List of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the NFL draft explained
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team, representing the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has had 69 American football players drafted into the National Football League (NFL) since the first draft in 1936. The highest that a Warrior has ever been drafted is 19th overall, which occurred when Ashley Lelie was drafted in 2002.[1] The St. Louis Rams have drafted the most Warriors with six.[1]
Each NFL franchise seeks to add new players through the annual NFL Draft. The draft rules were last updated in 2009. The team with the worst record the previous year picks first, the next-worst team second, and so on. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record, with any remaining ties broken by strength of schedule. Playoff participants are sequenced after non-playoff teams, based on their round of elimination (wild card, division, conference, and Super Bowl).[2]
Before the merger agreement in 1966, the American Football League (AFL) operated in direct competition with the NFL and held a separate draft. This led to a massive bidding war over top prospects between the two leagues, along with the subsequent drafting of the same player in each draft. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues held a multiple round "Common Draft". Once the AFL officially merged with the NFL in 1970, the "Common Draft" simply became the NFL Draft.[3] [4] [5]
The most Warriors selected in a single NFL Draft is five, in 2007.[6] Of the Warriors selected in the NFL Draft, two have been selected to a Pro Bowl: Jason Elam and Jesse Sapolu. Nine have been a member of a Super Bowl winning team, including Sapolu and Elam. One Warrior, Jim Mills, is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.[7]
Key
Players selected
Hawaii Warriors selected in the NFL/AFL Drafts| Year | Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Team | Position | Notes |
|---|
| 1968 | 16 | 20 | 428 | † | Dallas Cowboys | DE | Super Bowl champion (VI, XII)[8] [9] |
| 1969 | 8 | 5 | 186 | | Cincinnati Bengals | LB | — |
| 10 | 7 | 241 | | New Orleans Saints | RB | — |
| 1970 | 12 | 22 | 308 | | Los Angeles Rams | QB | — |
| 1971 | 10 | 5 | 239 | | New Orleans Saints | RB | — |
| 16 | 13 | 403 | | San Diego Chargers | C | — |
| 1972 | 10 | 23 | 257 | | Kansas City Chiefs | T | — |
| 13 | 15 | 327 | | Atlanta Falcons | TE | — |
| 1973 | 2 | 20 | 46 | †[10] | Dallas Cowboys | WR | Super Bowl champion (XII) |
| 16 | 20 | 410 | | Dallas Cowboys | TE | — |
| 1974 | 2 | 26 | 52 | † | Miami Dolphins | DB | Super Bowl champion (XVII)[11] |
| 17 | 9 | 425 | | San Francisco 49ers | G | — |
| 1976 | 3 | 16 | 76 | | Detroit Lions | DT | — |
| 9 | 17 | 254 | | Washington Redskins | G | — |
| 1977 | 4 | 22 | 106 | † | Pittsburgh Steelers | T | Super Bowl champion (XVI)[12] |
| 1979 | 8 | 18 | 210 | | San Diego Chargers | RB | — |
| 1980 | 9 | 1 | 222 | | Detroit Lions | WR | — |
| 9 | 2 | 223 | | Detroit Lions | DT | — |
| 1982 | 6 | 9 | 148 | | Houston Oilers | RB | — |
| 7 | 9 | 176 | | Atlanta Falcons | RB | — |
| 8 | 4 | 199 | | Cleveland Browns | DB | — |
| 10 | 18 | 269 | † | San Francisco 49ers | DB | Super Bowl champion (XIX)[13] |
| 1983 | 7 | 6 | 174 | | Philadelphia Eagles | RB | — |
| 9 | 1 | 225 | | Baltimore Colts | T | — |
| 11 | 10 | 289 | ‡ | San Francisco 49ers | C | Pro Bowl (1993, 1994)[14]
Super Bowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)[15] [16] [17] |
| 1984 | 7 | 26 | 194 | | Miami Dolphins | G | — |
| 8 | 5 | 201 | | St. Louis Cardinals | LB | — |
| 1985 | 5 | 10 | 122 | | Washington Redskins | DB | — |
| 6 | 26 | 166 | | New York Jets | DB | — |
| 7 | 2 | 170 | | Houston Oilers | WR | — |
| 1986 | 2 | 18 | 45 | | Washington Redskins | WR | — |
| 9 | 6 | 227 | | St. Louis Cardinals | DB | — |
| 9 | 24 | 245 | | New York Jets | RB | — |
| 1987 | 3 | 14 | 70 | | St. Louis Cardinals | DT | — |
| 4 | 3 | 87 | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TE | — |
| 6 | 11 | 151 | | Dallas Cowboys | G | — |
| 9 | 20 | 243 | | Seattle Seahawks | LB | — |
| 1988 | 3 | 16 | 71 | | Minnesota Vikings | DE | — |
| 10 | 22 | 271 | | Houston Oilers | WR | — |
| 1990 | 3 | 7 | 60 | | San Diego Chargers | G | — |
| 1992 | 6 | 20 | 160 | | Philadelphia Eagles | WR | — |
| 1993 | 3 | 14 | 70 | ‡ | Denver Broncos | K | Pro Bowl (1995, 1998, 2002)[18]
Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII)[19] [20] |
| 8 | 13 | 209 | † | Los Angeles Rams | DT | Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII) |
| 8 | 24 | 220 | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | — |
| 1994 | 4 | 19 | 122 | | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | — |
| 2000 | 2 | 15 | 46 | † | New England Patriots | T | Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX)[21] [22] [23] |
| 3 | 24 | 86 | | San Francisco 49ers | LB | — |
| 4 | 10 | 104 | | St. Louis Rams | G | — |
| 2001 | 7 | 19 | 219 | | Atlanta Falcons | G | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 19 | 19 | | Denver Broncos | WR | — |
| 2003 | 2 | 11 | 43 | | St. Louis Rams | LB | — |
| 3 | 8 | 72 | | Jacksonville Jaguars | G | — |
| 3 | 9 | 73 | | Seattle Seahawks | T | — |
| 2004 | 2 | 10 | 42 | | Tennessee Titans | DE | — |
| 4 | 8 | 104 | | San Francisco 49ers | DT | — |
| 2005 | 6 | 11 | 185 | | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR | — |
| 2007 | 2 | 26 | 58 | | Detroit Lions | DE | — |
| 2 | 28 | 60 | | Miami Dolphins | C | — |
| 6 | 7 | 181 | | Miami Dolphins | FB | — |
| 6 | 26 | 200 | | Cleveland Browns | DE | — |
| 7 | 26 | 236 | | Philadelphia Eagles | RB | — |
| 2008 | 6 | 20 | 186 | | Washington Redskins | QB | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 20 | 52 | | Cleveland Browns | DE | — |
| 3 | 30 | 94 | | Tennessee Titans | DB | — |
| 6 | 25 | 198 | | New England Patriots | LS | — |
| 2011 | 3 | 32 | 96 | | Green Bay Packers | RB | — |
| 4 | 15 | 112 | | St. Louis Rams | WR | — |
| 5 | 1 | 132 | | Carolina Panthers | WR | — |
| 2012 | 7 | 2 | 209 | | St. Louis Rams | LB | — |
| 2015 | 7 | 14 | 231 | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FB | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 11 | 43 | | Detroit Lions | LB | — |
| 7 | 22 | 236 | | Seattle Seahawks | WR | — |
| 2020 | 7 | 10 | 224 | | Tennessee Titans | QB | — | |
References
- General
- Specific
Notes and References
- Web site: NFL.com. Draft History by School–Hawaii. February 3, 2013.
- News: Draft order to change for playoff teams . . John . Clayton . March 26, 2009 . February 18, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100218100315/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4015265 . live .
- Web site: The AFL: A Football Legacy . January 22, 2001 . June 9, 2010 . . Cross, B. Duane . December 17, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091217064300/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2001/01/22/afl_history_2/ . dead .
- Web site: NFL History by Decade: 1961–1970 . June 9, 2010. NFL.com.
- News: Time Changes for 2008 NFL Draft . April 22, 2008 . June 9, 2010 . NFL.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121026144408/http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d807e6d6a&template=with-video&confirm=true . October 26, 2012 .
- Web site: Unlikely source for NFL draft picks: Hawaii. Stephen. Tsai. USA Today. April 30, 2007. February 3, 2013.
- Web site: Jim Mills. Canadian Football Hall of Fame. February 3, 2013.
- Web site: 1971 Dallas Cowboys Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1977 Dallas Cowboys Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Golden Richards is listed in sources as being from BYU when drafted, but transferred to Hawaii his senior year of college.
- Web site: 1982 Washington Redskins Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1981 San Francisco 49ers Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1984 San Francisco 49ers Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: Jesse Sapolu NFL Football Statistics. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1988 San Francisco 49ers Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1989 San Francisco 49ers Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1994 San Francisco 49ers Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: Jason Elam NFL Football Statistics. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1997 Denver Broncos Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 1998 Denver Broncos Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 2001 New England Patriots Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 2003 New England Patriots Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
- Web site: 2004 New England Patriots Starters, Roster & Players. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. February 10, 2013.
