The 1971 NFL draft was held January 28–29, 1971, at the

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New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, New York. The Boston Patriots, who did not officially change their name to

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

until after the draft, used the first overall pick to select quarterback Jim Plunkett, the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

winner. It was the first draft where the first three selections were quarterbacks (Plunkett,

Archie Manning Elisha Archibald Manning III (born May 19, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982. He also h ...

, and Dan Pastorini). During round 17, after Falcons coach Norm Van Brocklin had yelled to his staff "Do we want the roughest, toughest s.o.b. in the draft?!", the team drafted the then-64-year-old actor

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

, though saying he was from " Fort Apache State" (Wayne actually played football at

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

);

NFL Commissioner The commissioner of the National Football League is the chief executive officer of the National Football League (NFL). The position was created in 1941. The current commissioner is Roger Goodell, who assumed office on September 1, 2006. Until 1 ...

Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American professional football executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retire ...

rejected the selection.

Player selections

Round one-eight

Round nine

Round ten

Round eleven

Round twelve

Round thirteen

Round fourteen

Round fifteen

Round sixteen

Round seventeen

Notable undrafted players

Hall of Famers

* Jack Ham, linebacker from Pennsylvania State, taken 2nd round 34th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1988.List of 1980s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com *

John Riggins Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played c ...

, running back from Kansas, taken 1st round 6th overall by New York Jets :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1992.List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com * Dan Dierdorf, offensive tackle from Michigan, taken 2nd round 43rd overall by St. Louis Cardinals :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1996. * Jack Youngblood, defensive end from Florida, taken 1st round 20th overall by Los Angeles Rams :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2001.List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com * Harold Carmichael, wide receiver from Southern, taken 7th round 161st overall by Philadelphia Eagles :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2020

References

External links

NFL.com – 1971 Draft
*
Pro Football Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:1971 Nfl Draft NFL draft

NFL Draft The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

Draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

American football in New York City 1970s in Manhattan Sporting events in New York City Sports in Manhattan