You know, that NFL draft thing, the one they had in 2008? Yeah, that was something. Lots of young fellas, all hoping to get picked by them big teams. They had it in New York City, that big place with all the tall buildings. ESPN was showin’ it on TV, so everyone could watch, see who went where.
Now, the Dolphins, they got the first pick. Jake Long, that was the boy’s name. Big fella, played tackle. Rams, they picked second, got Chris Long. Matt Ryan went to the Falcons, Darren McFadden to the Raiders. Lots of names, hard to keep track of ’em all.
- Jake Long went to the Dolphins
- Chris Long went to the Rams
- Matt Ryan went to the Falcons
- Darren McFadden went to the Raiders
They had this thing, rounds they called ’em. First round, second round, went on for a while. Saturday they started, Sunday they finished. Lots of picks, lots of boys gettin’ their chance. Two hundred and sixty somethin’ picks in all, I think.
They say only four of them boys from that draft are still playin’ in the NFL. Duane Brown, Calais Campbell, Joe Flacco, and Josh Johnson. Heard Flacco won a Super Bowl, good for him. Them other boys, they must be gettin’ on in years, like me. Football’s a young man’s game, they say.
Used to watch football with my husband, before he passed. He liked the Browns. Never won nothin’, them Browns. Always hopin’ for a good draft, get some new players, maybe win a game or two. This draft thing, it’s important, I guess. Gets the teams their players, gives them boys a chance to make somethin’ of themselves.
Radio City Music Hall, that’s where they had it. Fancy place, I bet. All them suits and ties, folks watchin’ and clappin’. Bet them boys were nervous, waitin’ to hear their names called. Imagine bein’ picked first, like that Jake Long fella. Must be somethin’ special.
They had somethin’ called the NFL Network broadcastin’ it too, besides ESPN. More folks could watch, I guess. Nowadays, they got all them internet things, you can watch anything you want, anytime you want. Back then, TV was all we had. Still, it was somethin’ to see, all them boys gettin’ drafted, startin’ their careers.
Draft history, they call it. Goes way back, they said. 1936, somethin’ like that. Been doin’ it a long time, pickin’ them players. Guess it works, keeps the teams goin’, keeps the game alive. Football, America’s game, they say. Lots of folks love it, yellin’ and cheerin’ at the TV.
Remember watchin’ those games with my husband, him yellin’ at the TV, hopin’ the Browns would win. Good times, those were. This draft thing, it brings back memories. Reminds me of them Sundays, watchin’ the game, eatin’ snacks. Life was simpler then, I guess.
Anyway, that 2008 draft, it was somethin’. Lots of boys got their chance, some made it big, some didn’t. That’s life, I guess. You take your chances, see what happens. Just like them boys, steppin’ up to the big leagues, hopin’ to make a name for themselves.
Tags: NFL, 2008 NFL Draft, NFL Draft History, Jake Long, Draft Picks