2001 XFL draft | |
---|---|
General information | |
Date(s) | October 28–30, 2000 |
Location | Teleconference |
Overview | |
475 total selections in 59 rounds | |
League | XFL |
First selection | Scott Milanovich, QB, Los Angeles Xtreme |
The 2001 XFL draft was the only draft for the first-iteration XFL football league. The draft took place over a three-day time period from October 28 to October 30, 2000, during which time a total of 475 players were selected by the league's 8 teams from a pool of approximately 1,600 or so eligible players. The draft consisted of 59 rounds—10 rounds taking place on October 28, 15 rounds on October 29, and 34 rounds on October 30.
The draft was followed by a supplemental draft on December 29, 2000, during which 65 additional players were selected in an effort to completely fill out team rosters. [1] Most eligible players came from either the CFL, the Arena Football League, NFL Europe, retired NFL players, or previous college players who had gone undrafted by the NFL but had not yet signed with another league.
The XFL draft took place in order for teams to be ready to begin league play when the season kicked off on February 3, 2001.
Many of the players selected in the XFL draft went on to compete in the NFL and other football leagues.
Notable players selected in the draft included Las Vegas running back Rod Smart, who first gained popularity because the name on the back of his jersey read " He Hate Me." Smart stated that he had wanted to put "They Hate Me" (a jab at his critics) but there wasn't enough room. Smart, who was only picked 357th in the draft, later went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, and the Oakland Raiders, thus becoming the second XFL player (after receiver Yo Murphy did as a member of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI) [2] to play in a Super Bowl, participating in Super Bowl XXXVIII, which his team lost.
Many other XFL "alumni" who were selected in the draft went on to play in the NFL, including Kevin Kaesviharn, Jose Cortez, Corey Ivy, Mike Furrey and Rod Smart, and many others played extensively in the CFL, including Kelvin Anderson, John Avery, Duane Butler, Jeremaine Copeland, Marcus Crandell, Reggie Durden, Eric England, Paul McCallum (who wore the jersey nickname "CFL Reject"), Yo Murphy, Noel Prefontaine and Bobby Singh. The Arena Football League also absorbed some former XFL players.
This section is missing information about rounds 29-59 and supplemental picks.(October 2019) |
The XFL was a professional American football league that played its only season in 2001. The XFL was operated as a joint venture between the World Wrestling Federation and NBC. The XFL was conceived as an outdoor football league that would begin play immediately after the National Football League (NFL) season ended, to take advantage of the perceived lingering public desire to watch football after the NFL and college football seasons conclude. It was promoted as having fewer rules to encourage rougher play than other major leagues, while its telecasts featured sports entertainment elements inspired by professional wrestling, including heat and kayfabe, and suggestively-dressed cheerleaders. Commentary crews also featured WWF commentators joined by sportscasters and veteran football players. Despite the wrestling influence, the games and their outcomes were legitimate and not based on scripted storylines.
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The league folded midway through its second season, in 1975. A new minor football league began play as the World Football League in 2008 after acquiring the rights to its trademarks and intellectual property; it folded in 2011.
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the XFL. They played in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax. They played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium. On February 3, 2001, The Outlaws hosted the first nationally televised XFL game on NBC against the New York/New Jersey Hitmen.
Torrold DeShaun "Rod" Smart is a former professional American football running back. He played college football for Western Kentucky. He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent after the 2000 NFL Draft.
A draft is a process used in some countries and sports to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selects a player, the team receives exclusive rights to sign that player to a contract, and no other team in the league may sign the player. The process is similar to round-robin item allocation.
Paul McCallum is a former Canadian football punter and placekicker. McCallum had been a member of four different CFL franchises, one XFL team, an NFL Europa team, and a Scottish third division club. At the time of his retirement, McCallum was the oldest active player in the CFL, having played in 23 seasons over the course of his career.
Llewellyn "Yo" Murphy is an American former gridiron football player of multiple professional leagues. He was originally signed by the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as an undrafted free agent in 1993; he played college football at Idaho. He has also coached.
The CFL Draft is an annual sports draft in which the teams of the Canadian Football League (CFL) select eligible Canadian/non-import players, typically from the ranks of U Sports football or NCAA college football. Member clubs make selections based on the reverse order of the previous year's standings, with the team with the worst record being awarded the first selection, the Grey Cup runner-up getting the second-to-last selection and the Grey Cup champion selecting last. The draft is held once every year, approximately six weeks prior to the start of the upcoming season.
Robert Donald Murphy is a former professional gridiron football offensive lineman. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for Ohio State University, and was recognized as an All-American. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and has played professionally for the Frankfurt Galaxy, Chicago Enforcers, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and BC Lions.
Barry Todd Wilburn is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the eighth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. Wilburn played in eight NFL seasons from 1985 to 1996 and in two CFL seasons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the British Columbia Lions. He played in one final season in 1999 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before retiring.
The 1984 NFL supplemental draft of USFL and CFL players was a one-time draft of United States Football League and Canadian Football League players, held in the spring of 1984.
Mike Cawley is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL), NFL Europe and the XFL. He played college football for the James Madison Dukes. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Kony Montoy Ealy is a gridiron football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Missouri and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.
William Lamont Smith is a former American football linebacker. He was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Texas Tech University.
Robert Myers is an American football guard. He played college football at Tennessee State, and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Ka'Darius O'Keith Cannon is an American football wide receiver for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Baylor. He has played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Elijah Qualls is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Washington.
The XFL was a professional American football minor league consisting of eight teams located across the United States in mid-sized to major markets. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the United States Football League (USFL). The league headquarters were in Arlington, Texas.
The 2020 XFL season was the first season in the reboot of the XFL, and the second in the history of the XFL brand created and owned by professional wrestling magnate Vince McMahon, coming 19 years after the 2001 XFL season.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to gridiron football across the world, mirroring its impact across all sports. Across the world and to varying degrees, leagues and competitions have been cancelled or postponed.