IRISH DRAFT PICKS Since the National Football League began drafting players in 1936 – starting with the initial draft on February 8, 1936, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia – 462 Notre Dame football players have been chosen by NFL teams, according to the NFL. Based on the statistics provided by the NFL, Notre Dame has had 61 first-round draft picks, beginning with Bill Shakespeare by Pittsburgh in 1936. Overall, the Irish have had five players (tied with USC for most) chosen as the first pick in the entire draft – QB Angelo Bertelli by Boston in 1944, QB Frank Dancewicz by Boston in 1946, E Leon Hart by Detroit in 1950, B Paul Hornung by Green Bay in 1957 and DT Walt Patulski by Buffalo in 1972.
Here’s a listing of first-round selections by NFL teams with the overall pick in parentheses:
1936
B Bill Shakespeare, Pittsburgh (3)
1944
QB Angelo Bertelli, Boston (1) B Creighton Miller, Brooklyn (3)
1945
B Frank Szymanski, Detroit (6) E John Yonakor, Philadelphia (9)
1946
QB Frank Dancewicz, Boston (1) QB John Lujack, Chicago (4) T George Connor, New York Giants (5) B Emil Sitko, Los Angeles Rams (10)
1949
QB Frank Tripucka, Philadelphia (9) G Bill Fischer, Phoenix (10)
1950
E Leon Hart, Detroit (1)
1951
B Bob Williams, Chicago (2) C Jerry Groom, Phoenix (6)
Notre Dame’s first No. 1 overall selection, Angelo Bertelli was taken by Boston in the 1944 draft.
1954
T Art Hunter, Green Bay (2) B John Lattner, Pittsburgh (7) B Neil Worden, Philadelphia (9)
1955
QB Ralph Guglielmi, Washington (3) T Frank Varrichione, Pittsburgh (6) B Joe Heap, New York Giants (8)
1957
B Paul Hornung, Green Bay (1)
1959
B Nick Pietrosante, Detroit (6)
1960
QB George Izo, New York Jets, Phoenix (2) E Monty Stickles, San Diego, San Francisco (11)
1965
WR Jack Snow, Minnesota (8)
1967
DT Alan Page, Minnesota (15) G Tom Regner, Houston (23) G Tom Seiler, New York Jets (12)
1968
DE Kevin Hardy, New Orleans (7)
1969
T George Kunz, Atlanta (2) E Jim Seymour, Los Angeles Rams (10)
Selected by Detroit, Leon Hart was the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 1950 NFL draft.
1970
DT Mike McCoy, Green Bay (2)
1972
DE Walt Patulski, Buffalo (1)
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