First Televised NFL Draft

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The Football History Dude

6 years ago

This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to a time when ESPN was not a juggernaut. The network had just launched a few months prior, and the President of the newly minted network devised a brilliant plan with then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle to televise the NFL Draft. Lem Barney was given the honor of being the first ever player drafted on live television. As we know, the NFL Draft and ESPN would have a very fruitful future, but we have to go back to that first one to understand how we got to where we are today. So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph.

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LINKS FROM THE SHOW

The Fantasy Football Wire – My Favorite Moment

Owen Canfield Article – NFL Draft Telecast A Neat Experiment

NFL Operations – Impact of Television

NFL – Draft Picks That Have Been Stripped Away

NFL – 1980 Draft Selections

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This post was last modified on April 30, 2019 2:57 PM

The Football History Dude

My name is Arnie Chapman, and I am the host of The Football History Dude, a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the rich history of the NFL. The show officially launched on 4/15/18, and I have not looked back. I have always been passionate about football, and learning about the history of the game has intrigued me, as well. I'm asking you to come along with me on my DeLorean to travel back in time and learn about the yesteryear of the gridiron. To get started, you can go to my website for more details.