The first player ever drafted in the NFL didn’t end up playing: Here’s why
(Original Caption) New York: The All All-America of 1935 — A close up of Jay Berwanger, ace backfield man of the University of Chicago, shown holding the bronze trophy of the downtown Athletic Club, with which he was presented today, December 10th, after his selection as the Outstanding Football Player of 1935. Berwanger is the only football player in the country to have been selected on All All-America Teams. (Getty)
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(NEXSTAR) – It was February 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. The NFL was about to host its first-ever draft. While it was a momentous moment for the sport, the first-ever draft pick was about ruin it — just a little.
Bert Bell, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and future league commissioner, is credited with the idea of a draft. Under Bell’s plan, the team with the worst record picked first, as it is today. That meant the first ever team to make a draft pick was Bell’s Eagles, who had a 2-9 record in 1935. But the hope of turning the team around with the first opportunity at fresh-out-of-college players would soon be squashed.
With the first pick of the 1936 draft, the Eagles selected Jay Berwanger, a running back from the University of Chicago who had just secured the first-ever Heisman Trophy (it was known as the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy at the time).
The Dubuque, Iowa native did it all on the field — play calling, passing, tackling, punting, kicking extra points, returning kicks, and everything in between, according to his biography on the Heisman Trophy’s website. In addition to his accolades, Berwanger is also considered the only Heisman recipient to be tackled by a future president — Gerald Ford, who played for Michigan.
Slideshow: Jay Berwanger
FILE – In this 1934 file photo, University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger is shown in the action pose that served as the model for the Heisman Trophy. In the early days of the NFL, college football was king and playing the game professionally was not necessarily something players aspired to do. (AP Photo/File) 
(Original Caption) Sports Champions of 1935. Jay Berwanger, halfback of the University of Chicago, who was picked on virtually every All-America team chosen. Berwanger was selected by the Touchdown Club as the outstanding player of the year and for the second successive season, he was voted the greatest player in the conference by the Big Ten coaches. Berwanger stood out like the Rock of Gibraltar even though Chicago had just a fair season, winning four and losing four games. 
(Original Caption) Climbing out of Big Ten Cellar. Jay Berwanger, Maroon left halfback, caught by the camera, high in the air as he returned the opening kickoff to the Chicago 31-yard line at the start of the game between the Maroons and Wisconsin at Chicago. Neither team had won a Big Ten game this season, and Chicago climbed out of the cellar with a 13-7 victory. 
Fred Russell, sports editor of the Nashville Banner, presents the Heisman Memorial trophy to Wisconsin star Alan Ameche, second from right, at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, Dec. 9, 1954. At left is Harry Kennedy, chairman of the trophy committee, which at right is Jay Berwanger, first recipient of the trophy in 1935. (AP Photo/Anthony Camerano) 
(Original Caption) New York: The All All-America of 1935–A close up of Jay Berwanger, ace backfield man of the University of Chicago, shown holding the bronze trophy of the downtown Athletic Club, with which he was presented today, December 10th, after his selection as the Outstanding Football Player of 1935. Berwanger is the only football player in the country to have been selected on All All-America Teams. 
Jay Berwanger, 71, poses with the first Heisman Trophy, which he was awarded 50 years ago, at the University of Chicago, Ill., Dec. 6, 1985. Berwanger was awarded the 25-pound trophy, modeled after a photograph of him during his playing days as a halfback for the University of Chicago. (AP Photo/John Swart) 
Jay Berwanger headshot, first winner of the Heisman Trophy. (AP)
Berwagner’s playing was enough to catch the attention of the Eagles during the draft, but the team soon traded his rights to the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, contract demands would keep Berwanger out of the league.
In an interview with The New York Times years later, Berwanger explained that he had asked then-Bears coach George Halas for $25,000 for two years with a no-cut contract, far more than what most players were making at the time. The price tag was too high, and Berwanger decided instead to become a foam-rubber salesman.
Berwanger became a naval officer during World War II and when he returned to Chicago, he set up Jay Berwanger, Inc., a manufacturer of plastic and rubber strips for vehicles, according to his obituary in the Chicago Tribune. He died of lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 88.
Berwanger’s decision not to play wasn’t exactly revolutionary. According to the Chicago Tribune, only about two dozen of the 81 players drafted in 1936 ever played in the NFL. None of the draft picks by the Eagles that year would ever play a regular-season game.
