The History Of The NFL's #1

In honor of the 2014 NFL Draft, which should start within the next 30 minutes or so, I decided to put together a piece displaying the rookie cards (if available) of each #1 pick going back to the first NFL Draft in 1936. To keep the post uniform I will use their Topps card if possible, if not available I will use another company’s rookie card. Some of the players did not have rookie cards, if this is the case I will select the earliest card of their career.

 

So while the card I show may not be from the player’s rookie year the players are in order with the most recent #1 pick at the top. It was pretty common in the early 1980s and before to not include a rookie in a set until the following year, in some cases a player did not appear in a set for a couple of years. For example, Jim Plunkett was the #1 pick in 1971 but his first cards were in the 1972 sets. An extended example would be Tom Cousineau, who was drafted by the Bills in 1979 but his first card is not until 1983 when he was with the Browns. No matter which card I show I will have the player listed correctly in the year they were drafted. For players who had their rookie card, or first card, in a later release I have marked the player as such.

 

2013 Eric Fisher, OL, Kansas City Chiefs

 

2012 Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

 

2011 Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

 

2010 Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams

 

2009 Matt Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

 

2008 Jake Long, OL, Miami Dolphins

 

2007 JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders

 

2006 Mario Williams, DE, Houston Texans

 

2005 Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers

 

2004 Eli Manning, QB, San Diego Chargers Traded To New York Giants

 

2003 Carson Palmer, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

 

2002 David Carr, QB, Houston Texans

 

2001 Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta Falcons

 

2000 Courtney Brown, DE, Cleveland Browns

 

1999 Tim Couch, QB, Cleveland Browns

 

1998 Peyton manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts

 

1997 Orlando Pace, OL, St. Louis Rams

 

1996 Keyshawn Johnson, WR, New York Jets

 

1995 Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

 

1994 Dan Wilkerson, DT, Cincinnati Bengals (1994 Fleer Ultra)

 

1993 Drew Bledsoe, QB, New England Patriots

 

1992 Steve Emtman, DT, Indianapolis Colts

 

1991 Russell Maryland, DT, Dallas Cowboys

 

1990 Jeff George, QB, Indianapolis Colts

 

1989 Troy Aikman, QB, Dallas Cowboys

 

1988 Aundray Bruce, LB, Atlanta Falcons (RC was in the 1989 Topps release)

 

1987 Vinny Testaverde, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RC was in the 1988 Topps release)

 

1986 Bo Jackson, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RC was in the 1988 Topps release)

 

1985 Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills (RC was in the 1986 Topps release)

 

1984 Irving Fryer, WR, New England Patriots (RC was in the 1985 release)

 

1983 John Elway, QB, Baltimore Colts Traded To The Denver Broncos (RC was in the 1984 Topps release)

 

1982 Kenneth Sims, DE, New England Patriots (RC was in the 1983 Topps release)

 

1981 George Rogers, RB, New Orleans Saints (RC was in the 1982 Topps release)

 

1980 Billy Sims, RB, Detroit Lions (RC was in the 1981 Topps release)

 

1979 Tom Cousineau, LB, Buffalo Bills (RC was in the 1983 Topps release)

 

1978 Earl Campbell, RB, Houston Oilers (RC was in the 1979 Topps release)

 

1977 Ricky Bell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RC was in the 1979 Topps release)

 

1976 Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RC was in the 1977 Topps release)

 

1975 Steve Bartkowski, QB, Atlanta Falcons (RC was in the 1976 Topps release)

 

1974 Ed Jones, DE, Dallas Cowboys (RC was in the 1976 Topps release)

 

1973 John Matuszak, DE, Houston Oilers (RC was in the 1974 Topps release)

 

1972 Walt Patulski, DE, Buffalo Bills (RC was in the 1973 Topps release)

 

1971 Jim Plunkett, QB, New England Patriots (RC was in the 1972 Topps release)

 

1970 Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (RC was in the 1971 Topps release)

 

1969 O.J. Simpson, RB, Buffalo Bills (RC was in the 1970 Topps release)

 

1968 Ron Yary, OL, Minnesota Vikings (RC was in the 1972 Topps release)

 

1967 Bubba Smith, DE, Baltimore Colts (RC was in the 1970 Topps release)

 

1966 Tommy Nobis, LB, Atlanta Falcons (RC was in the 1967 Philadelphia)

 

1965 Tucker Fredrickson, RB, New York Giants (RC was in the 1966 Philadelphia)

 

1964 Dave Parks, WR, San Francisco 49ers (RC was in the 1965 Topps release)

 

1963 Terry Baker, QB, Los Angeles Rams (I was unable to find a licensed cards, the 1991 Heisman set is shown)

 

1962 Ernie Davis, RB, Washington Redskins

 

1961 Tommy Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings (RC was in the 1962 Topps release)

 

1960 Billy Cannon, RB, Los Angeles Rams (1960 Fleer)

 

 

1959 Randy Duncan QB, Green Bay Packers Signed With CFL British Columbia Lions (RC was in the 1960 Topps CFL release)

 

1958 King Hill, QB, Chicago Cardinals (RC was in the 1959 Topps release)

 

Tell me you were thinking this when you read "King Hill"

 

 1957 Paul Hornung RB, Green Bay Packers

 

1956 Gary Click, DB, Pittsburgh Steelers (RC was in the 1958 Topps release)

 

1955 George Shaw, QB, Baltimore Colts (RC was in the 1956 Topps release)

 

1954 Bobby Garrett QB, Cleveland Browns (1954 Bowman)

 

1953 Harry Babcock, End, San Francisco 49ers (I was unable to find any cards of Babcock)

 

1952 Bill Wade, QB, Los Angeles Rams (First card was in the 1951 Topps Magic release)

 

1951 Kyle Rote, RB, New York Giants (RC was in the 1952 Bowman Small release)

 

1950 Leon Hart, END, Detroit Lions (1950 Bowman)

 

1949 Chuck Bednarik, OL/LB, Philadelphia Eagles (1949 Leaf)

 

1948 Harry Gilmer, QB, Washington Redskins (1948 Leaf)

 

1947 Bob Fenimore, RB, Chicago Bears ( I was unable to find a licensed card, this is from an Oklahoma State University release)

 

1946 Frank Dancewicz, QB, Boston Yanks (RC was in the 1948 Leaf release)

 

1945 Charley Trippi, RB, Chicago Cardinals (RC was in the 1948 Leaf release)

 

1944 Angelo Bertelli, QB, Boston Yanks (First card was in the 1955 Topps All-American release)

 

1943 Frank Sinkwich, RB, Detroit Lions (First card was in the 1955 Topps All-American release)

 

1942 Bill Dudley, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (RC was in the 1948 Leaf release)

 

1941 Tom Harmon, RB, Chicago Bears (First card was in the 1955 Topps All-American release)

 

1940 George Cafego, RB, Chicago Cardinals (First card was in the 1955 Topps All-American release)

 

1939 Ki Aldrich, OL, Chicago Cardinals (I was unable to find a licensed card, the 1941 Redskins Matchbook cover is shown)

 

1938 Corbett Davis, RB, Cleveland Rams (I was unable to find a licensed card, the 2011 Tristar Obak is shown)

 

1937 Sam Francis, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (I was unable to find a licensed card, the 2011 Tristar Obak is shown)

 

1936 Jay Berwanger, RB, Philadelphia Eagles Traded To Chicago Bears (First card was in the 1955 Topps All-American release)

 

I find it interesting that Jay Berwanger, the first #1 NFL Pick ever, never played a day of professional football. The Eagles drafted him but didn't think they could cover his asking price so they traded him to the Chicago Bears. Chicago offered him $13,500 a year, he countered with $15,000 year. When neither side would move over the $1,500 difference Berwanger decided to quit football and work in a rubber manufacturing plant.