Why Draft Day is the Best Day

The 2020 NFL Draft is being held a week from tonight and it is my favorite day of the year. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the draft will be strictly virtual with teams and players spread across the country, communicating electronically. Prospects and their families, friends, coaches, mentors and the like, will be whittled down to a more intimate group of no more than nine people, so they can practice social distancing. But best believe the same spectrum of anxiety and jubilation will be felt by all. 

Imagine all of the emotions and memories going all the way back to that young child's first first Pop Warner practice, wrapped up in this one special moment. All of the endless work in the weight room, practices and game days in high school and college that have led up to this magical night. All of the sacrifices and hard work shared by the prospect and his loved ones culminating in this uncontrollable, agonizing experience. Draft time is not real time, it is water torture time. Every second seems like a minute, every minute like an hour...drip..drip..drip. The tension ratchets up until a player is picked in an explosion of euphoria and joy. No matter how long the wait has been or how disappointing being passed over by teams feels, once a player is picked, it is validating.

In 1989, UCLA Quarterback Troy Aikman and I flew back to New York to attend the draft. We had just negotiated a contract with the Dallas Cowboys which meant he was the first pick in the first round. The NFL had planned some entertainment for players to enjoy leading up to draft night. Troy and I went to see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I wasn't sure how he would react to all that operatic singing, but he loved it and ended up seeing it multiple times later. It was a thrill to see him hold up the Cowboys jersey next to the Commissioner.

In 1991, we held a draft day party at the Newport Beach Marriott and fixed it up to look like my office. UCLA safety Eric Turner and University of Miami defensive tackle Russell Maryland were present to await their football future. We didn't have to wait long. The Cowboys took Maryland with the first pick and the Cleveland Browns selected Turner with the second pick.

In 2004, I traveled back to New York for the draft with Miami University quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his family. The San Diego Chargers had the first pick and had fallen in love with QB Philip Rivers at the Senior Bowl. The New York Giants had the fourth pick and was enamored with QB Eli Manning. The night before the draft, I heard that the Giants would take Ben if they weren't able to execute a trade for Manning with San Diego. I was sure that the trade would happen and told Ben that, but hope springs eternal.

The Giants were on the clock and their 15 minute selection window started to wind down. When you see time running through a team's selection, it is not because they have not calculated who they would pick. It is because the team is fielding trade offers with teams that want to move in their slot to get a special player or the team is trying to trade back to increase their draft capital. One minute ran off the Giants time, then two, then five. Tension ratcheted up at our table. No trade yet. Then 10 minutes were gone, then 13 minutes, and Ben thought that "this was it". With 20 seconds remaining, New York completed a trade with San Diego, and the air went out of the balloon at our table. It ended up happily though because the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ben and it was a marriage made in heaven.

Next Thursday night, will be a dream come true for all draft picks. It will be the start of a new chapter with a whole new set of opportunities at the feet of this year's class of bright, young stars.