1978 NFL draft
The 1978 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the first overall pick in the 1978 draft, by virtue of their 2–12 record in 1977. Tampa Bay traded the pick to the Oilers, for tight end Jimmie Giles and the Oilers' first- and second-round picks in the 1978 draft, and their third- and fifth-round picks in 1979. Leon White, who was drafted in the third round, went on to have an extensive professional wrestling career as Big Van Vader.
| 1978 NFL draft | |
|---|---|
 Roosevelt Hotel (location of the draft), photographed in 2008 | |
| General information | |
| Date | May 2–3, 1978 |
| Location | Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York |
| Overview | |
| 334 total selections in 12 rounds | |
| League | NFL |
| First selection | Earl Campbell, RB Houston Oilers |
| Mr. Irrelevant | Lee Washburn, G Dallas Cowboys |
| Most selections (18) | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Fewest selections (5) | Denver Broncos |
| Hall of Famers | 4 |
The 1978 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York.[1][2] The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the first overall pick in the 1978 draft, by virtue of their 2–12 record in 1977. Tampa Bay traded the pick to the Oilers, for tight end Jimmie Giles and the Oilers' first- and second-round picks in the 1978 draft, and their third- and fifth-round picks in 1979.[3]
Leon White, who was drafted in the third round, went on to have an extensive professional wrestling career as Big Van Vader.[4]
Player selections
[edit]
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Supplemental draft
[edit]| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | — | San Francisco 49ers | Rod Connors | RB | USC | Pac-8 |
Notable undrafted players
[edit]| † | = Pro Bowler[5] | ‡ | = Hall of Famer[6] |
Hall of Famers
[edit]- Earl Campbell, running back from Texas, taken 1st round 1st overall by Houston Oilers
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1991.[10]
- Ozzie Newsome, wide receiver from Alabama, taken 1st round 23rd overall by Cleveland Browns
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1999.[10]
- James Lofton, wide receiver from Stanford, taken 1st round 6th overall by Green Bay Packers
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2003.[11]
- Warren Moon, quarterback from Washington, signed undrafted by Houston Oilers
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2006.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ Salomone, Dan (October 2, 2014). "NFL Draft headed to Chicago in 2015". Giants.com. New York Giants. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ^ Wire services. "Oilers make a deal". Eugene Register-Guard. Apr 25, 1978
- ^ Buckner, Brandon (October 23, 2005). "NFL career was ended by an injury - Pro wrestler Vader has son playing with OU". NewsOK.com. The Oklahoman. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
- ^ a b Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- ^ "Heisman Trophy". Retrieved August 14, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Sheeley, Glenn (May 3, 1978). "Did Noll Win Draft Lottery?". Pittsburgh Press. pp. D-1. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ This last selection is commonly referred to as Mr. Irrelevant.
- ^ a b List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
- ^ a b List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.