Completely agreed on all counts. It’s hard to believe now, given that few, if any, NFL execs would give a second thought to a QB’s skin color today, but back then, the conventional wisdom really was that black QBs were not successful at the NFL level…and even if you would have had a hard time getting a GM or coach to publicly state that in 1979, it was also hard to find the one who was willing to buck the conventional wisdom.
The Bucs drafted Doug Williams in the first round in '78, but it wasn’t until he moved to the Redskins in the mid '80s that he was seen as an effective QB – in his first few years in Tampa Bay, his reputation was for having a cannon of an arm, but no accuracy whatsoever (he didn’t even complete 50% of his passes until his fourth season).
True, but I watched him play back then: he had no sense of touch as a young QB, and seemed to throw every pass as though he was trying to put it through a brick wall. I would not be at all surprised if he broke bones in his receivers’ hands (and, no, I’m not exaggerating). It took him some time to learn a level of finesse.
1 Andy Benes San Diego Padres
2 Mark Lewis Cleveland Indians
3 Steve Avery Atlanta Braves LHP
4 Gregg Olson Baltimore Orioles
5 Bill Bene Los Angeles Dodgers RHP
6 Monty Fariss Texas Rangers SS
7 Willie Ansley Houston Astros OF
8 Jim Abbott California Angels
9 Ty Griffin Chicago Cubs 2B
10 Robin Ventura Chicago White Sox 3B
11 Pat Combs Philadelphia Phillies LHP Baylor University
12 Tom Fischer Boston Red Sox LHP University of Wisconsin–Madison
13 Austin Manahan Pittsburgh Pirates SS Horizon HS (Scottsdale, AZ)
14 Tino Martinez Seattle Mariners 1B
15 Royce Clayton San Francisco Giants SS
16 Stan Royer Oakland Athletics C
17 Charles Nagy Cleveland Indians RHP
18 Hugh Walker Kansas City Royals OF
19 Dave Wainhouse Montreal Expos RHP
20 Johnny Ard Minnesota Twins RHP
Mike Piazza, the best hitting catcher EVER…went in the 62nd Round. Pick # 1390
The Atlanta Hawks passed on both Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Luckily for them. Atlanta hadn’t made a good pick since Stacey Augmon or a great pick since Maravich.
I was reluctant to list that one because sometimes trades like that are arranged ahead of time, with the trading team being told by the acquiring team which player to draft.
Seems like you could write a book about players the Chicago Bears have passed over in order to draft someone but I’ll stick with one.
In 1998 with the 5th overall pick in the draft, the Bears chose Curtis Enis, who promptly held out for a bigger contract, finally started playing, then tore his ACL halfway through the season. Just a few picks later, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Fred Taylor. Also available in that draft was Randy Moss, Keith Brooking, Takeo Spikes, and Hines Ward, among others.
I do like those players (even J Smith) but they came in the league after Williams and J Smith wasn’t even their first pick that year, they chose Josh Childress first. Except J Terry, and he was sent to Dallas so they could make room for Dan Dickau. Yeah.
likewise, he was never intended to be a Hawk, so I skipped him.
Have to thank all of you for bringing Curtis Enis… (I got a blowjob and now i found god)… and Brooks Keishnick… Next year… He’ll be up and be a star…
My memory is the Bears wanted a qb in 1999… and they stretched for Cade Mcnown… that shit talking little punk… but in 1999 aside from Mcnabb all the qb’s were suck ass… Culpepper had a short run… but Akili Smith… (So bad he brought the Black quarterback myth back) Tim couch… soft as tissue paper… Shaun King… Brock Huard… Joe Germaine… what a completely shitty year for Qb’s… I saw Mcnown play at UCLA… and I remember him having a pop up arm and basically throwing jump balls to a really tall white dude at wideout… that guy didn’t come to Chicago with him… McNowns only ability was to beat Green Bay for some reason… so I can’t hate him completely… As for Brooks K… yeah… baseball is a crap shoot men… he sucked as a outfielder and then sucked as a pitcher…
I still cared about the Bears back in '99 and it was clear that McNabb or Moss were the stand out players. The Trib basically begged the Bears to pick Moss. Culpepper was a fine QB he just had some terrible coaches.
As for Warren Moon, top class QB but his stint in the CL probably helped him ( BS reason aside fir his not being drafted).
Might not be a bad idea for other young QB’s to start there
