1953 NFL Draft "Lottery Bonus Pick"

[fgoodwin]

I was looking at the Wikipedia page for the 1953 NFL draft (held in Jan 1953 after the 1952 season).

I assumed the Colts would be drafting first since they had been awarded a new franchise plus several players from the defunct 1952 Dallas Texans. Instead, the Colts drafted second (taking halfback Billy Vessels from Oklahoma), because a "lottery bonus pic" had been awarded to the Niners (who took end Harry Babcock from Georgia). The Colts did draft first in subsequent rounds.

So what is the story behind the lottery bonus pick? I googled it and came up empty.

[fgoodwin]

OK I kept looking and found this:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... one-again/

I had no idea the NFL awarded a lottery pick for as long as it did. So what was the motivation behind starting the system, and why did it end?

[John Maxymuk]

Coffin Corner Vol 39 (2017) no. 2
"The Bonus Selection System in the NFL Draft 1947-58"

[rhickok1109]

OK I kept looking and found this:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... one-again/

I had no idea the NFL awarded a lottery pick for as long as it did. So what was the motivation behind starting the system, and why did it end?

I don't know what the motivation was, but it had to last for 12 years so each team in the league got the bonus pick once.

[fgoodwin]

Coffin Corner Vol 39 (2017) no. 2
"The Bonus Selection System in the NFL Draft 1947-58"

Thanx -- I should have guessed someone would have thoroughly researched the question and already written a full-blown article on it!

[ChrisBabcock]

...because a "lottery bonus pic" had been awarded to the Niners (who took end Harry Babcock from Georgia).

My father, who happens to be named Harry Babcock, bought me a 1981 NFL Record and Fact Book when I was a kid and pointed out the 49ers 1st round pick in 1953. He had me going for a few seconds until I realized that he would have been a 12 year old rookie if it was him.

[65 toss power trap]

Doing some research into the draft-order coin flip (which has sadly been eliminated by a rule change in March), I came across some more information on the bonus pick.

The idea was to give each team a top pick on a rotational basis. Teams that performed well missed out on the top picks. At that time, college football was more popular, and the bonus pick was a way to get a college star to drum up interest and ticket sales. Beginning in 1947, they drew a team (Chicago Bears) out of a hat, and they would be out of the running for the bonus pick until every other team got one.

Just as they were ending the first cycle, commissioner Bert Bell was summoned for testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on July 24, 1957, for a hearing on organized team sports. One of the congressmen said the bonus pick sounded like a lottery while also mentioning antitrust exemptions, and that was likely enough to kill it.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id= ... p;seq=1219

[BD Sullivan]

As sharp a talent evaluator that Paul Brown was, the lack of scouting done on Bobby Garrett proved to be a disaster when he was chosen by the Browns in 1954, ostensibly as Graham's replacement--considering he was a quarterback who stuttered.