Starting this Wednesday and airing every Wednesday leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft, NFL Films and NFL Network take a look at five particular drafts that made history. Beginning with the 1964 Draft and then the 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004 Drafts, NFL Films looks at the moments that made the event what it is today.
“Caught in the Draft” will premiere this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NFL Network and then air each Wednesday running to the 2014 NFL Draft which will air on NFL Network (and ESPN).
Actor Oliver Pratt will narrate the series.
Each installment looks at a particular theme from each of the previous drafts including how the 1964 Draft paved the way for the rise of the Dallas Cowboys, how the Pittsburgh Steelers used the 1974 Draft to build a championship team, how in 1984 the NFL and USFL were in the midst of a bidding war and it gave us Mel Kiper, Jr., how in 1994 Kiper and Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Tobin engage in an on-air war of words and in 2004 how Eli Manning’s refusal to play for San Diego effects Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisburger.
It’s quite interesting and will give some perspective on how teams build through the draft and how players can directly effect how teams pick.
Here’s the NFL Network announcement.
NFL FILMS-PRODUCED CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9 ON NFL NETWORK
Airs Every Wednesday at 9:00 PM ET on NFL Network Leading Up to 2014 NFL Draft
Examines Five Particular Drafts: 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994 & 2004Before the 2014 NFL Draft kicks off, NFL Network provides a comprehensive look back at the past 50 years of the NFL Draft with a new, NFL Films-produced series, Caught in the Draft.
Premiering Wednesday, April 9 at 9:00 PM ET and airing every Wednesday leading up to the eve of the 2014 NFL Draft, the five-episode series examines five specific drafts which had a profound impact on the National Football League and helped to transform the NFL Draft into the enormous event it has become.
Actor Oliver Platt narrates the series.
Provided below is a list of each episode of Caught in the Draft and when it airs on NFL Network:
- 1964: The Greatest Draft Ever? (April 9) – In a draft that includes 11 Hall of Famers – more than any other draft in NFL history – the Dallas Cowboys revolutionize the scarcely covered player selection meeting and plant the seeds for a national phenomenon with the selections of Roger Staubach, Bob Hayes and Mel Renfro. Additionally, the New York Jets lay the foundation for their Super Bowl III championship with the selection of six eventual starters, and number one overall pick Dave Parks later makes history by being the first marquee player to challenge the league on player movement. Features interviews with Roger Staubach, Bill Parcells, Peter King, Bobby Beathard, Dan Daly and more. For an excerpt from the episode, visit: http://on.nfl.com/PT1tar
- 1974: The Future is Now (April 16) – The Pittsburgh Steelers change the way organizations view the NFL Draft by adopting a philosophy of building a championship team through the draft and selecting four future Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster. Features interviews with the first ‘draftnik’ Pete Marasco, Lynn Swann, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, and more.
- 1984: A War Is Upon Us (April 23) – Engaged in a bidding war with the USFL, the 1984 NFL Draft takes place in one marathon day after the USFL Draft had concluded. Future Hall of Famers Reggie White and Steve Young signed with the USFL, while Boomer Esiason fell to the second round of the NFL Draft after saying he did not want to play in the USFL. Additionally, the first overall pick is traded twice and NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. makes his ESPN debut. Features interviews with Boomer Esiason, Steve Young, Irving Fryar, Peter King, Mel Kiper, Jr. and more.
- 1994: A Day That Will Live in Infamy (April 30) – Against the backdrop of highly-touted quarterbacks Trent Dilfer and Heath Shuler jockeying for position, a verbal on-air spat between ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. and Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Tobin, and the NFL becoming a year-round sport, the NFL Draft becomes the must-see event it is today. Additionally, players such as Kurt Warner, Rod Smith, Jeff Garcia and D’Marco Farr go undrafted. Features interviews with Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Bill Tobin, Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Jr., Peter King and more.
- 2004: Storm Over Eli (May 7) – When number one overall pick Eli Manning refuses to play for the San Diego Chargers, it triggers the biggest showdown between an organization and player in two decades and alters the fortunes of quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. Additionally, the University of Miami (FL) sets an NFL record for most first-round selections with six. Features interviews with Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Mike Mayock, Leigh Steinberg, Peter King, Mel Kiper, Jr. and more.
Through archival sources and fresh interviews, Caught in the Draft provides viewers with the most compelling stories from each draft and offers a look inside at just how differently drafts were conducted in the past, and how the nature of the game as it was played in each of those times dictated the types of players selected. Additionally, each episode of Caught in the Draft features graphics and music related to that period of time, truly putting viewers “in the moment” of each decade.
That will do it.
