NFL Draft: Alabama’s lost picks

The NFL Draft will conclude on Saturday with its 262nd decide, the participant who will likely be dubbed Mr. Irrelevant.

However within the 86 earlier NFL drafts, 34 gamers have been picked from Alabama with picks that had increased numbers than 262. However they weren’t irrelevant.

5 of them defied their draft positions and performed in NFL regular-season video games. Cornerback Mark McMillian performed in 127 of them, and linebacker Robbie Jones was the special-teams captain for a Tremendous Bowl-winning staff.

ALABAMA’S FIRST ROUND, SECOND ROUND, THIRD ROUND, FOURTH ROUND, FIFTH ROUND, SIXTH ROUND AND SEVENTH ROUND

The Alabama gamers who’ve been picked with the 263rd choice or later of an NFL Draft embody:

No. 266 decide: David Bailey, extensive receiver, Packers, 1972.

Bailey caught 35 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1974 and was on the WFL’s Birmingham Vulcans in 1975.

No. 270 decide: Thomas Rayam, guard, Redskins, 1990.

Rayam persevered to achieve the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He performed 20 video games throughout the 1992 and 1993 seasons, with 13 begins at proper guard. He then performed eight years within the Canadian Soccer League, beginning with the Birmingham Barracudas in 1995.

No. 272 decide: Mark McMillian, defensive again, Eagles, 1992.

Regardless of standing 5-foot-7 and being drafted within the tenth spherical, the cornerback had an eight-year profession, throughout which he intercepted 23 passes, which is fourth on the Alabama NFL record. McMillian led the NFL in interception-return yards with 274 for the Chiefs in 1997, when he ran three of his eight picks again for touchdowns, together with a 62-yard return in a 35-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers and an 87-yard return in a 29-7 victory over the San Diego Chargers. McMillian additionally had a 41-yard fumble return for a landing in a 31-29 loss to Carolina in his last sport with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999. He completed that season with 9 video games for the Washington Redskins to complete his profession with 127 NFL regular-season appearances.

No. 273 picks: Travis Hunt, deal with, 49ers, 1953; Cecil “Hootie” Ingram, again, Eagles, 1955.

When Ingram didn’t make Philadelphia’s staff, he bought into teaching, finally turning into the pinnacle coach at Clemson. He served as Alabama’s athletic director from 1989 by way of 1995.

No. 274 decide: Al Sabo, again, Dodgers, 1943.

No. 276 decide: Byron Holdbrooks, defensive deal with, 49ers, 1991.

No. 279 picks: Andy Bires, finish, Giants, 1944.

Bires went into the U.S. Military Air Corps as an alternative of the NFL.

No. 282 decide: Jack McKewan, deal with, Bears, 1944.

McKewan was a veteran of World Struggle II and the Korean Struggle.

No. 284 decide: Terry Jones, nostril deal with, Packers, 1978.

Jones is the Alabama participant taken deepest within the draft who turned a daily starter within the NFL. After three seasons as a reserve, he spent three years as a starter for Inexperienced Bay. Jones performed in 85 NFL regular-season video games, with 49 begins – all for the Packers. He later turned a strength-and-conditioning coach for the Crimson Tide. His son, Terry Jones Jr., was the a hundred and fifty fifth choice within the 2002 NFL Draft.

No. 290 decide: Leroy Prepare dinner, defensive finish, Cowboys, 1976.

Alabama’s first two-time consensus All-American, Prepare dinner suffered a knee harm in his last school regular-season sport. After rehabbing in 1976, Prepare dinner didn’t make the Dallas roster in 1977 and by no means performed within the NFL.

No. 291 decide: John Smalley, deal with, Packers, 1954.

No. 296 decide: Efrum Thomas, defensive again, Steelers, 1991.

Thomas returned two interceptions for touchdowns for the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Soccer in 1992.

No. 298 decide: Tom Calvin, halfback, Steelers, 1951.

After teaching Baldwin County Excessive College to a 7-2-1 file in 1951, Calvin performed in 30 video games, with 5 begins, for Pittsburgh from 1952 by way of 1955. He ran for 136 yards on 32 carries and caught seven passes for 51 yards. In 1956, he began a 21-year run because the soccer coach at Sylacauga Excessive College, then coached 11 extra seasons at Austin Excessive College. Calvin compiled a 201-130-11 file and is a member of the Alabama Excessive College Sports activities Corridor of Fame.

No. 302 decide: Ralph Carrigan, heart, Cardinals, 1954.

No. 306 decide: Bobby Wilson, again, Steelers, 1952.

After two seasons within the U.S. Military, Wilson went into teaching. In 12 seasons at Sidney Lanier Excessive College, Wilson guided the Poets to a 92-24-6 file. In Wilson’s last three seasons, Sidney Lanier gained the AHSAA Class 4A championship yearly and misplaced just one sport throughout the 1966, 1967 and 1968 seasons. Wilson is a member of the Alabama Excessive College Sports activities Corridor of Fame.

No. 309 picks: Jim Krapf, guard, Raiders, 1973; Robbie Jones, linebacker, Giants, 1983.

Krapf performed for the CFL’s British Columbia Lions in 1973.

Jones is the Alabama participant chosen deepest within the NFL Draft who performed in an NFL regular-season sport. He did greater than make an look, too. The previous Demopolis Excessive College standout performed 4 seasons with the New York Giants and was the special-teams captain in 1986, after they gained the Tremendous Bowl.

No. 312 decide: Charlie Compton, deal with, Rams, 1945.

Compton began his Alabama profession in 1942, however after being drafted by Los Angeles, he returned to play for the Crimson Tide in 1946 and 1947. In between, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his service in World Struggle II. The Charlie Compton Award is introduced yearly to a member of the Alabama soccer staff who has demonstrated excellent Christian management. After soccer, Compton attended seminary and have become a missionary.

No. 313 picks: Main Ogilvie, working again, 49ers, 1981; Mike Shula, quarterback, Buccaneers, 1987.

Shula broke the Alabama single-season file for landing passes, however he by no means performed in an NFL regular-season sport. After one season with the Bucs, he joined the Tampa Bay teaching employees of Ray Perkins, who’d coached him at Alabama. Shula returned to educate the Crimson Tide from 2003 by way of 2006. He’s now the senior offensive assistant coach for the Buffalo Payments and is getting ready for his thirty fifth season in teaching.

No. 318 decide: Al Ellett, deal with, Eagles, 1956.

No. 320 decide: Bobby Johns, defensive again, Chiefs, 1968.

Johns’ teaching profession included a four-year stint as the pinnacle coach at West Alabama.

No. 328 picks: Purple Noonan, again, Yanks, 1950; Harold “Purple” Lutz, finish, Cardinals, 1952.

Lutz was a highschool head coach from 1957 by way of 1981, compiling a 149-88-8 file in 12 seasons at Fairfield, 10 seasons at Tuscaloosa and three seasons at Central Tuscaloosa.

No. 340 picks: Wes Thompson, deal with, Steelers, 1956; Joe Dale Harris, extensive receiver, Bengals, 1976.

Thompson was the pinnacle coach at Central Florence by 1957 and likewise led the groups at Decatur, West Morgan and Deshler.

No. 347 decide: Clell Hobson, again, Browns, 1953.

Whereas Hobson by no means performed within the NFL, his son Butch Hobson, who additionally performed soccer at Alabama, performed eight seasons of Main League Baseball and later managed the Boston Purple Sox in three seasons.

No. 358 picks: Jim Buckler, guard, Bears, 1956; Dave Sington, deal with, Giants, 1959.

No. 386 decide: Robin Parkhouse, linebacker, Colts, 1972.

No. 392 decide: Buddy Brown, guard, Giants, 1974.

Brown signed with the WFL’s Birmingham People as an alternative of New York and earned All-WFL recognition as a guard on the league’s championship staff. He performed from 1975 by way of 1978 for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

No. 411 decide: Steve Higginbotham, defensive again, Redskins, 1972.

No. 412 decide: Invoice Davis, linebacker, Raiders, 1969.

After Oakland picked Davis within the seventeenth spherical, the 1969 draft nonetheless had 30 picks to go.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports activities reporter for Alabama Media Group. Observe him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.