Recently I had a reunion with school friends and we talked about these two great running backs. And some questions came up (I'm sure they had been discussed in the forum before):
1) Why Herschel Walker wasn't selected in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft (like Steve Young and Reggie White, among other USFL players) and the Cowboys could draft him in the 1985 Draft and was avaliable until the 5th round?
2) Why the Raiders could draft Bo Jackson in the 1987 NFL Draft, even that the Buccaneers drafted him in the 1986 NFL Draft with the first pick, and didn't receive compensation? IIRC the players drafted back then that went to play in the CFL (Tom Cousineau, Bruce Clark, Keith Gary, David Overstreet) and in the USFL (Jim Kelly, Gary Anderson, Anthony Carter, Keith Millard, Mossy Cade) either returned to the team that drafted them, or that team (in the case of Cousineau, Clark, Carter, Cade) traded them to another team and received draft picks or other players. Why Tampa Bay didn't receive anything for Bo Jackson?
Hope you can answer these questions, as my friends (and even I) didn't have a definite answer.
Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker questions
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Gary Najman
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Halas Hall
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Re: Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker questions
These are only guesses.
I am thinking Herschel Walker was not selected in the 1984 Supplemental Draft because he was not eligible for it? He left Georgia early, never played the 1983 season at Georgia, and had a signed contract with the USFL Generals. White, Young and others played college football in 1983 and were eligible for it?
I am less familiar with Bo's situation. Maybe because Bo did not sign with another league? He just sat out the 1986 NFL season? I think it involves owner / attorney Hugh Culverhouse shooting very dirty pool so that he lost his baseball eligibility at Auburn in the Spring of 1986?
Good questions. Hopefully someone remembers better than I do.
I am thinking Herschel Walker was not selected in the 1984 Supplemental Draft because he was not eligible for it? He left Georgia early, never played the 1983 season at Georgia, and had a signed contract with the USFL Generals. White, Young and others played college football in 1983 and were eligible for it?
I am less familiar with Bo's situation. Maybe because Bo did not sign with another league? He just sat out the 1986 NFL season? I think it involves owner / attorney Hugh Culverhouse shooting very dirty pool so that he lost his baseball eligibility at Auburn in the Spring of 1986?
Good questions. Hopefully someone remembers better than I do.
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Brian wolf
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Re: Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker questions
Didnt Bo become re-eligible for the 87 draft since he didnt sign in 1986? Or did the Bucs still retain his rights?
Last edited by Brian wolf on Sat Nov 01, 2025 1:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RichardBak
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Re: Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker questions
Somewhat OT but looking at PFR, I find it remarkable that Bo had the NFL's longest run in 3 of his 4 seasons: 88, 91, and 92 yds. Don't know if any other back has ever done that. Dude was a runaway train.
Re: Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker questions
Regarding Question #2,
The rules changed at some point between 1983 and 1986. (They changed a couple times actually.) I don't know all the details of when they changed (though the USFL certainly played a role. I can explain the two Buffalo situations.
With Cousineau, when he left Canada to come down, he was like a restricted free agent. He could sign with any team, but Buffalo had the right to match the contract. Houston Oilers offered him a lucrative contract, and Buffalo chose to match it. The Bills then traded Cousineau to Cleveland for draft picks.
One of the draft picks was used to pick Jim Kelly in 1983 Kelly played the 1984 and 1985 seasons in the USFL. When the USFL folded in the summer of 1986, Buffalo still held his draft rights. According to Kelly's autobiography, Buffalo had his draft rights for 4 years. He could have sat out the 1986 NFL season, and been an unrestricted free agent in 1987. However, Kelly already hadn't played football for 1 full year. He didn't want to risk sitting out two full years. So his agents entered negotiations with the Bills, after Buffalo made it know they would not trade his rights.
So the rules changed between 1979 and 1983, and again between 1983 and 1986.
The rules changed at some point between 1983 and 1986. (They changed a couple times actually.) I don't know all the details of when they changed (though the USFL certainly played a role. I can explain the two Buffalo situations.
With Cousineau, when he left Canada to come down, he was like a restricted free agent. He could sign with any team, but Buffalo had the right to match the contract. Houston Oilers offered him a lucrative contract, and Buffalo chose to match it. The Bills then traded Cousineau to Cleveland for draft picks.
One of the draft picks was used to pick Jim Kelly in 1983 Kelly played the 1984 and 1985 seasons in the USFL. When the USFL folded in the summer of 1986, Buffalo still held his draft rights. According to Kelly's autobiography, Buffalo had his draft rights for 4 years. He could have sat out the 1986 NFL season, and been an unrestricted free agent in 1987. However, Kelly already hadn't played football for 1 full year. He didn't want to risk sitting out two full years. So his agents entered negotiations with the Bills, after Buffalo made it know they would not trade his rights.
So the rules changed between 1979 and 1983, and again between 1983 and 1986.