The American Football League played its first season in 1960. There were territorial picks in the first “draft.” The players taken were Gerhard Schwedes, HB, Syracuse, Boston Patriots, Richie Lucas, QB, Penn State, Buffalo Bills, on Meredith, QB, SMU, Dallas Texans, Roger LeClerc, C, Trinity, Denver Broncos, Billy Cannon, HB, LSU, Houston Oilers, Monty Stickles, E, Notre Dame, Los Angeles Chargers, George Izo, QB, Notre Dame, New York Titans, and Dale Hackbart, QB, Wisconsin, Minnesota team that never came to pass. The Minnesota team became the Oakland Raiders franchise. The first actual college draft was a year later and there was a half-dozen before blending with the NFL. Who were the six players taken first overall by AFL teams and how did they wind up doing?
1961: Ken Rice
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound lineman from Auburn was the first pick in the first draft. He played two seasons each with Buffalo, Oakland and Miami. He was a two-time All-American in college. In the pros, Rice played in 79 games In 1961 during his rookie season, he was selected to the 1961 AFL All-Star game. He was also named a second0team All-AFL lineman that season. In 1964, Rice was traded to the Oakland Raiders. In 1966, the Miami Dolphins drafted Rice from the Raiders during the 1966 AFL Expansion Draft. Rice retired from football after the 1967 season due to a back injury