The 1956 NFL draft had its first three rounds held on November 28, 1955, at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its final twenty-seven rounds on January 17–18, 1956, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California[1][2][3]
| 1956 NFL draft | |
|---|---|
 The Ambassador Hotel (venue of the final 25 rounds), photographed in 1959 | |
| General information | |
| Dates | November 28, 1955 & January 17–18, 1956 |
| Location | The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania & Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California |
| Overview | |
| 360 total selections in 30 rounds | |
| League | NFL |
| First selection | Gary Glick, QB/S Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Mr. Irrelevant | Bob Bartholomew, OT Cleveland Browns |
| Most selections (36) | Los Angeles Rams |
| Fewest selections (28) | Chicago Bears New York Giants Washington Redskins |
| Hall of Famers | 5
|
The previous NFL drafts in the 1950s were held in January; the first three rounds (37 selections) were moved up this year to late November to better compete with teams from Canada.[4][5]
This was the tenth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery. With the previous nine winners ineligible from the draw, only the Chicago Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers had an equal chance of winning.[6] The draft lottery was won by Pittsburgh, who selected defensive back Gary Glick.
Player selections
edit| = Pro Bowler [7] | = Hall of Famer |
Hall of Famers
edit- Lenny Moore, halfback from Penn State taken 1st round 9th overall by the Baltimore Colts.
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1975.[9]
- Forrest Gregg, offensive tackle from Southern Methodist University taken 2nd round 20th overall by the Green Bay Packers.
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1977.[9]
- Bart Starr, quarterback from University of Alabama taken 17th round 200th overall by the Green Bay Packers.
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1977.[9]
- Willie Davis, defensive end from Grambling State University taken 15th round 181st overall by the Cleveland Browns.
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1981.[10]
- Sam Huff, linebacker from West Virginia taken 3rd round 30th overall by the New York Giants.
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1982.[10]
Notable undrafted players
edit| † | = Pro Bowler[7] |
| Original NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cardinals | Carl Brettschneider | LB | Iowa State | |
| Los Angeles Rams | Tommy Wilson † | RB | ||
| San Francisco 49ers | Clyde Conner | WR | Pacific | |
| San Francisco 49ers | John Gonzaga | T |
References
edit- ↑ "NFL Draft Locations". www.footballgeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ↑ Salomone, Dan (October 2, 2014). "NFL Draft headed to Chicago in 2015". Giants.com. New York Giants. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ↑ Peters, Craig (April 23, 2020). "Draft Diaries: Vikings Consultant was Asleep When Picked by Browns in '56". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ↑ "NFL will begin draft tomorrow". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. November 27, 1955. p. 3, section 4.
- ↑ "Earliest NFL draft takes place today". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 28, 1955. p. 3, part 2.
- ↑ "Draft History: 1940's". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
- 1 2 Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
- ↑ "Heisman Trophy". Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
- 1 2 3 List of 1970s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- 1 2 List of 1980s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
External links
edit- NFL.com – 1956 Draft
- databaseFootball.com – 1956 Draft
- "1956 National Football League Draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 10, 2025.