Today in sports history (2010), Sam Bradford was selected number one overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. Bradford was one of the most hyped players during his time at Oklahoma. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2008 and looked ready to turn a franchise around. The Rams felt like a perfect spot for Bradford, as they finished the 2009 season with a 1-15 record. Kyle Boller, Keith Null and Mike Reilly were the three quarterbacks on the Rams roster the previous season.
At Oklahoma, Bradford became one of college football’s greatest quarterbacks of all time. Along with his 2008 Heisman, Bradford also received every other award that a quarterback could, including an All-American selection.
Sam Bradford Drafted First in 2010 NFL Draft
When the St. Louis Rams drafted Sam Bradford, they immediately wanted and needed him to be the starting quarterback for years to come. This was the first time that the Rams drafted a quarterback since Bill Munson in the 1964 NFL Draft. He signed the largest rookie contract in NFL history at the time, which was six years, 78 million dollars. Competing with A.J Feeley, Bradford almost immediately won the starting quarterback job.
Bradford’s first game was a loss against the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, he completed 32-of-55 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. He added three interceptions. Two weeks later, Bradford picked up his career win, with a 30-16 win over the then-Washington Redskins. Though the wins weren’t coming, Bradford was performing well. Through the first eight games of the season, Bradford had 11 touchdowns. At the time, that tied an NFL record with Dan Marino, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.
Bradford finished his rookie season with 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was named Rookie of the Year, and he passed Manning for most completions by a rookie. Bradford also became just the third rookie to start all 16 games and pass for 3,000 yards, with the other two being Manning and Matt Ryan.
