For both NFL and college fans, Thursday night is a national day of importance.
College fans want to see their players drafted because it helps with recruiting and validates their belief in those players when they were wearing the uniform.
For NFL fans, they know the NFL draft can change a franchise — for the better or the bust.
Of course, then there are the actual players. They want their time in the sun to come as quickly as possible, celebrate it and then start playing football for a living.
(Although the way NIL is going, it’s getting harder to differentiate between college and pro players).
It won’t be a big draft for the Gators, which is one reason Florida has a new coach. But we wanted to give you a look at five guys (five players, not the burger chain) and what the draft days were like for some former players.
Steve Tannen, 1970 draft, First Round
New York Jets’ Joe Namath (12) and Steve Tannen (21) are shown, Aug. 1970. (AP Photo)
Steve Tannen was an All-American on Florida’s 1969 team that went 9-1-1. He was also an exceptional punt returner and a free spirit.
“At the time, the draft wasn’t even broadcast,” he said. “I was just sitting at home waiting to get a phone call. (UF assistant coach) Bubba McGowan called me and said, ‘The Jets just called and they want to know if you have an agent.’ Like a lot of guys (including Steve Spurrier), I was using Willie O’Neal, Uncle Willie, to handle it.
“It was the first I had heard that the Jets were interested in me. One team had been to Gainesville and that was the Falcons. There was no Pro Day. They brought in a guy who gave me a bunch of psychological tests. He said I did really well and I would probably go in round three. I told him, ‘Maybe that’s why you won two games last year.’
“The Jets took me (20th) and I was put on the phone with Paul Zimmerman, who was a writer for the Post, and he told me (Jets coach) Weeb Ewbank wanted to talk to me and…
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