This day in sports history: “That’s how you end up with one of the stranger stories in NFL draft history.”
The following written content by Jay Busbee
You think today’s NFL draft with its cascade of analysis, speculation, and mocks is a sprawl of chaos? This week’s draft will only be seven rounds. Imagine, if you will, a 32-round draft.
That was the case back in the first half of the 20th century, when NFL teams would draft players like kids piling up Halloween candy — with regard only for volume, not quality. That’s how you end up with one of the stranger stories in NFL draft history: the tale of the player who didn’t realize he’d been drafted for more than 50 years.
The year was 1944. The world was at war, and the Eagles were on the clock. With their 20th selection, the Eagles picked a fullback out of Syracuse by the name of Norm Michael. Philadelphia didn’t exactly spot Michael waiting in the green room; the team picked him first and then decided to reach out to him to give him the good news.
Michael had some game; he was 6’2” and 192 pounds, which qualified as “bruising” in the 1940s, according to one report. His finest moment came as a freshman, when he ripped off a 58-yard run to the 4 against Colgate and scored a couple plays later. Sadly, in what would become a recurring theme for Michael, he broke his leg on the next possession and was out for the year.
Michael was quick, he was strong, he was one of the top-rated backs in the country … but he was apparently injury-prone, suffering a broken leg, two fractured wrists and a broken nose in his three years at Syracuse. One scouting report at the time dubbed him “a first-class fullback so long as his bones maintain the particular spirit of unity.” (Man, you can’t beat old-time sports writing.) Read more from Yahoo! Sports.
