Packers team historian Cliff Christl has assembled an oral history series on the NFL Draft, highlighting significant and noteworthy years as a prelude to Green Bay hosting the 2025 draft in late April. New installments will be posted most weekdays. For access to the full series thus far, click here.
1983
The command center for the 48th NFL Draft, held April 26-27, 1983, was the Sheraton Hotel in New York City. The 12-round draft started at 8:03 a.m. on the 26th and ended at 2 a.m. on the 27th. In all, the draft took 17 hours, 57 minutes, including 3 hours, 17 minutes for the first round.
At the NFL Annual Meeting in March, it was decided to cram what had been a two-day draft into one long day out of fear that the United States Football League, which was about to launch its first season, would immediately target its choices and try to sign them. The USFL, a 12-team spring league, had held its first draft on January 4.
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John Elway: The most gifted QB prospect ever?
There was a record six quarterbacks drafted in the first round in 1983 and three of them have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But as pro prospects go, there wasn't any question as to whom ranked first in the class.
Since 1950, when unlimited substitution paved the way for NFL quarterbacks to become strictly specialists, there had been pure, picture-perfect, pocket passers, starting with Norm Van Brocklin, John Unitas and Joe Namath.
Those were the choices, anyway, of Sammy Baugh, who made a study of quarterbacks after ending his own brilliant 16-year career in 1952.
"Van Brocklin was No. 1, in my opinion, the year he quit," Baugh told sportswriter Bob Oates, who covered pro football in Los Angeles for 49 years. Van Brocklin's last season was 1960. Thereafter, Baugh said, Unitas took the top spot on his list. "As a passer, Unitas had the best touch of all …," he said, "(he) knows exactly when to put something on the pitch or take a bit off."
In 1969, Baugh told Oates that Namath was on the verge of assuming the mantle of No. 1. "In the next four or five years, Namath can go down as the finest passer who ever played the game. Only two things could stop him, his knees," said Baugh. What stood out about Namath, Baugh added, was his ability to "set up in a wink," "come to a balanced position" and "bring his body into line – all in half an instant."
There were others who were better remembered for their ability to improvise under pressure and make plays out of the pocket. Bob Waterfield had the athleticism to do it and a young Y.A. Tittle the instincts. That branch of great QBs extended to Roger Staubach and, as of the 1982 season, an emerging Joe Montana.
Sonny Jurgensen and Terry Bradshaw could zing bullets.
There also were the exalted field generals – Bobby Layne, Bart Starr, Bob Griese – whose leadership produced a combined 10 league championships.
Otto Graham might have been an archetype all to himself. A single-wing tailback at Northwestern, Graham was transformed into a T quarterback by Paul Brown, yet was athletic enough that in his All-America Football Conference days in Cleveland, he returned punts and intercepted seven passes as a DB.
Winner of three NFL titles and owner of an .803 winning percentage after the Browns joined the NFL in 1950, Graham was best known for his touch on the deep ball. "I used to say that when Otto delivered the ball, it was as if it had a kite string on it so that he could guide it in flight," Blanton Collier, backfield coach of the Browns for all but Graham's last two seasons, once said.
But Stanford's John Elway might have been the first quarterback prospect to possess all of the above gifts, or at least close to it.
Scouts on Elway (6-3, 210):
San Francisco director of college scouting Tony Razzano (Christl interview, 1983): "He's the best I've seen in 20 years."
New York Giants director of player personnel Tom Boisture (Christl interview, 1983): "What about him? If you're looking for something negative, there isn't anything. I never even bothered writing up a report on him. I never wrote one up on O.J. (Simpson), either."
Philadelphia director of player personnel Lynn Stiles (Christl interview, 1983): "He can throw long, throw short. He has great instincts. He can escape the rush. He is strong, physical. He has the intangibles. He's smart. He has all the qualities it takes to be a great one."
Washington director of player personnel Mike Allman (Christl interview, 1983): "Whatever superlatives you've got, put them down. He's as good as I've seen. I saw Bradshaw when he came out. Bert Jones. And he's probably more accomplished than those two. His greatest asset probably is his awareness when the rush is coming, even from the backside. Somehow, he feels it no matter where it's coming from."
Atlanta general manager Tom Braatz (Christl interview, 1983): "There hasn't been anybody like him since Bert Jones came out of college."
Nicknamed "The Ruston Rifle," Jones was the first overall pick in 1973 and was on track to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer until his career was derailed by an injury to his right shoulder in his sixth season.
Ernie Accorsi, then general manager of the Baltimore Colts and an NFL administrator and executive for 35 years (Email, Feb. 24, 2025): "When I used to give talks, I said Jurgensen and Namath were the two purest passers I ever saw. I would put Bert Jones in there, too, but he didn't play long enough. Bert Jones and John Elway were so similar, it was scary. Same size, both could run like a tailback, both had cannons for arms."
Beauty was in the eye of the beholder for the other QBs
After Elway was drafted by the Colts No. 1, Penn State's Todd Blackledge was taken next, at No. 7, by Kansas City. Miami's Jim Kelly was chosen 14th by Buffalo and Illinois' Tony Eason went 15th to New England. The New York Jets drafted Ken O'Brien of Cal-Davis, 24th; and Miami took Dan Marino of Pittsburgh, 27th.
Blackledge and O'Brien were the surprises as far as when they were drafted. Kelly and Marino were the other future Hall of Famers. Obviously, not all scouts saw it that way entering the draft.
On Blackledge (6-3, 222):
After leading Penn State to a 27-23 victory over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Blackledge had a choice of playing another season at Penn State or going pro. Although he redshirted as a freshman, he was due to graduate with his class. In late February, he announced that he would enter the draft.
Green Bay director of player personnel Dick Corrick (Christl interview, 1983): "He might have been better off to play (at Penn State) this year. He might have been the top player in the draft (next year), or the top quarterback anyway."
Minnesota director of football operations Jerry Reichow (Christl interview, 1983): "I don't know if we're prepared to say he's a No. 1. We haven't spent that much time looking at him."
On Kelly (6-2, 210):
Kelly separated his right shoulder in the third game. Two days later, he underwent surgery that reattached torn ligaments connecting his collarbone with the top of his shoulder blade. In early April, less than three weeks before the draft, Kelly threw for the first time since his injury before a swarm of NFL coaches and scouts.
Jets director of player personnel Mike Hickey (Christl interview, 1983): "It (Kelly's workout) was a carnival. You could put up balloons, firecrackers and soda pop, and you could retire. There were about 200 people there. But it was very beneficial for the kid in that he threw all the passes. He regained his position that he had prior to the injury."
Bills vice president of player personnel Norm Pollom (Christl interview, 1983): "He has all the (pass) drops, a strong arm and he's an intelligent kid. He got hurt early, but I think he's a good prospect."
On Eason (6-3, 208):
In what was Bear Bryant's final game as coach at Alabama, Eason completed 35 of 55 passes for 433 yards, all Liberty Bowl records. He also was sacked four times, threw four interceptions and was knocked out of the game three times in a 23-15 loss. It was a microcosm of his season: spectacular at times and a victim of his own supporting cast at other times.
Patriots director of player development Dick Steinberg (Christl interview, 1983): "I like Eason a lot. People say he can't throw deep, but he can. (Illinois coach) Mike White realized he didn't have an experienced offensive line, and he stuck with the short passing game. But I've seen him throw the ball 65 yards downfield. He might not have great velocity on medium routes, but he makes up for it with anticipation and timing."
Boisture (Christl interview, 1983): "I think he's played better this year than he was rated. He can put the ball where he has to. He can put it in tight spots. He can throw the out-cut. They say he doesn't have a great arm, but I haven't seen him underthrow many people long."
Corrick (Christl interview, 1983): "He was the second-best quarterback I've seen. I can see him going to certain places – Minnesota, Seattle, Washington – where they do play-action, dink-and-dunk and cut you up. He'd be very good. … He has to fit a system. His strong suit is that he's going to pick the defense, ala (Tommy) Kramer. If he has to throw the ball downfield 30, 35 yards, he might not be able to do it."
On O'Brien (6-4, 210):
After throwing for more than 2,000 yards as a sophomore, he suffered statistically behind an inexperienced line the next season. As a senior, he rebounded and led Cal-Davis to the NCAA Division II football championship, only to suffer a second-half injury to his left knee and ankle in the semifinals and miss that final game.
Vic Rowen, who was in his 22nd season as coach at San Francisco State (Sacramento Bee, Oct. 29, 1982): "O'Brien can throw the ball a country mile. … O'Brien has an arm that's big league."
Detroit director of player personnel Tim Rooney (Christl interview, post-draft 1983): "O'Brien was a surprise (first-round pick). We liked O'Brien. With all the quarterbacks going in the first round, I thought O'Brien would go in the second or third."
Los Angeles Raiders director of personnel operations Ron Wolf (Christl interview, 1983): "That wasn't a surprise. We thought all along (O'Brien) had first-round ability. We thought he might have lasted to us, but we wouldn't have taken him. I didn't see him getting out of the first round."
On Marino (6-3, 219):
As a junior, he finished second in the country in passing and led Pittsburgh to an 11-1 record. He also finished fourth, the highest of the junior quarterbacks, in the Heisman Trophy voting. As a senior, Marino's touchdown passes plummeted from 37 to 17 while he threw 23 interceptions for a second straight year.
Marino also was the first player chosen in the USFL draft among players not included in the league's territorial selections and was tempted by the Los Angeles Express' contract offer.
Houston Oilers assistant general manager Mike Holovak (Christl interview, 1983): "He has a great arm. Stronger than Elway maybe but not as much accuracy or touch."
Steinberg (Christl interview, 1983): "He's not a patient, disciplined, (Bill) Walsh, (Don) Coryell type quarterback. He's a guy more like (Vince) Ferragamo and (Jim) Plunkett. They are big guys with strong arms. He's more accurate than those two. He likes to gamble and go up-field, but he proved he can do it in the postseason. He's got the arm and he's an athlete."
Corrick (Christl interview, 1983): "What's he got (64) interceptions during his career? He has a lot of touchdowns, too, but I don't think he's sure-fire. I think his agent might have made a real mistake. He probably should have taken all that money the Express was going to pay."
Denver director of college scouting Reed Johnson (Christl interview, 1983): "Marino wasn't worth a sh-- his senior year. He went from one spectrum to another. He had some dumb receiver going down on the field who was on drugs. I forget his name now. But they're trying to play home-run derby, and all he did was throw interceptions. When you start weighing all five or six of those guys, he didn't play his senior year the way the other five guys did."
Had Reggie Collier (6-3, 207) of Southern Mississippi not signed with the Birmingham Stallions nine days after being the third overall pick in the USFL draft, he might have been a seventh first-round quarterback. Instead, Dallas picked him in the sixth round.
Steinberg (Christl interview, 1983): "I think Collier is the second-best quarterback in the draft. He's a great athlete. He's got size, a very strong arm, and he developed touch this year. … He reminds me of Archie Manning."
Pollom (Christl interview, 1983): "As far as throwing the ball, he didn't have a great year. But he has the arm. He hasn't been schooled in the techniques of drop-back passing, so he's going to take some time. But he's a great athlete. And his arm ranks right up there with Doug Williams and James Harris."
Other than the three Hall of Famers, Eason and O'Brien enjoyed creditable careers.
Eason started for three years with the Patriots and led them to the AFC championship in 1985 and another playoff appearance the next season. In all, he played eight years but started only 15 games over his final five seasons after separating his right shoulder in the seventh game in 1987. O'Brien started 106 games over nine seasons with the Jets and was named to two Pro Bowls, but his record as a starter was 50-59-1.
Blackledge lasted only seven seasons, five with the Chiefs, and started only 29 games. Collier played three unexceptional years in the USFL, signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1986 and appeared in only six NFL games over two seasons.
Lurking over the draft: Elway's landing spot
On April 14, twelve days before the draft, Will McDonough of the Boston Globe reported what had been rumored for weeks: Elway didn't want to play for the Baltimore Colts, which owned the No. 1 pick as a result of their 0-8-1 finish in the strike-shortened 1982 season.
McDonough wrote that Marvin Demoff, Elway's agent, would be informing the Colts that if they chose Elway, he would sign with the New York Yankees and re-enter the draft in 1984. Elway had played right field for the Yankees' Class A Oneonta, N.Y., farm team during the summer before his senior season and batted .318.
Moreover, Demoff said Elway's preference would be to play for a West Coast team: San Diego, San Francisco, the LA Raiders or Seattle.
Once it became widely known that Elway had no desire to play in Baltimore, the Colts were besieged with trade offers. While Accorsi was willing to talk, he wanted equitable compensation or there would be no deal.
Accorsi (Christl interview, post-draft 1983): "If everything fell through, you pick John Elway. That's not a bad backup position and that was a position we took from the start. If we had an opportunity to make a trade that would have helped us and hurt the other team, we would have. There was not much action. A whole bunch of people were interested in him cheap, and people in the league were annoyed we wouldn't give him away, and his agent got annoyed. We were driving a very hard bargain."
Corrick on Elway (Christl interview, 1983): "He's a good baseball player, not great."
Seattle general manager Mike McCormack (Christl interview, 1983): "When Baltimore said they did not want any of our veterans and then set the price, we found out we didn't have the chips to get in the game. They wanted at least three No. 1s in the same year."
Only San Diego owned three No. 1 choices: the 5th, 20th and 22nd. But the Raiders were working on a deal to obtain at least a second No. 1.
Accorsi (Christl interview, 1983): "We thought we had an agreement with the Raiders by 4 o'clock the day before. And that was for their No. 1 in '83 (the 26th), their No. 1 in '84, and they thought they had Chicago's No. 1 (the 6th) in '83. That was three No. 1s and we had not agreed on the No. 2. But we were going to hold out for a No. 2 and a player. So we were ready to make that trade, but they were not able to consummate the trade with the Bears. The trade with the Bears was the only way we could put it together."
Accorsi (Christl interview, 1983): "Once that fell through, nobody else really had the draft choices to compete. San Diego was the only other team with multiple draft choices, and they were never really serious. San Diego never offered the fifth pick. They never came close to offering it."
On May 2, five days after the draft, Denver owner Edgar Kaiser Jr., called Colts owner Robert Irsay and the two consummated a deal that blindsided people in their own organizations. In exchange for the rights to Elway, Irsay accepted a package of tackle Chris Hinton, second-year quarterback Mark Herrmann and the Broncos' first-round draft choice in 1984.
Johnson (Christl interview, 1983): "None of us (in football) knew anything about that deal with Elway. The whole thing was done by Mr. Kaiser. It was just one of those unbelievable things that will go down in sports as a great coup.
Hinton, who had been drafted fourth overall less than a week earlier, was the key to the deal. He was widely viewed as the best offensive line prospect in that year's pool and wound up being named to seven Pro Bowls. In 1984, the Colts chose guard Ron Solt 19th overall with the other No. 1, and he would be a solid starter for the next four years. Herrmann would play two years with the Colts and start three games.
Scouts on Hinton (6-4, 276):
Steinberg (Christl interview, 1983): "He's got the most potential of any offensive lineman in the draft. He's an exceptional athlete. He's about 278 pounds and he can run. There is not a flaw in his whole makeup except that he hasn't played inside that much. But he does so many things naturally well."
Corrick (Christl interview, 1983): "A guy like this is rare. … He's got size, speed, intelligence. He's competitive. He dominates. He's a one-year player who switched from tight end, but I don't think it's any drawback."
RBs were in abundance, too
In 1983, two of the top three rushers in the NFL were rookies: Eric Dickerson, who led the league with 1,808 yards, and Seattle's Curt Warner, who finished third with 1,449 yards. Earlier, in the USFL's maiden season, its top four rushers were rookies: Herschel Walker, New Jersey Generals, 1,812 yards; Kelvin Bryant, Philadelphia Stars, 1,442; Ken Lacy, Michigan Panthers, 1,180; and Tim Spencer, Chicago Blitz, 1,157.
In the NFL Draft, Southern Methodist's Dickerson was selected second by the Los Angeles Rams and Penn State's Warner, third by the Seahawks. Plus, the Chargers drafted Arkansas halfback Gary Anderson with their 20th overall choice and lost him to the USFL Tampa Bay Bandits
Had there been no USFL, North Carolina's Bryant, Ohio State's Spencer and SMU's Craig James would have been likely first-round picks in the NFL, as well. What's more, Georgia's Walker had won the Heisman Trophy as a junior and would have been a high No. 1, except that he was ineligible for the NFL Draft.
As it turned out, Mississippi State's Michael Haddix and Florida's James Jones were two other backs who went in the first round of the NFL Draft. And the list of quality backs didn't end there. Nebraska's Roger Craig was taken late in the second round by the 49ers and rushed for 8,189 yards in his 11-year career.
Scouts on the glut of backs:
Tampa Bay director of player personnel Ken Herock (Christl interview, 1983): "The USFL depleted them. Dickerson and Curt Warner are head and shoulders above everything else."
Reichow on Dickerson (Christl interview, 1983): "He's got a little bit of Chuck Muncie in him. He's a big kid who can run like the devil."
Pollom on Warner (Christl interview, 1983): "He has elusiveness, quickness. He'll run inside, outside. He has a knack for seeing the field. He has great vision."
Corrick on Anderson (Christl interview, 1983): "He has unbelievable speed. They've played him as a running back, but he isn't built like an NFL running back."
Braatz on Bryant (Christl interview, 1983): "He'd have gone in the top five players (in the NFL)."
Wolf on Bryant (Christl interview, 1983): "I think he's every bit as good – other than Dickerson – as any running back coming out. He can run inside, outside. He can catch and block halfway decent."
Wolf on Spencer (Christl interview, 1983): "He's a very, very tough guy. He's a very competitive runner – more of a power, slam-at-you type."
