd round, 14th pick) in 1970 by the Dallas Cowboys
College: Clemson
High school: North Augusta
The numbers: Had 41 interceptions and 2 touchdowns in 11 seasons, all with the Cowboys. Won 2 Super Bowls. Named All-Pro twice and made 3 Pro Bowls. Intercepted an NFL-record 9 passes in the playoffs, including 3 in one game.
D'Wayne Bates, WR
The pick: 71st overall (3rd round, 10th pick) in 1999 by the Chicago Bears
College: Northwestern
High school: Silver Bluff
The numbers: Caught 80 passes for 1,061 yards and 6 touchdowns in 47 games with the Bears (23) and Vikings (24).
Cordrea Tankersley, CB
The pick: 97th overall (3rd round, 33rd pick) in 2017 by the Miami Dolphins
College: Clemson
High school: Silver Bluff
The numbers: Has 31 tackles in 17 games for the Dolphins in 2017-18. Missed last season due to injury, still under contract.
Shelly Hammonds, DB
The pick: 134th overall (5th round, 3rd pick) in 1994 by the Minnesota Vikings
College: Penn State
High school: Barnwell
The numbers: Had 2.5 tackles in 1 game in 1995 for the Vikings.
Craig Baynham, RB
The pick: 176th overall (12th round, 6th pick) in 1966 by the Dallas Cowboys
College: Georgia Tech
High school: North Augusta
The numbers: Had 999 yards of offense and 9 touchdowns in 50 games played with the Cowboys (38), Bears (5) and Cardinals (7). Played for the Cowboys in the Ice Bowl, the 1967 NFL Championship against Green Bay.
Matt Hazel, WR
The pick: 190th overall (6th round, 14th pick) in 2014 by the Miami Dolphins
College: Coastal Carolina
High school: North Augusta
The numbers: Has 1 catch in 9 career games with Dolphins (5) and Colts (4). Was last signed in May 2019 by the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Troy Brown, WR
The pick: 198th overall (8th round, 2nd pick) in 1993 by the New England Patriots
College: Marshall
High school: Blackville-Hilda
The numbers: Patriots Hall of Famer spent his entire 15-year career in New England, retired as team's all-time leader in receptions (557) and punt returns (252). Had 6,366 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns, plus 3 return touchdowns. Made the Pro Bowl in 2001 while starting a run of 3 Super Bowl wins in 4 years.
Des Kitchings, WR
The pick: 208th overall (7th round, 2nd pick) in 2000 by the Kansas City Chiefs
College: Furman
High school: Wagener-Salley
The numbers: South Carolina's new running backs coach spent 4 years on NFL rosters and practice squads.
Ira Hillary, WR
The pick: 210th overall (8th round, 14th pick) in 1985 by the Kansas City Chiefs
College: South Carolina
High school: Strom Thurmond
The numbers: Had 27 catches for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, 669 return yards in 46 games with the Bengals (43) and Vikings (3). Caught a pass in Super Bowl XXIII against San Francisco.
Robert Tyler, TE
The pick: 215th overall (8th round, 22nd pick) in 1988 by the Seattle Seahawks
College: South Carolina State
High school: Wagener-Salley
The numbers: Caught 14 passes for 148 yards in 9 games with the Seahawks.
Dekoda Watson, LB
The pick: 217th overall (7th round, 10th pick) in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
College: Florida State
High school: South Aiken
The numbers: Has 152 tackles in 108 games over 10 seasons with the Buccaneers (60), Cowboys (1), Jaguars (9), Patriots (3), Broncos (16), 49ers (18) and Seahawks (1).
Al Young, WR
The pick: 320th overall (13th round, 8th pick) in 1971 by the Pittsburgh Steelers
College: South Carolina State
High school: Booker T. Washington (Columbia)
The numbers: Caught 6 passes for 86 yards in 15 games with the Pittsburg Steelers. Caught a touchdown pass in the 1972 AFC Championship game against the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Later played for the New York Stars and Charlotte Hornets of the short-lived World Football League.
