{"id":40320,"date":"2016-04-27T11:26:12","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T16:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=40320"},"modified":"2016-04-29T17:24:47","modified_gmt":"2016-04-29T22:24:47","slug":"jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Jay Berwanger: NFL’s first draft pick said no to league 80 years ago and never looked back"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Erin Barney<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every wall in Cuyler Berwanger\u2019s Oak Brook home is decorated.<\/p>\n

Framed photos of 16 grandchildren crowd the foyer. A few steps\u2019 descent into his office reveals more of the Berwanger clan \u2014individual shots of his six children and their families.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe oldest grandkid is off to college next year,\u201d Cuyler said. \u201cShe\u2019s got a 4.5 GPA. Can you believe that?\u201d
\nThe black-and-white tributes to his Heisman Trophy-winning father and previous owner of the house, Jay Berwanger, are almost an afterthought.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s the way Berwanger preferred it.<\/p>\n

Berwanger, who died in 2002, was the star running back from the University of Chicago, the first Heisman winner in 1935 and the first pick in the first NFL Draft in 1936. But on the 80th anniversary of the draft, which begins Thursday in Chicago, the family still holds his \u201cfather\u201d title in higher regard than his other accolades.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad always said, \u2018Football is what I did, but it\u2019s not who I am,\u2019\u201d Cuyler said.<\/p>\n

Berwanger was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, then traded to the Chicago Bears, but declined the NFL invitation. Instead, he used his business degree to found a rubber company in Downers Grove.<\/p>\n

\n

Berwanger, Heisman had socks appeal<\/h1>\n

Here are some of Cuyler Berwanger’s favorite stories about his father:<\/p>\n

\u2014 Although NYU football player Ed Smith gets credited as the main model for the Heisman Trophy, Jay Berwanger\u2019s mother always insisted the trophy was modeled after her son because of the rolled-down socks. That was her son\u2019s signature touch. Berwanger won the first Heisman in 1935.<\/p>\n

\u2014 After graduating and before enlisting for the war, Berwanger played rugby for two years \u2014 successfully, at that. He led his Chicago team to 19 straight wins, including a 24-9 victory over New York at Chicago\u2019s Solider Field. He will be inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame later this year.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Berwanger was eager to serve his country in World War II, but the officers only wanted him for his name. They put him behind a desk to recruit for a year, hoping his athletic legacy would inspire and draw men to enlist.<\/p>\n

\u2014 His real dream was to become a Navy pilot, so he paid for his own private lessons and even bought a plane. After he was licensed, he taught others the trade. Cuyler recalls his father saying those flights were far more terrifying than any in the actual war.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Berwanger once met President Gerald Ford, who told him, \u201cI think of you every morning when I shave.\u201d Ford was a linebacker at the University of Michigan and had a scar on his face from the time he tackled Berwanger. He was the only Heisman winner to be brought down by a future U.S. president.<\/p>\n

–Erin Barney<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

During the Great Depression, the business world promised the most financially secure future. Berwanger\u2019s decision wasn\u2019t an anomaly. All- Americans Eddie Erdelatz (St. Mary\u2019s College) and Bill Shakespeare (Notre Dame) and future national championship coach Paul \u201cBear\u201d Bryant (Alabama) also declined the NFL after the 1936 draft.
\nTry to imagine that happening today.<\/p>\n

Kyle Dolan, director of football operations at Priority Sports and Entertainment, certainly can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe NFL isn\u2019t something you just tiptoe into,\u201d Dolan said. \u201cWe know going into the relationship (with a player) the NFL is his dream. We wouldn\u2019t represent him if it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dolan coaches NFL hopefuls through every possible draft outcome, none of which include walking away from the game, barring unforeseen circumstances.<\/p>\n

North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, who might be the No. 1 overall pick 80 years after Berwanger, wasn\u2019t talking about other options at the NFL Combine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI view every day as just an opportunity,\u201d said Wentz. \u201cI’m grateful, I\u2019m excited as heck to keep playing ball for sure.\u201d
\nBut the journey there is stressful for players, regardless of their predraft predictions, Dolan said. And for those who fall out of the first few rounds, the draft can be \u201cthe most mentally agonizing days of their career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, that torment is broadcast to the world. In the book he co-authored, \u201cOn the Clock: The Story of the NFL Draft,\u201d Ken Rappoport said the draft has transformed from a small gathering to a must-see spectacle. Every emotional moment is captured.
\n\u201cThe Green Room where the players wait is often laced with drama,\u201d Rappoport said in an email to Medill Reports. \u201cSometimes the wait is far longer than projected to hear their names called.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Berwanger, on the other hand, the draft couldn\u2019t have been more stress-free. According to Rappoport\u2019s book, Berwanger said he wasn\u2019t interested in playing pro ball for \u201csomething like $100 a game.\u201d The Eagles couldn\u2019t afford him, so they traded him to Chicago.<\/p>\n

Berwanger asked Bears \ufffcowner George Halas for a $25,000 two-year, no-cut contract during a brief encounter in a hotel lobby. Halas told him no, then the two posed for a photo and moved on with their lives, Cuyler said.<\/p>\n

Jay Berwanger wasn\u2019t about awards and public adoration. He let his aunt use his 40-pound Heisman Trophy as a doorstop, and it never even occurred to him to tell his family when he was selected to announce Earl Campbell as the 1977 Heisman winner on national television \u2014 the first year the event was televised.<\/p>\n

\n

Timeline on
\nNFL Draft’s
\n80-year history<\/h1>\n

1936<\/strong>: First draft held, featuring nine rounds and 81 selections (24 of whom never played in NFL)
\n1938-39<\/strong>: Only bottom five teams from previous season get picks in Rounds 2 and 4
\n1939<\/strong>: Draft increased to 20 rounds
\n1947-58<\/strong>: No. 1 overall picks awarded, instead of based on records
\n1950<\/strong>: Draft increased to 30 rounds
\n1960<\/strong>: Rounds decreased to 20
\n1961<\/strong>: AFL held first draft, competing with NFL
\n1962-64<\/strong>: Drafts held in Sheraton Hotel, longest stretch in Chicago
\n1967<\/strong>: NFL and AFL combined drafts
\n1977<\/strong>: Rounds decreased to 12
\n1970s<\/strong>: No. 1 pick traded four times in decade
\n1984<\/strong>: NFL held supplemental draft for players who had already signed with the United States Football League or the Canadian Football League
\n1980<\/strong>: Draft first televised by ESPN
\n1993<\/strong>: Draft cut to eight rounds
\n1994<\/strong>: Draft cut to seven rounds
\n2015<\/strong>: Draft moved back to Chicago after 50 straight in New York<\/p>\n

Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame, NFL.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cMe and my brother didn\u2019t even know he was who he was until we were a bit older,\u201d Cuyler said. \u201cHe was just so humble about it.\u201d
\nHis alma matter isn\u2019t quite as subtle. The University of Chicago gave Berwanger\u2019s Heisman Trophy a new home: front and center of the Gerald Ratner Athletics Center. Athletic director Erin McDermott said the school is honored to showcase someone so inspirational in and out of athletics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe the greatest lesson for today\u2019s student-athletes is to make decisions based on what you believe is the best for you and what \u2018calls\u2019 to you the strongest, rather than based on what others may choose or guide you to do,\u201d McDermott said.<\/p>\n

Berwanger lived a full, diverse life after giving up football. He owned and flew his own planes, traveled the world and never missed a game of Sunday golf \u2014 without a single regret for declining the NFL, Cuyler said.<\/p>\n

Berwanger even took a turn officiating, working the 1949 Rose Bowl between Northwestern and the University of California. The Wildcats won 20-14, helped by a questionable call made by Berwanger himself as the field judge. Northwestern\u2019s Art Murakowski fumbled, but not before breaking the end-zone plane, Berwanger ruled. That gave Northwestern a 13-7 lead in the second quarter. Years later, he received a \u201cCourageous Call\u201d plaque from Northwestern, which now hangs in Cuyler\u2019s dining room.<\/p>\n

To Berwanger\u2019s son, it was just one of many courageous calls made by his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best lessons I learned from my dad weren\u2019t from football,\u201d Cuyler said. \u201cJust because you can hit a ball, catch a ball or throw a ball better than anyone else, doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re a better person. It\u2019s your character that makes you a better person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Jay Berwanger poses with the Heisman trophy in 1935 (Erin Barney\/Medill)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Erin Barney Every wall in Cuyler Berwanger\u2019s Oak Brook home is decorated. Framed photos of 16 grandchildren crowd the foyer. A few steps\u2019 descent into his office reveals more of the Berwanger clan \u2014individual shots of his six children and their families. \u201cThe oldest grandkid is off to college next year,\u201d Cuyler said. \u201cShe\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":259,"featured_media":40351,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2677,492,31,2582],"tags":[192],"class_list":["post-40320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-nfl-draft","category-nfl-draft","category-sports","category-spring-2016","tag-promo"],"yoast_head":"\nJay Berwanger: NFL's first draft pick said no to league 80 years ago and never looked back - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jay Berwanger: NFL's first draft pick said no to league 80 years ago and never looked back - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Erin Barney Every wall in Cuyler Berwanger\u2019s Oak Brook home is decorated. Framed photos of 16 grandchildren crowd the foyer. A few steps\u2019 descent into his office reveals more of the Berwanger clan \u2014individual shots of his six children and their families. \u201cThe oldest grandkid is off to college next year,\u201d Cuyler said. \u201cShe\u2019s […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-04-27T16:26:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-04-29T22:24:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/04\/IMG_1505.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2921\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2219\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"erinbarney\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"erinbarney\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"erinbarney\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/73db746239d3b6a7b761ecc99a291f4e\"},\"headline\":\"Jay Berwanger: NFL’s first draft pick said no to league 80 years ago and never looked back\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-04-27T16:26:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-04-29T22:24:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1360,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2016\\\/04\\\/IMG_1505.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"promo\"],\"articleSection\":[\"2016 NFL Draft\",\"NFL Draft\",\"Sports\",\"Spring 2016\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/jay-berwanger-nfls-first-draft-pick-said-no-to-league-80-years-ago-and-never-looked-back\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jay Berwanger: NFL's first draft pick said no to league 80 years ago and never looked back - 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