NFL ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICIATING LEADERSHIP TEAM
ALBERTO RIVERON NAMED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OFFICIATING
RUSSELL YURK NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTANT REPLAY & ADMINISTRATION &
WAYNE MACKIE NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OF OFFICIATING EVALUATION & DEVELOPMENT
ALBERTO RIVERON, a member of the NFL’s Officiating Department since 2013 and a nine-year veteran NFL game official has been named NFL senior vice president of officiating.
Riveron will oversee all aspects of the league’s officiating department – including the implementation of the centralized replay model approved by clubs at the annual meeting in March – as well as administration, evaluation and development.
A native of Cuba, Riveron moved to Miami at age five with his family and developed a passion for the game. He began as an official in local youth leagues in 1977, made his collegiate officiating debut in 1990 before joining the NFL officiating ranks in 2004. In 2008, Riveron was promoted to referee, earning the distinction as the NFL’s first Hispanic referee. Riveron came off the field following the 2012 season to join the league office as senior director of officiating.
“Al has done a terrific job as a key member of our officiating staff for the past four seasons,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “Prior to that, Al was an outstanding on-field official who earned the respect of his fellow officials, as well as coaches and players alike. To have Al leading our officiating department, and then to add talented, knowledgeable instant replay and officiating experts like Russell and Wayne, is a tremendous positive for us as we look forward to the 2017 season.”
Reporting to Riveron, who will report to NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations TROY VINCENT, will be two new hires designed to aid in the department’s long-standing goal of excellence in officiating performance – RUSSELL YURK and WAYNE MACKIE.
Yurk joins the staff as Vice President of Instant Replay and Administration. In this role, Yurk will direct the league’s instant replay operations in the Art McNally GameDay Central room and oversee all instant replay-related personnel. Yurk will also be responsible for officiating administration, including supervising operational aspects of scheduling and logistics as well as the training and development of instant replay personnel.
Yurk spent the past seven seasons as an NFL instant replay official after working as an on-field official for 10 seasons at the high school and college level. An instant replay expert, Yurk assisted in authoring the replay section of the NFL Referee’s Manual for the past two years.
Mackie, a 10-year veteran NFL game official, has been named Vice President of Officiating Evaluation and Development, responsible for the officiating evaluation and development program, managing the on-field officials weekly crew evaluation process, as well the staff of officiating supervisors and trainers, and the management of the Officiating Development Program.
A highly-respected on-field game official for the past two decades at the collegiate and professional level, Mackie entered the NFL in 2007 as a head linesman and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top officials at his position. Mackie has officiated in eight NFL playoff games, including serving as head linesman at Super Bowl 50 and for two conference championship games during his 10-year NFL career.
Mackie began his collegiate officiating career in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1996 and also officiated in the Atlantic 10 and Big East through his final collegiate season in 2006 prior to joining the NFL.
Riveron, Yurk and Mackie will all work in GameDay Central throughout the season and have the final say on instant replay decisions, in consultation with the referee as part of the new replay rules for the 2017 season.
“Al, Russell and Wayne are a team dedicated to delivering the highest quality of officiating and game administration in professional sports,” Vincent said. “The structure of their responsibilities will provide us with a sustainable model for greater efficiency, improved performance from our officials, and operational excellence in collaboration, development and training of our officiating team.”
Samantha Ponder
Host of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown
Biography
Samantha Ponder was named host of Sunday NFL Countdown in March 2017. She is just the third person to occupy this position in the 32-year history of ESPN’s Sunday morning NFL pregame show. In addition to her role as host, Ponder will also contribute NFL interviews and features.
A former contributor to College Football Live and the six-time Emmy-award winning College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (2012-16), Ponder also served as a reporter for the ABCSaturday Night Football telecast with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit in 2016.
Ponder, who started at ESPN in 2011, also worked as a reporter for college football (Thursdays), as well as Longhorn Network events, studio shows and feature stories out of the LHN studios in Austin, Texas. Additionally, she served as a reporter for ESPN’s Tuesday and Saturday primetime college basketball games.
Prior to ESPN, Ponder was a host and reporter for Fox Sports where she contributed to both Fox Sports Net and Fox College’s coverage of college basketball and football in the Pac 10 and Big 12 conferences. As a host, she led the pregame, halftime and postgame studio shows for various events, including the Pac 10 Basketball Tournament and “Paradise Jam,” a preseason tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands featuring teams from the ACC, Big East, and other various conferences.
Ponder also joined radio shows around the country during the college football and basketball seasons to discuss the latest news in college sports, and she was a former weekly columnist for FoxSports.com.
Prior to joining Fox College Sports, Ponder interned with ABC Sports Radio and assisted with research on ABC Television’s College Football Studio show in New York. She also served as the sideline reporter and host for all football and men’s and women’s basketball games while in college at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
NFL PRESEASON DATES & TIMES ANNOUNCED
The dates and kickoff times of the 65-game NFL preseason schedule were announced today, beginning with the annual NFL/Hall of Fame Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night, August 3.
Televised live at 8:00 PM ET by NBC, the NFL/Hall of Fame Game is the first of eight national preseason telecasts carried by NFL broadcast partners CBS, ESPN, FOX and NBC.
NFL Network will also provide extensive coverage of the NFL preseason, including live game broadcasts in all four weeks of the preseason. NFL Network’s preseason broadcast schedule will be announced in July.
The 2017 preseason schedule was announced on April 10 without dates and times, which now have been confirmed.
The complete 2017 NFL preseason schedule is listed below:
2017 NFL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
(Games grouped by start times and listed alphabetically by home team)
NFL/Hall of Fame Game – AUGUST 3
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET NAT. TV
Thursday Aug. 3 Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Cardinals 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM NBC
WEEK 1 - AUGUST 9-13
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET
Wednesday Aug. 9 Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 10 Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Friday Aug. 11 Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Friday Aug. 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Friday Aug. 11 San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs 8:00 PM (CT) 9:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 12 Tennessee Titans at New York Jets 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 12 Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams 6:00 PM (PT) 9:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 12 Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals 7:00 PM (MST) 10:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 13 Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts 1:30 PM (ET) 1:30 PM
Sunday Aug. 13 Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM
WEEK 2 - AUGUST 17-21
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET NAT. TV
Thursday Aug. 17 Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 17 Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM ESPN
Friday Aug. 18 Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans 2:00 PM (CT) 3:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys 6:00 PM (CT) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 New York Jets at Detroit Lions 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 New England Patriots at Houston Texans 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 19 Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals 7:00 PM (MST) 10:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 20 Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:00 PM (ET) 4:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 20 New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM
Monday Aug. 21 New York Giants at Cleveland Browns 8:00 PM (ET) 8:00 PM ESPN
WEEK 3 - AUGUST 24-27
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET NAT. TV
Thursday Aug. 24 Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 24 Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Friday Aug. 25 New England Patriots at Detroit Lions 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Friday Aug. 25 Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM CBS
Saturday Aug. 26 Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 New York Jets at New York Giants 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams 5:00 PM (PT) 8:00 PM CBS
Saturday Aug. 26 Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Saturday Aug. 26 Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos 7:00 PM (MT) 9:00 PM
Sunday Aug. 27 Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans 12:00 PM (CT) 1:00 PM FOX
Sunday Aug. 27 Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins 4:30 PM (ET) 4:30 PM FOX
Sunday Aug. 27 San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM NBC
WEEK 4 - AUGUST 31
DAY DATE VISITOR HOME LOCAL ET
Thursday Aug. 31 Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers 6:00 PM (CT) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets 7:00 PM (ET) 7:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 New York Giants at New England Patriots 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30 PM (ET) 7:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints 7:00 PM (CT) 8:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs 7:30 PM (CT) 8:30 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos 7:00 PM (MT) 9:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
Thursday Aug. 31 Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers 7:00 PM (PT) 10:00 PM
NFL OFFSEASON WORKOUT PROGRAM DATES ANNOUNCED
Voluntary offseason workout programs are intended to provide training, teaching and physical conditioning for players. The calendar for 2017 is below.
As per Article 21 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each club’s official, voluntary nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases:
Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.
Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a “separates” basis. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.
Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.
Article 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that clubs may hold one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. This minicamp, noted below, must occur during Phase Three of the offseason program.
New head coaches are entitled to conduct an additional voluntary veteran minicamp. Voluntary minicamps for veteran players were conducted prior to the NFL Draft, but no earlier than week three of the club’s offseason workout program and after at least one week of the two weeks of Phase One activities that the clubs may hold pursuant to Article 21. This year, five clubs held voluntary veteran minicamps, as noted below.
Each club may hold a rookie football development program for a period of seven weeks, which in 2017 may begin on May 15. During this period, no activities may be held on weekends, with the exception of one post-NFL Draft rookie minicamp, which may be conducted on either the first or second weekend following the draft. The dates of each club’s post-draft rookie minicamps are noted below.
For specific information and detailed offseason program rules, please see Articles 21 and 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (beginning on page 131), available on nflcommunications.com.
The NFL Offseason Workout Program calendar (dates are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of individual clubs):
ARIZONA First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 16-18, May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1-2
Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
ATLANTA First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 30, June 1-2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
BALTIMORE First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22, May 24-25, May 30, June 1-2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
BUFFALO First Day: April 3
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 16-18, May 23-25, June 5-8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 18-20
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
CAROLINA First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-6
CHICAGO First Day: April 18
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 30, June 1-2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
CINCINNATI First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
CLEVELAND First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
DALLAS First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
DENVER First Day: April 10
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 25-27
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-13
DETROIT First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
GREEN BAY First Day: April 18
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-24, May 31, June 1-2, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-6
HOUSTON First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
INDIANAPOLIS First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 31, June 1-2, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
JACKSONVILLE First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23, May 25-26, May 30, June 1-2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
KANSAS CITY First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 6-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 6-8
LA CHARGERS First Day: April 3
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 16-18, May 23-25, June 5-6, June 8-9
Voluntary Minicamp: April 25-27
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
LA RAMS First Day: April 10
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 25-27
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
MIAMI First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
MINNESOTA First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
NEW ENGLAND First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 31, June 1, June 12-13, June 15
Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
NEW ORLEANS First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
NY GIANTS First Day: April 18
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 30-31, June 2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
NY JETS First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
OAKLAND First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 30-31, June 2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
PHILADELPHIA First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
PITTSBURGH First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
SAN FRANCISCO First Day: April 10
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 30-31, June 2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Voluntary Minicamp: April 25-27
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
SEATTLE First Day: April 18
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 30, June 1-2, June 5-6, June 8-9
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
TAMPA BAY First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 5-7
TENNESSEE First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
WASHINGTON First Day: April 17
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-8
Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15
Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14
2017 NFL DRAFT ROUND 1 NOTES
GREAT GARRETT: The Cleveland Browns selected DE MYLES GARRETT with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, marking the first time in Texas A&M history that a player was chosen first overall.
Garrett became the sixth Texas A&M player to be selected in the top 10 since 2011, joining T JAKE MATTHEWS (sixth overall, 2014), WR MIKE EVANS (seventh overall, 2014), T LUKE JOECKEL (second overall, 2013), QB RYAN TANNEHILL (eighth overall, 2012) and LB VON MILLER (second overall, 2011).
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT --
FIRST TIME QBs: North Carolina QB MITCHELL TRUBISKY was selected by the Chicago Bears with the second overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft and Texas Tech QB PATRICK MAHOMES was chosen with the tenth overall pick by Kansas City, both becoming the first quarterback from their respective schools selected in the first round.
Trubisky joins T.J. YATES (2011, fifth round) and RONALD CURRY (2002, seventh round) as the only North Carolina quarterbacks to be selected in the NFL Draft.
Mahomes is the fourth Texas Tech player and the first Red Raider quarterback selected in the first round since 1967.
TEXAS TECH PLAYERS SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE DRAFT
(Since 1967)
Clemson QB DESHAUN WATSON, who was selected by the Houston Texans with the 12th overall pick, became the second first-round quarterback in school history. He joins STEVE FULLER (23rd overall by Kansas City in 1979) as the only Tiger quarterbacks to be selected in the first round since 1967.
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT --
MAKING HISTORY: The Tennessee Titans selected Western Michigan WR COREY DAVIS with the fifth overall pick, the highest draft pick in school history.
Davis became the second player and first wide receiver out of Western Michigan to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, joining LB JASON BABIN, who was selected by the Houston Texans with the 27th overall pick of the 2004 Draft.
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT --
RISING RBs: Louisiana State RB LEONARD FOURNETTE (fourth overall, Jacksonville) and Stanford RB CHRISTIAN MC CAFFREY (eighth overall, Carolina) were both selected within the first ten picks of the 2017 NFL Draft, the first time two running backs were selected in the top 10 since 2005 (RONNIE BROWN,CEDRIC BENSON and CADILLAC WILLIAMS).
Fournette became the fourth LSU running back selected in the opening round since 1967, while McCaffrey became the third Stanford running back chosen in the first round.
LSU RUNNING BACKS SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE DRAFT
(Since 1967)
STANFORD RUNNING BACKS SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE DRAFT
(Since 1967)
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT –
TERRIFIC TIGHT ENDS: Alabama TE O.J. HOWARD (19th overall, Tampa Bay), Mississippi TE EVAN ENGRAM (23rd overall, New York Giants) and Miami TE DAVID NJOKU (29th overall, Cleveland) were all selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The three first-round selections tied for the most tight ends chosen in the first round (2002, 1978 and 1973).
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT --
ROLL TIDE: Alabama CB MARLON HUMPHREY (16th overall, Baltimore), DT JONATHAN ALLEN (17th overall, Washington), TE O.J. HOWARD (19th overall, Tampa Bay) and LB REUBEN FOSTER (31st overall, San Francisco) were all selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Alabama now has a current streak of nine consecutive drafts with at least one first-round pick. The Crimson Tide tied Florida (1983-1991) for the second-longest consecutive streak with at least one player drafted in the first round since the advent of the common draft in 1967.
LONGEST STREAK OF CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH A FIRST-ROUND PICK
(SINCE 1967)
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT --
BOUNTIFUL BUCKEYES: Three Ohio State players heard their names called in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft – CB MARSHON LATTIMORE (11th overall, New Orleans), S MALIK HOOKER (15th overall, Indianapolis) and CB GAREON CONLEY (24th overall, Oakland). In 2016, the Buckeyes had a draft-high five players selected in the first round.
With a total of eight first-rounders in the last two Drafts, Ohio State tied Alabama (2011-12) for the fourth-most first-round picks over any two-year span since 1967. Miami is the only school with more first-round choices over any two-year span, with nine players selected from both 2001-02 and 2002-03 and 10 players drafted from 2003-04.
SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST FIRST-ROUND PICKS OVER ANY TWO-YEAR SPAN
(Since 1967)
-- 2017 NFL DRAFT --
QUICK HITS: Other items of note from tonight’s first round…
SPECIAL GUESTS TO ANNOUNCE 2017 NFL DRAFT PICKS
Service Members, St. Jude Patient, Make-A-Wish Kid and
Youth Athletes Participate in Draft Celebrations
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Team Winners
and NFL Legends Recognized During Multiple Rounds
The NFL will honor outstanding members of the community throughout the three-day celebration at the 2017 NFL Draft. Special guests will take part in the excitement of the Draft by announcing various picks and participating in festivities in Philadelphia.
Salute to Service - Military Appreciation
The NFL will recognize active duty service members, veterans and their families at Draft events throughout the week. On Thursday evening, a joint color guard will be joined onstage with veterans from Wounded Warrior Project during the National Anthem to open the Draft.
The NFL has teamed with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) to honor the Frisons, a Gold Star Family. A Lancaster, Pa. native and passionate Philadelphia Eagles fan, U.S. Army 1st Lt. DEMETRIUS FRISON lost his life in combat in Afghanistan in 2011. Frison's wife and son will accompany Philadelphia Eagles Legend RON JAWORSKIonstage to announce the Eagles' Round 2 pick along with a Joint Service Honor Guard representing all branches of military service.
In addition, active duty service members from all five branches of the military and veterans from the USO and Wounded Warrior Project will be guests at the Draft on Saturday for Rounds 4-7.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®
St. Jude patient KATE FOSTER will join COMMISSIONER GOODELL and Chicago Bears Legend JAY HILGENBERG to announce the Bears' Round 2 pick. A competitive gymnast, Kate, 18, from Rockford, IL, lost her left leg to an infection during treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia at age 12 but overcame her illness and returned to the gym less than a year later.
MAKE-A-WISH®
Make-A-Wish recipient TJ ONWUANIBE will have his wish granted when he joins COMMISSIONER GOODELL to announce the Baltimore Ravens' Round 1 pick. A football-loving 14-year old, TJ is a cancer survivor and devoted Ravens fan from Laurel, MD.
Youth and High School Football
ROUND 1
Football players from MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGH SCHOOL will take the stage alongside COMMISSIONER GOODELL and represent the Philadelphia Eagles during their Round 1 pick. Due to lack of resources and funding, Germantown High School's football program merged with former crosstown rival Martin Luther King High School. Prior to the pick announcement, the team will walk the Red Carpet alongside Draft prospects.
In addition, LIAM MCCLURE, a Methacton High School football player diagnosed with autism, will walk the Red Carpet on Thursday and hand out New Era Caps to Draft picks with his teammates. McClure fell in love with football after attending a Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp and further developed his passion for the game after joining the Methacton Warriors.
ROUND 3
In memory of the late legendary Pennsylvania high school football coach MIKE PETTINE SR., the Central Bucks West High School football team will accompany Philadelphia Eagles long snapper and 2016 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year team winner JON DORENBOSin making the Eagles' Round 3 pick. Pettine Sr. had 16 undefeated seasons in his 33 years as head coach and won four state championships with Central Bucks West High School.
ROUND 6
For the first time, Round 6 of the NFL Draft will be youth football-themed. Youth football players from Pop Warner, NFL FLAG and local teams will represent various NFL clubs in their local markets during pick selections.
ROUND 7
The NFL Draft 7-on-7 tournament champions will be recognized onstage during the Philadelphia Eagles' Round 7 selection.
NFL Legends and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Recognition
Thirty-two former players from the NFL Legends Community, one representing each team, will be featured in Round 2. 15 Pro Football Hall of Fame members will announce picks, including MORTEN ANDERSEN, JIM BROWN, WILLIE BROWN, FRANCO HARRIS, JIM TAYLOR and THURMAN THOMAS.
Round 3 Draft announcements will feature past recipients and team winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. Carolina Panthers linebacker and 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year THOMAS DAVIS will make the Round 1 pick selection on behalf of his team.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes a player for his excellence on and off the field and represents the best of the NFL's commitment to philanthropy and community impact.
Below is the list of former players scheduled to make selections in Round 2, as well as Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year national and team winners announcing Round 3 picks. There are a total of 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers listed below.
Bold designates Hall of Famers
NFL TEAMS TO ANNOUNCE DAY 3 DRAFT PICKS FROM UNIQUE LOCATIONS & RECOGNIZE KEY INDIVIDUALS
From military bases to state landmarks and attractions to even outer space, NFL teams will announce their Day 3 selections for Rounds 4 to 6 of the NFL Draft from special locations of their choosing and recognize individuals who have made a significant impact.
Beginning on Saturday, April 29 at 12:00 PM ET, Day 3 pick announcements will featurecurrent NFL players and legends, military personnel, actors, singers, and other special guests. New this year, Round 6 will be youth football-themed, and youth football players from Pop Warner, NFL FLAG, and local teams will represent various NFL clubs in their individual markets during pick selections.
Here is a sampling of special team announcements during Day 3 of the NFL Draft:
Special team announcements for Day 3 will be broadcast in Philadelphia throughout the NFL Draft Experience presented by Dannon® Oikos® Triple Zero, the league’s largest free football festival taking place along Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Fans may also view Day 3 pick announcements on NFL Draft live platforms – such as NFL.com, the NFL Mobile from Verizon app (NFL.com/mobile), NFL Now, the NFL app on Xbox One and Windows 10, and Yahoo! Sports – as well as on ESPN. NFL Network will also feature select picks live on NFL Network Draft programming.
Fans can watch NFL Network digitally through Watch NFL Network on tablets, PCs and various connected TV devices (NFL.com/watch), with participating television providers. Select teams will also live stream local pick announcements on their websites and social media. Get full audio coverage of the 2017 NFL Draft live with Westwood One, TuneIn, and SiriusXM NFL Radio.
2017 NFL DRAFT NOTES
-- 82nd NFL DRAFT --
PHILADELPHIA, PAAPRIL 27-29, 2017
-- NFL DRAFT --
PROSPECTS IN PHILLY: Twenty-two prospects and 14 college head coaches will attend the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia.
Louisiana State leads all colleges with three players in attendance, while the Pac-12 leads all conferences with seven prospects confirmed to attend the event.
The players confirmed to attend this year’s NFL Draft:
The college head coaches confirmed to attend this year’s NFL Draft:
-- NFL DRAFT --
ROLL TIDE: Several players from Alabama have the chance to hear their names in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, including DT JONATHAN ALLEN, LB REUBEN FOSTER, TE O.J. HOWARD and T CAM ROBINSON.
If Alabama has a player selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Crimson Tide will tie Florida (1983-91) for the second-longest consecutive streak of players drafted in the first round since the advent of the common draft in 1967. Alabama currently has eight consecutive drafts with at least one first-round pick.
Miami (1995-2008) holds the longest streak with 14 consecutive drafts having at least one player selected in the first round.
The longest streak of consecutive seasons with a first-round pick (since 1967):
-- NFL DRAFT --
BOUNTIFUL BUCKEYES: Three Ohio State players are projected to have their names called in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft – S MALIK HOOKER, CB MARSHON LATTIMORE and CB GAREON CONLEY. In 2016, the Buckeyes had a draft-high five players selected in the first round.
If all three players are selected in the first round, Ohio State would tie Alabama (2011-12) for the fourth-most first-round picks over any two-year span since 1967. Miami is the only school with more first-round choices over any two-year span, with nine players selected from both 2001-02 and 2002-03 and 10 players drafted from 2003-04.
The schools with the most first-round picks over any two-year span (since 1967):
-- NFL DRAFT --
STAR-STUDDED STOPPERS: Texas A&M DE MYLES GARRETT, Stanford DE SOLOMON THOMAS and Alabama DT JONATHAN ALLEN are projected to be taken early in the first round of the NFL Draft.
If two defensive linemen are selected with the first and second picks, it would mark the third time in the common draft era that a pair of defensive linemen were taken first and second overall.
The defensive linemen taken first and second overall in the same draft since 1967:
Garrett would be the first player from Texas A&M selected with the first overall pick and the sixth Aggie to be selected in the top 10 since 2011.
The Texas A&M players selected in the top 10 since 2011:
Thomas would become the fourth player in Stanford history and the first non-quarterback to be selected in the top five of the NFL Draft.
The Stanford players selected in the top five of the NFL Draft since 1967:
-- NFL DRAFT --
FIRST TIME QBs: North Carolina QB MITCHELL TRUBISKY and Texas Tech QB PATRICK MAHOMES would each be the first quarterback from their respective schools selected in the first round.
Trubisky would join T.J. YATES (2011, fifth round) and RONALD CURRY (2002, seventh round) as the only Tar Heels’ signal callers to be selected in the NFL Draft.
If selected in the first round, Mahomes would be the fourth Texas Tech player and the first Red Raider quarterback selected in the first round since 1967.
The players from Texas Tech selected in the first round of the draft since 1967:
-- NFL DRAFT --
THE CHAMP IS HERE: Clemson QB DESHAUN WATSON was named the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game Most Valuable Offensive Player after passing for 420 yards with three touchdowns and rushing for a score in the Tigers’ 35-31 victory over Alabama.
If selected in the first round, Watson would become the eighth quarterback since 1967 to start and win a national championship and be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, and the fifth quarterback to accomplish the feat in the same year.
The quarterbacks to start and win a national championship and be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1967:
-- NFL DRAFT --
THAT’S TIGHT: Alabama TE O.J. HOWARD and Miami TE DAVID NJOKU hope to hear their names called in the first round of the Draft. If both players are selected in the top 20, it would mark the fifth time since 1967 that two tight ends have been chosen in the first 20 selections of the first round of the NFL Draft.
The pairs of tight ends drafted in the top 20 of the NFL Draft since 1967:
-- NFL DRAFT --
SAFETY GUARANTEED: Louisiana State S JAMAL ADAMS and Ohio State S MALIK HOOKER may both hear their names called at the top of the first round. Since 1980, there have been five safeties selected in the top five. The most recent top-five selection at the safety position was ERIC BERRY, who was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs with the fifth overall choice in 2010.
The safeties selected in the top five of the NFL Draft since 1980:
-- NFL DRAFT --
BROTHERLY LOVE: Wisconsin LB T.J. WATT, the brother of Texans’ DE J.J. WATT and Chargers’ FB DEREK WATT, hopes to hear his name called in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
If selected in the first round, T.J. would join J.J. – the 11th overall selection in 2011 – as the eighth pair of brothers since 1990 to be selected in the first round of their respective NFL Drafts.
The pairs of brothers selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1990:
-- NFL DRAFT --
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Louisiana State S JAMAL ADAMS, son of former first-round pick GEORGE ADAMS (1985, New York Giants), is projected to be taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
If Adams is selected in the first round, they would become the eighth father-son combination to be drafted in the first round in the common draft era.
The father-son first-round draft picks since 1967:
-- NFL DRAFT --
TIGER AT THE TOP: Louisiana State RB LEONARD FOURNETTE aims to be the first running back selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. If taken in the first round, Fournette would become the fourth LSU running back to be selected in the opening round since 1967.
The LSU running backs selected in the first round of the draft since 1967:
-- NFL DRAFT --
FIRST-ROUND TRADES SINCE 2000
(Yearly totals can include future selections traded in previous years.)
CONSECUTIVE TOP 10 CHOICES FROM SAME COLLEGE
BREAKDOWN OF
OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE PLAYERS SELECTED
IN FIRST ROUND SINCE 1990
“MOSTS”
Colleges with most No. 1 overall draft choices:
Most first-round selections from one college in single year: 6
2004 - Miami (Sean Taylor, Kellen Winslow, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, Vernon Carey, Vince Wilfork).
College with most players taken in single draft: Texas, 17 in 1984.
Most offensive players selected in first round: 19 in 2009, 2004 & 1968.
Most defensive players selected in first round: 19 in 2006.
Consecutive first-round choices from same college that played same position:
1991: Tennessee Ts Charles McRae (#7-Tampa Bay) and Antone Davis (#8-Philadelphia).
1993: Alabama DEs John Copeland (#5-Cincinnati) and Eric Curry (#6-Tampa Bay).
1997: Miami DEs Kenard Lang (#17-Washington) and Kenny Holmes (#18-Tennessee).
Number of Pro Football Hall of Famers selected No. 1 overall: 14
1942 – “Bullet” Bill Dudley/Pittsburgh; 1945 – Charley Trippi/Chicago Cardinals; 1949 – Chuck Bednarik/Philadelphia; 1957 – Paul Hornung/Green Bay; 1963 – Buck Buchanan/Kansas City (AFL); 1968 – Ron Yary/Minnesota; 1969 – O.J. Simpson/Buffalo; 1970 – Terry Bradshaw/Pittsburgh; 1976 – Lee Roy Selmon/Tampa Bay; 1978 – Earl Campbell/Houston; 1983 – John Elway/Baltimore Colts; 1985 – Bruce Smith/Buffalo Bills; 1989 – Troy Aikman/Dallas Cowboys. 1997 – Orlando Pace/St. Louis Rams.
Most consecutive offensive players selected to start NFL Draft:
1999 – 6; QB Tim Couch (Cleveland), QB Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia), QB Akili Smith (Cincinnati), RB Edgerrin James (Indianapolis), HB Ricky Williams (New Orleans), WR Torry Holt (St. Louis).
Most consecutive defensive players selected to start NFL Draft:
1991 – 6; DT Russell Maryland (Dallas), S Eric Turner (Cleveland), CB Bruce Pickens (Atlanta), OLB Mike Croel (Denver), CB Todd Lyght (Los Angeles Rams), DT Eric Swann (Phoenix).
Number of times QB and RB from same college have been chosen in top 10: 10
1942 (QB Frank Albert, RB Pete Kmetovic-Stanford), 1943 (QB Jack Jenkins, RB Bob Steuber-Missouri), 1944 (QB Angelo Bertelli, RB Creighton Miller-Notre Dame), 1946 (QB Frank Dancewicz, QB Johnny Lujack, RB Emil Sitko-Notre Dame), 1947 (QB Ernie Case, RB Cal Rossi-UCLA), 1948 (QB Harry Gilmer, RB Lowell Tew-Alabama), 1983(QB Todd Blackledge, RB Curt Warner-Penn State), 1993 (QB Rick Mirer, RB Jerome Bettis-Notre Dame), 1995(QB Kerry Collins, RB Ki-Jana Carter-Penn State), 2006 (QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush-Southern California).
Most offensive linemen taken in first round: 10
1968 - T Ron Yary, C Robert Johnson, T Russ Washington, T Mike Taylor, C Forrest Blue, G Maurice Moorman, G George Daney, T John Williams, G Bill Lueck, T Doug Crusan.
DRAFT TIMES
NOTE: The first combined (AFL-NFL) draft in 1967 consisted of 17 rounds. In 1977, the draft was reduced to 12 rounds. There were eight rounds in 1993 and seven since 1994.
Longest first round since 1967: 2007 (6 hours, 8 minutes)
Shortest first round since 1967: 1972 (2 hours)
Longest seven-round draft: 2007 (18 hours, 5 minutes)
Shortest seven-round draft: 2015 (13 hours, 45 minutes)
Most rounds on draft day: 30 (1943-1959 drafts)
COLLEGES WITH THREE PLAYERS DRAFTED IN FIRST ROUND
Number of times since 2000 that a college has had at least three players chosen in first round: 28
2000: Florida State (3) – Peter Warrick/Cincinnati; Corey Simon/Philadelphia; Sebastian Janikowski/Oakland.
2001: Miami (4) – Dan Morgan/Carolina; Damione Lewis/St. Louis; Santana Moss/ N.Y. Jets; Reggie Wayne/Indianapolis.
Michigan (3) – David Terrell/Chicago; Steve Hutchinson/Seattle; Jeff Backus/Detroit.
2002: Miami (5) – Bryant McKinnie/Minnesota; Jeremy Shockey/N.Y. Giants; Phillip Buchanon/Oakland; Ed Reed/Baltimore; Mike Rumph/San Francisco.
Tennessee (3) – John Henderson/Jacksonville; Donte’ Stallworth/New Orleans; Albert Haynesworth/Tennessee.
2003: Miami (4) – Andre Johnson/Houston; Jerome McDougle/Philadelphia; Willis McGahee/Buffalo; William Joseph/N.Y. Giants.
Penn State (4) – Jimmy Kennedy/St. Louis; Michael Haynes/Chicago; Bryant Johnson/Arizona; Larry Johnson/Kansas City.
2004: Miami (6) – Sean Taylor/Washington; Kellen Winslow/Cleveland; Jonathan Vilma/N.Y. Jets; D.J. Williams/Denver; Vernon Carey/Miami; Vince Wilfork/New England.
Ohio State (3) – Will Smith/New Orleans, Chris Gamble/Carolina, Mike Jenkins/Atlanta.
2005: Auburn (4) – Ronnie Brown/Miami; Jason Campbell/Washington; Carlos Rogers/Washington; Carnell Williams/Tampa Bay.
2006: Ohio State (5) – A.J. Hawk/Green Bay; Donte Whitner/Buffalo; Bobby Carpenter/Dallas; Santonio Holmes/Pittsburgh; Nick Mangold/N.Y. Jets.
Florida State (4) – Ernie Sims/Detroit; Kamerion Wimbley/Cleveland; Brodrick Bunkley/Philadelphia; Antonio Cromartie/San Diego.
North Carolina State (3) – Mario Williams/Houston; Manny Lawson/San Francisco; John McCargo/Buffalo.
2007: Louisiana State (4) – JaMarcus Russell/Oakland; LaRon Landry/Washington; Dwayne Bowe/Kansas City; Craig Davis/San Diego.
Miami (3) – Brandon Meriweather/New England; Jon Beason/Carolina; Greg Olsen/Chicago.
2008: Southern California (4) – Sedrick Ellis/New Orleans; Keith Rivers/Cincinnati; Sam Baker/Atlanta; Lawrence Jackson/Seattle.
2009: Southern California (3) – Mark Sanchez/N.Y. Jets; Brian Cushing/Houston; Clay Matthews/Green Bay;
2010: Oklahoma (4) – Sam Bradford/St. Louis; Gerald McCoy/Tampa Bay; Trent Williams/Washington; Jermaine Gresham/Cincinnati
Florida (3) – Joe Haden/Cleveland; Maurkice Pouncey/Pittsburgh; Tim Tebow/Denver
2011: Alabama (4) – Marcell Dareus/Buffalo; Julio Jones/Atlanta; James Carpenter/Seattle; Mark Ingram/New Orleans
2012: Alabama (4) – Trent Richardson/Cleveland; Mark Barron/Tampa Bay; Dre Kirkpatrick/Cincinnati; Dont’a Hightower/New England
2013: Alabama (3) – Dee Milliner/New York Jets; Chance Warmack/Tennessee; D.J. Fluker/San Diego
Florida State (3) – E.J. Manuel/Buffalo; Bjoern Werner/Indianapolis; Xavier Rhodes/Minnesota
2014: Louisville (3) – Calvin Pryor/New York Jets; Marcus Smith/Philadelphia;
Teddy Bridgewater/Minnesota
Texas A&M (3) – Jake Matthews/Atlanta; Mike Evans/Tampa Bay; Johnny Manziel/Cleveland
2015: Washington (3) – Danny Shelton/Cleveland; Marcus Peters/Kansas City;
Shaq Thompson/Carolina
2016: Ohio State (5) – Joey Bosa/San Diego; Ezekiel Elliott/Dallas; Eli Apple/New York
Giants; Taylor Decker/Detroit; Darron Lee/New York Jets
Mississippi (3) – Laremy Tunsil/Miami; Laquon Treadwell/Minnesota; Robert
Nkemdiche/Arizona
FIRST ROUND BY POSITION
Most first-round selections by position (one year):
MOST PLAYERS DRAFTED FROM SINGLE SCHOOL SINCE 1970
UNDERCLASSMEN AND THE DRAFT
NOTE: Since 1990, 17 of the No. 1 overall picks have been underclassmen (Jeff George – 1990, Steve Emtman – 1992, Drew Bledsoe – 1993, Dan Wilkinson – 1994, Ki-Jana Carter – 1995, Orlando Pace – 1997, Tim Couch – 1999, Michael Vick – 2001, Mario Williams – 2006, JaMarcus Russell – 2007, Matthew Stafford – 2009, Sam Bradford – 2010, Cam Newton – 2011, Andrew Luck – 2012, Jadeveon Clowney – 2014, Jameis Winston – 2015, Jared Goff – 2016).
COLLEGES WITH MOST FIRST-ROUND PICKS (Since 1967)
COLLEGES WITH MOST FIRST-ROUND PICKS BY YEAR (Since 1967)
32 SEASON TICKET MEMBERS TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE
NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE IN PHILADELPHIA
For the fourth consecutive year, 32 season ticket members – one representing each team – will receive the ultimate NFL Draft experience courtesy of The Membership Club, an NFL league-wide benefits program.
Hand-selected by each club, these season ticket members will help kick off festivities and get behind the scenes access to Draft celebrations in Philadelphia. The experience commences on Thursday, April 27th with a breakfast to kick off Draft Day and an exclusive invite to the NFL Draft Luncheon, featuring an assortment of NFL Legends.
Following the luncheon, this exclusive group will head back to their hotel to get ready for Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Each season ticket member will receive a custom team jersey with “Draft Day” on the nameplate to wear for the night. Later that evening, they will kick off the event by walking the Red Carpet and hand delivering the official New Era Draft Caps to the NFL Draft Theater, which is located on the iconic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Once in venue, the V.I.P. access continues when this select group of fans will deliver a customized No. 1 Nike jersey from backstage to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as picks are announced. Season ticket members will also have the opportunity to visit their respective Team Lockers in the NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos® Triple Zero.
Full of football, music, food and more, the Draft Experience in Philadelphia is the largest fan celebration ever created by the NFL, spanning 25 football fields and taking place along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Divided into AFC Row and NFC Row, Team Houses are the ultimate fan caves and provide a place for fans to gather and engage with unique club content and memorabilia.
A complete list of season ticket members selected to represent their respective teams at the 2017 NFL Draft are listed below. Season ticket members are available for interviews. Media opportunities can be arranged by contacting NFL PR.
NFL ANNOUNCES FREE FAN OPPORTUNITIES FOR
2017 NFL DRAFT IN PHILADELPHIA
New Renderings of Fan Experience & Draft Theater Available Here
When the 82ND NFL DRAFT comes to Philadelphia from April 27 to April 29, the NFL will bring a record number of free fan experiences, including interactive exhibits, immersive games, virtual reality experiences, flag football competitions, autograph sessions, photo opportunities with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and more.
The 2017 NFL Draft will occur along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, incorporating famed city landmarks such as The Franklin Institute and the iconic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For the first time, the NFL is constructing an open-air theater where fans can view all three Draft days in an outdoor environment. This unique setup will allow for the largest live audience ever to view the team selections.
In addition, Benjamin Franklin Parkway is being transformed into the NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY DANNON® OIKOS® TRIPLE ZERO, a three-day fan festival spanning the size of 25 football fields. This expansive outdoor celebration will be the largest activation created by the league and include a first-of-its-kind 100-yard NFL zip line with aerial views above the parkway.
2017 NFL DRAFT
ROUND 1, set for Thursday, April 27 at 8:00 PM ET, will include prospects walking the red carpet before the start of the NFL Draft. On Friday, April 28 starting at 7:00 PM ET, thirty-two former players from the NFL Legends Community – along with past recipients and team winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide – will announce selections for ROUNDS 2-3.
ROUNDS 4-5 will be broadcast from locations across the country as teams will announce their selections at their facilities and other unique market locations on Saturday, April 29 starting at 12:00 PM ET. Picks for ROUND 6 will feature appearances by youth football teams across the country, and ROUND 7 will bring fans back to Philadelphia for the culmination of the Draft live from the NFL Draft Theater.
The NFL is launching an official companion app, NFL Draft – Fan Mobile Pass, to guide visitors through the NFL Draft Experience in Philadelphia and to also provide exclusive chances to win prizes – including exclusive Draft memorabilia, the ability to collect badges at interactive events, and more. Fans may visit NFL.com/apps/draft later this week to download the app.
All three days of the 2017 NFL Draft will be televised nationally by NFL Network and ESPN. ESPN Deportes will also nationally broadcast Round 1 on April 27 in Spanish. Fans should visit NFL.com/Draft, follow @NFL on Twitter, and use #NFLDraft for the most up-to-date information.
Selection Square Driven by Hyundai
Selection Square Driven by Hyundai will serve as one of the epicenters of the 2017 NFL Draft. Located at The Franklin Institute, Selection Square will feature all 32 team tables where representatives from each team will make their Draft selections throughout the three days.
Selection Square will feature a free viewing gallery in the rotunda of the historic Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Highlights of the viewing gallery include a real-time, up-close look at the player selection process and ability to watch NFL Network-produced programming live from the NFL Draft.
NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos® Triple Zero:
The free NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero will feature interactive elements, flag football competitions, concessions, player appearances/autograph signings, NFL Shop at Draft presented by Visa, the NFL PLAY 60 Zone presented by Danimals®, where youth football clinics will take place, visits by Draft prospects, and more.
Hours of operation are: Thursday, April 27: 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM; Friday, April 28: 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM; and Saturday, April 29: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. An assortment of fan activities are detailed below, and additional information is available at NFL.com/DraftExperience.
Examples of Games
o Vertical Jump: Take your position at the vertical jump and find out what the difference between your reach and the flag you hit is, just like at the NFL Scouting Combine.
o 40-Yard Dash: Race down the field against digital NFL players on a 40-yard long LED wall.
· Hail Mary – Test your long-distance accuracy by throwing a deep pass over defenders into a drop-in net.
· NFL Draft Set – Visit the official NFL Draft set from Thursday to Saturday and see the view from behind the podium.
· NFL Museum (Pro Football Hall of Fame display area) – This exhibit features historical Hall of Fame memorabilia, a full collection of 50 Super Bowl rings, Conference Championship trophies, and a chance to create your own digital Hall of Fame bronze bust.
· NFL Auction Prizes and Giveaways – Located in the NFL Museum, stop by for cool giveaways and chances to win unique NFL instant prizes for registered fans. View game worn and signed memorabilia available only on the NFL Auction website, and learn about the charities and foundations that the NFL and NFL Auction support.
At the Draft Experience, NFL partners are participating in unprecedented and bigger ways:
· Bud Build A Bar – Attendees can grab their friends and try their hand in the Bud Light Vend Zone, a fully-customized vending machine that rewards attendees with each successful throw of the football. Afterwards, snap a pic in front of the Bud Light can wall and enjoy other games.
Play Football Field presented by Danimals®
The NFL and USA Football will host youth football clinics at the Play Football Field presented by Danimals. Local USA Football coaches and NFL players will demonstrate Heads Up tackling amongst other skills and drills.
On-field football clinics are open to boys and girls ages 6-17. Clinics are free and open on a first-come, first-served basis.
· Thursday, April 27: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
· Friday, April 28: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
· Saturday, April 29: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM; 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM; 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
NFL PLAY 60 Zone presented by Danimals®
The NFL PLAY 60 Zone presented by Danimals is an interactive area specifically designed for the youngest NFL fans to get active and moving. Participants can race through agility drills like the pros, test their high jump abilities, and weave through mini tackling.
The following is a sampling of attractions:
· NFL PLAY 60 App Station – Run, jump, and turn through a simulated world in an app designed by NFL PLAY 60 and the American Heart Association.
· NFL PLAY 60 Challenge Virtual Field Trip – Take a virtual field trip with the NFL and the American Heart Association to learn how easy and fun it is to get active and heart healthy.
Autograph Stage at Draft presented by Panini
Fans may get free autographs from current NFL players and NFL Legends from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29. An autograph schedule will be released in the coming days. There will also be appearances by team mascots and cheerleaders from the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and more.
NFL ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF FIRST
HeadHealthTECH CHALLENGE
HeadHealthTECH Challenge II Open April 18 through June 14
NEW YORK, NY—The National Football League (NFL) and Football Research, Inc. (FRI) today announced the winners of HeadHealthTECH Challenge I and launched HeadHealthTECH Challenge II, which invites proposals for improvements in football protective equipment including helmets and related technologies, turf systems, shoulder and other pads, and additional innovative concepts.
The HeadHealthTECH Challenge series is one component of the Play Smart. Play Safe.Engineering Roadmap—a $60-million comprehensive plan funded by the NFL and managed by FRI to create incentives for sporting goods companies, as well as other manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and universities from around the world to develop improved helmets and protective equipment in the next three to five years. Launched in November 2016, the TECH Challenge series is operated and managed on behalf of FRI by Duke University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Duke CTSI).
“Our collective goal is to spur next-generation solutions in protective equipment,” said JEFF MILLER, NFL Executive Vice President of Health and Safety Initiatives. “Not only do these grants advance promising technologies, but FRI’s expert partners at Duke CTSI provide valuable feedback and mentorship to all companies that submit proposals. We want to encourage and support new and innovative ideas that will improve sports safety.”
“The TECH Challenge series is designed to bridge the gap between the engineering and medical experts and the marketplace, and to direct funding where we can create value,” said BARRY MYERS, MD, PhD, MBA, Director of Innovation Duke CTSI, Coulter Program Director and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University and a consultant to the NFLPA. “If you’re an innovator, we want you to apply. We want to hear what your product is, what your vision is and how we can help you succeed.”
FRI awards the most promising TECH Challenge proposals with a cumulative value of up to $1 million a year, including in-kind support. For TECH Challenge I, a panel of expert judges selected by Duke CTSI, in collaboration with FRI, reviewed and provided feedback on 50 proposals all focused on improved protective equipment. Every TECH Challenge applicant receives constructive feedback to help refine innovations and increase chances for success on future submissions and is invited to reapply.
TECH Challenge I Winners:
Information about TECH Challenges and the process for making a submission can be found at: www.PlaySmartPlaySafe.com/HeadHealthTECH.
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