75 years after Harry Gilmer became the first, quarterback Bryce Young of Alabama became the second athlete to go first overall in an NFL Draft over a year ago.
They are one of the eight prospects selected first overall in the NFL Draft who attended Alabama’s universities and high schools. Will Young be one of the five No. 1 picks who were chosen for at least one Pro Bowl in their careers, or will he be one of the two who were not named an all-star?
The following eight Alabama-based athletes and college prospects were selected first overall in an NFL Draft:
Quarterback Harry Gilmer (Alabama, Woodlawn): Washington Redskins, 1948. Despite having Sammy Baugh, a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and Gilmer only playing in one game as a rookie due to injury, Washington still selected Gilmer. Gilmer played in the NFL for eight seasons (six with the Washington Reds and two with the Detroit Lions), twice making the Pro Bowl, and serving as the team’s head coach for two of those seasons.
· Auburn running back Tucker Frederickson was selected by the New York Giants in 1965. As a rookie, Frederickson ran for 659 yards and five touchdowns, caught 24 passes for another score, and was selected for the Pro Bowl. He did, however, miss the 1966 season due to a knee injury. Frederickson overcame injuries to participate in 53 games over the course of five more Giants seasons.
Bo Jackson, an Auburn running back, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986. Jackson turned down the Bucs in favor of signing with the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. After the baseball season ended, Jackson was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders at pick No. 183 in the 1987 draft and participated in four NFL seasons. Even so, in three of his four seasons, Jackson had the longest run from scrimmage. In 1990, he was invited to the Pro Bowl; however, he was unable to participate in the all-star game due to a hip injury that ended his career during the playoffs.
1988: Atlanta Falcons, linebacker Aundray Bruce (Carver-Montgomery, Auburn). As an outside linebacker and defensive end, Bruce participated in 11 NFL seasons, spending four with the Falcons and seven with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders. In 151 games throughout the regular season, Bruce racked up 32 sacks and four pass interceptions.
· Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (Williamson): 2007. The former LSU standout’s rookie season was delayed by a contract holdout, and he only appeared in four games. Russell started fifteen games in 2008 and completed his passing career with 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. After making nine starts in his third season, throwing three touchdown passes and eleven interceptions, the Raiders benched Russell and cut him loose in May 2010. In the NFL, he was never given another shot.
· Cam Newton, quarterback (Auburn): Carolina Panthers, 2011. 2011 saw Newton win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after setting a record with 4,051 yards passing and being invited to his first of three Pro Bowls. He went on to become the NFL’s lifetime leader in passing touchdowns by a quarterback, establish career records for passing yards and passing touchdowns for Carolina, and win the MVP Award for the 2015 campaign. Newton, who was benched by the Panthers after just two games due to a foot injury in 2019, was the quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2020. Newton was cut by the Patriots to make room for rookie Mac Jones. He later came back to assist Carolina in finishing the 2021 season, but he hasn’t participated in any games since.
· Jameis Winston, quarterback (Hueytown): Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2015. Winston, who won the Heisman Trophy at Florida State, was a Pro Bowler as a rookie and finished first in the NFL in passing yards in 2019 with 5,109. However, he also had the most interceptions in the league (30), so the Bucs brought in Tom Brady to replace him. Due to injuries, Winston only started 10 games as the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints throughout his four seasons as a player. This offseason, he signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns.
· Alabama native quarterback Bryce Young: 2023, signed by the Carolina Panthers. In his debut season, Young started 16 games, but the Panthers finished 2023 with a 2-15 record.
The first pick in this year’s draft is owned by the Chicago Bears.
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