Cleveland Browns and the origins of the NFL Draft: Part 2

**A method to achieve competitive balance**

In Bell’s biography, “On Any Given Sunday: A Life of Bert Bell,” he writes that he informed the other owners:

*“I’ve always had a theory that pro football is like a chain. The league is no stronger than its weakest link, and I’ve been a weak link for so long that I should know,” as his book states. “Few teams control the championships. Because they are successful, they keep attracting the best college players in the open market, which makes them more successful.”* Of course, the prosperous franchises had the most to lose if such an arrangement were to be instigated and take place every year. After all, these few teams were getting all the best talent, had large crowds every game, played in the most title games, and were crowned as league champions frequently.

The two men viewed as some of the NFL’s greatest influencers as owners, George Halas of the Bears, and Tim Mara of the Giants, were for the idea right off. This was a huge surprise. Both men stated in the owner’s meeting that they realized that fans came to see spirited games, and when one roster was never competitive, it tended to become one-sided and a boring contest. Both Halas and Mara knew that folks came out to see a competition and should get what they paid for. Hopefully, parity would redeem itself as better attendance for the entire league, which would also increase each game’s visitors’ share. This was discussed, and in the end, the other owners agreed. The first such event would not be put off, but would take place several months later, early in 1936. While the NFL headquarters were located in Columbus, Ohio, on February 8, 1936, the first NFL college draft took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.

**That first draft**

Oddly enough, when Bell made his presentation to the other owners, the word “draft” was never mentioned in Bell’s tender. To be completely accurate, officially, this event is not called “The NFL Draft.” Its official name to this day is: “The Annual Player Selection Meeting.” Although “NFL Draft” is plastered everywhere, as soon as TV coverage begins, you will notice that the main host will introduce the event as “Welcome to the annual player selection meeting.” At the conclusion of the 1935 season, the Lions won the Western Division with a 7-3-2 record while the Giants took the Eastern Division, going 9-3-0, just one game over the Packers and two games above the Bears. Back then, only division winners went to the playoffs, and went straight to the NFL Championship Game.

• Offensive end Paul “Bear” Bryant was selected in the fourth round (31st overall) by the Dodgers
• The Giants took future Hall of Fame fullback Tuffy Leemans in the second round
• Four future Hall of Famers would be selected in this maiden draft: OT Joe Stydahar (Bears), E Wayne Millner (Redskins), OG Dan Fortmann (Bears), and Leemans (Giants).

  

  What was strange was the fact that the Bears, Redskins, and Giants used the first NFL draft to increase their roster strength, while the other teams that selected early didn’t improve much the following season. In 1936, the Eagles, Pirates, Cardinals, and Dodgers all ended up below .500, with Philly going 1-11-0. The 1936 NFL Championship Game was between the Packers and Redskins, so nothing really changed. And what happened to Berwanger? He demanded $1,000 a game for the upcoming 12-game season. Which, of course, wasn’t met by the Eagles. Halas, who was always looking for a competitive edge, eventually contacted Bell in order to secure the rights for Berwanger. Bell then received OT Art Buss for Beranger’s rights. It just so happened that Berwanger was also a competitive runner and had aspirations of competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic track team in the decathlon. Of course, a paid contract with the Bears would end that dream because it would kill Berwanger’s amateur status. Berwanger was quoted on December 11, 1935:

*“I haven’t decided what I will do. I may play professional football next fall because of its practical advantages. I might take a coaching job, although it is my ultimate intention to enter business in preference to making a career in professional athletics. For the time being, I am mainly interested in finishing my courses at (the University of) Chicago, graduating next June, and then trying to win a place on the Olympic team.”* After Berwanger missed the cut for the Olympic team, he negotiated with Halas to play for the Bears, but he requested a yearly salary of $15,000, whereas Halas offered an unreal offer of $13,500 a season. Instead, Berwanger took a job as a foam-rubber salesman and also worked part-time as he was named the freshman coach at the University of Chicago. He never played a down in the NFL. When World War II arrived, Berwanger enrolled in the Navy’s flight training program and became a Naval officer. After the war, Berwanger started Jay Berwanger, Inc., which specialized in rubber, plastic, urethane, and other elastomeric materials sold globally for car doors, trunks, and farm machinery. In 1992, he sold his company for $30 million. In fact, none of the nine players the Eagles selected in that inaugural draft signed to play in Philly.

**Future Drafts**

The NFL draft jumped to 12 rounds in 1937 and then to 22 rounds the following year. From 1943 to 1948, a whopping 32 rounds transpired each season. Every year in the 1950s, the draft settled on 30 rounds. From 1960 to 1966, it dropped again to 20 rounds.