In the 1997 NFL draft, the Rams took Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace with the first overall pick. Pace is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
At the same time, a former Northern Iowa quarterback who had gone undrafted in 1994 was playing Arena football for the Iowa Barnstormers. That quarterback, Kurt Warner, is also now in the Hall of Fame.
Pace took to Twitter on the anniversary of his draft to deliver that message to all of this year’s rookies, both the highly drafted and the ones who are disappointed when they don’t hear their names called.
“21 years ago, my life changed forever,” Pace wrote. “To future draftees, being drafted # 1 meant I had even MORE to prove than anybody else. The NFL Draft is just a step in the process. Doesn’t matter where you land! To those not drafted, I blocked for a guy named Kurt Warner ... nuf said.”
A good message for the first overall pick, for the last rookie invited to a tryout, and to every rookie in between.
