Less than a month after the conclusion of the 2002 NFL season, the league turns its attention to the NFL Scouting Combine. The 2003 gathering will take place Feb. 18-24 in Indianapolis.
Did you know?
- This event is run by National Football Scouting, which is headed by Gene "Duke" Babb, a former NFL player (six years -- including the 1960-61 Dallas Cowboys) who does an unbelievable job of organizing this week-long extravaganza.
- The printed results and tapes of what takes place during this week are received by teams within a matter of hours so they can evaluate each player on what they did in on-field drills (running, jumping and coaching drills). Also included is an interview with the player.
- The initial draft was held Feb. 8, 1936, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. Nine teams selected nine players each.
- Of the 81 players selected in 1936, 28 played at least one game in the NFL. None of Philadelphia's nine choices ever played a game in the NFL -- the only team that failed to have at least one drafted player play in a game.
- Of the 81 players selected in 1936, four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- Joe Stydahar and Dan Fortmann (Bears); Wayne Millner (Boston Redskins); and Alphonse Leemans (Giants).
- Five players selected in the initial draft became head coaches in college football, including Paul "Bear" Bryant (fourth round, Brooklyn Dodgers).
- The first player selected who did not attend the combine in 2002 was CB Travis Fisher whom St. Louis picked in the second round.
- The first player selected who did not attend the combine in 2001 was Bill Gramatica whom Arizona picked in the fourth round.
- Since 1988, three players have been drafted in the first round who did not attend the combine.
1) 1988 -- Aaron Jones (Eastern Kentucky) by Pittsburgh
2) 1991 -- Eric Swann (no college) by Arizona
3) 1993 -- Darrien Gordon (Stanford) by San Diego
- Since 1995, only one center has been drafted in the first round. It was in 1999 -- Damien Woody by New England.
- Since 1995, no fullback has been drafted in the first round.
- In 1998, no punter or kicker was drafted.
- The University of Texas has had a player selected in an NFL-record 65 consecutive drafts. No Longhorns were selected in the first two drafts (1936-37).
- The University of Southern California has the most first-round draft picks in NFL history -- 59 (Notre Dame 56, Ohio State 55).
- The University of Texas had an NFL-record 17 players drafted in 1984.
- Ohio State had a player selected in every draft from 1936-96. The streak ended when no Buckeyes were drafted in 1997.
- Notre Dame has the most players selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft -- five (USC is second with four).
- The last player picked No. 1 overall in the draft from a non-Division I school was Ed "Too Tall" Jones of Tennessee State in 1974 by Dallas.
- Over the past nine years, 2,220 players have been drafted from 252 schools.
- Over the past nine years, 39 schools have had players picked in the first 10 picks of Round 1. Ohio State leads with seven. Penn State and Florida State are tied for second with six. Texas, Florida and Southern California have had five each.
- Over the past nine years, players picked from No. 11 through No. 30 in the first round have come from 69 schools. Miami (Fla.) has had the most (14), followed by Ohio State (eight).
- In the past nine years, players have been selected in the first round from seven non-Division I schools. Two of the eight have come from Jackson State.
- Over the past nine years, 60 players have been drafted from Tennessee, 58 from Florida State, 53 from Nebraska and 52 from Ohio State.
- Five first-rounders in the 2002 NFL Draft were from Miami (Fla.).
- In 1972, the Washington Redskins did not pick until the eighth round (203rd pick). They selected Moses Denton, who played two years in the NFL with Washington.
Since the addition of Jacksonville and Carolina in 1995, and Houston in 2002 ...
- Quarterbacks: 16 have been selected in the first round; 92 overall. (Rounds 1-7)
- Halfbacks: 26 have been drafted in the first round; 146 overall.
- Fullbacks: None has been drafted in the first round; 62 overall.
- Wide receivers: 30 have been drafted in the first round; 255 overall.
- Tight ends: 11 have been drafted in the first round; 118 overall.
- Offensive tackles: 32 have been drafted in the first round; 144 overall.
- Offensive guards: Nine have been picked in the first round; 133 overall.
- Centers: One has been picked in the first round; 48 overall.
- Defensive ends: 33 have been picked in the first round; 180 overall.
- Defensive tackles: 21 have been picked in the first round; 162 overall.
- Inside linebackers: 10 have been picked in the first round; 91 overall.
- Outside linebackers: 17 have been picked in the first round; 146 overall.
- Cornerbacks: 28 have been picked in the first round; 202 overall.
- Safeties: 11 have been picked in the first round; 171 overall.
- Placekickers: One has been picked in the first round; 25 overall.
Punters: None has been picked in the first round; 13 overall.
