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Draft Day Notebook First round clocks in at near-record length
Posted: Sunday April 16, 2000 12:27 PM
By David Harsanyi, CNNSI.com This year's first round clocked in at approximately five hours and 30 minutes, falling ten minutes shy of the 1995 record. The shortest first round ever was in 1972 -- which was polished off in two hours flat. The 2000 Draft was also the first time since 1983 that there were no trades in the first round after the proceedings began.
A one, and a twoWhen Courtney Brown and LaVar Arrington went one-two in the draft, it was the first time that teammates were the top two picks since 1984, when the New England Patriots and Houston Oilers selected Nebraska's Irving Fryar and Dean Steinkuhler, respectively.
Staying close to homeIn a mild surprise, the Giants selected 1999 Heisman Trophy winner and New Jersey-native Ron Dayne over Alabama's Shaun Alexander. Alexander fell to the Seahawks at No. 19. New York head coach Jim Fassel had been praising Dayne to the media, which led everyone to believe that the furtive Giants would pick Alexander. Dayne is the NCAA Division I career rushing leader.
First impressionsDespite some worries regarding his attitude -- which included missing interviews with the Steelers and at least one other club -- Pittsburgh used their No. 8 pick to take wide receiver Plaxico Burress. It was widely believed that the Steelers would select quarterback Chad Pennington with the pick. Pittsburgh found it hard passing on a 6-6, 229 pound receiver in the mold of Randy Moss. "We didn't have a good first meeting," Steelers head coach Bill Cowher said of the Michigan State product. "But he came up and apologized for it."
Not exactly a fan favoriteThe loudest boos in the first round came after the Oakland Raiders selected kicker Sebastian Janikowski. The Polish-native, listed at 6-0, 260 pounds, only started to play American football his senior year in high school. Other than his weight, Janikowski must also deal with a Jan. 24 bribery charge in which he allegedly offered a police officer $300 to release his roommate from custody after his arrest for trespassing at a Tallahassee nightclub. If Janikowski is convicted, he could face deportation.
Going through the ringerThe Eagles had Florida State defensive lineman Corey Simon examined by nine doctors. Simon has had rotator cuff surgery, an operation to repair a dislocated shoulder and a cervical neck sprain. Simon was finally healthy as a senior, playing in every game last season, finishing with 84 tackles and sacks. Simon was a finalist for the Lombardi and Outland Trophies.
A lot to live up toLaVar Arrington hasn't exactly shied away from Lawrence Taylor comparisons. The 6-2, 251-pound linebacker requested a No. 56 jersey from the Redskins. "I asked for it," Arrington said. "I think it's a great number. It was definitely because of L.T."
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