On February 8, 1936, the Philadelphia Ritz-Carlton hosted the very first NFL draft. Jay Berwanger, the star halfback from the University of Chicago and the inaugural Heisman Trophy winner, made history as the first-ever No. 1 overall pick.
Jay Berwanger was the star of his era. At 6 feet tall and 195 pounds, he played offense, defense, and special teams, often scoring a touchdown and then kicking the extra point himself. During his senior year, 104 out of 107 opposing players voted him the best halfback they had ever seen.
Because of the faceguard he wore to protect his twice-broken nose, he earned the nickname The Man in the Iron Mask. He was also responsible for leaving a permanent scar on a future U.S. President, Gerald Ford, who once recalled that while tackling Berwanger, the star’s heel hit his cheekbone, opening a three-inch wound.
In 1935, Berwanger became the first recipient of the trophy now known as the Heisman.
When the Philadelphia Eagles chose Berwanger as the No. 1 overall pick in the inaugural draft, Berwanger didn’t even know it was happening. He found out the next day by reading the newspaper. The Eagles, fearing they couldn’t afford him, quickly traded his rights to the Chicago Bears.
However, as professional football didn’t offer the salaries it does today, Berwanger met with Bears owner George “Papa Bear” Halas and requested $25,000 for a two-year, no-cut contract, a staggering demand at the time. Halas declined, they shook hands, and Berwanger walked away from professional football forever.
Berwanger believed he had a better future for himself through his education than through his football skills. After finishing his studies and narrowly missing the 1936 Olympic decathlon team, he became a foam rubber salesman. He later served as a Navy flight instructor during World War II and eventually founded his own successful manufacturing company, Jay Berwanger Inc., which grossed $30 million a year when he sold it in 1992.
Berwanger died in 2002 at the age of 88. Though he never played a single down in the NFL, Berwanger remained proud of his unique place in history. “I still think of myself as the first,” he once said, “kind of like being George Washington.”
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