The First Pick: 1941-1945

We continue our look at the earliest NFL Draft picks by looking at the WWII years, when football players and military servicemen were undoubtedly intertwined.

1941: TOM HARMON (HB, Michigan)

Arguably the greatest player ever to don the Maize and Blue, Harmon won the Heisman in 1940 after a stellar college career at Michigan. While listed as a halfback, he performed many other duties including passing, kicking, punting, and even intercepting the football. One of the great "60 minute men" of the era, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1941 but opted to play for the New York Americans of the American Football League. After a short war service as a pilot for the Army Air Corps, he returned to the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946, but his career was hampered by his war service. He retired in 1947 with 9 touchdowns and a respectable 5.1 yard rushing average.


1942: BILL DUDLEY (HB, Virginia)

"Bullet" Bill Dudley finished a superb college career at Virginia by being drafted number one overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1942. Dudley immediately impressed, leading the league in rushing en route to an All-Pro nomination. The war quickly interrupted his career by calling him to service between 1943-45. Dudley continued his winning ways by leading the Army football team to a 12-0 record in 1944. In 1945 Dudley returned to the Steelers, playing only four games but ending the season as Pittsburgh's top scorer. 1946 saw another great year for Dudley, in which he lead the league in rushing, interceptions, and punt returns en route to a league MVP and All-Pro selection. Dudley played for the Detroit Lions from 1947-1949 and with the Redskins from 1950-1953, leading the team in scoring in most of those seasons. For his efforts as an effortless touchdown-maker, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966, the first of our number one overall picks to receive the honor.


1943: FRANK SINKWICH (HB, Georgia)

The 1942 Heisman Trophy winner, Sinkwich became the first football player from the Southeastern Conference to receive the honor. After amassing several rushing records with the Bulldogs, Sinkwich was selected first overall in the 1943 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He excelled in his two years in Detroit, earning the NFL MVP in 1944. A knee injury suffered during his service in 1945 severely limited his playing ability, and he played for three more years with the AAFC's New York Yankees and Baltimore Colts before calling it quits.


1944: ANGELO BERTELLI (QB, Notre Dame)

Bertelli was the 1943 Heisman winner and quarterback for the Fighting Irish. Bertelli excelled in coach Frank Leahy's new T-formation that led Notre Dame to an impressive streak of wins. Bertelli was drafted by the Boston Yanks in 1944 but elected to serve, nearly losing his life in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Bertelli eventually signed with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC in 1946, and eventually went on to play two years with the Chicago Rockets of the AAFC. A largely unremarkable pro career ended in 1949 due to multiple knee injuries he had amassed.


1945: CHARLEY TRIPPI (HB, Georgia)

Trippi played alongside Frank Sinkwich in Athens, but managed to have a much better career professionally than Sinkwich ever had. Drafted by the Chicago Cardinals, Trippi spent 8 years with the team, managing a career filled with 2 Pro Bowl selections, 3 All-Pro selections, and 1 1940s All Decade selection. Arguably, however, his biggest accomplishment stems from his performance in the 1947 NFL Championship Game, in which Trippi scored 2 touchdowns while gaining 206 yards rushing. Trippi, who also occasionally played quarterback, is also the only player in the Hall of Fame to have 1000 yards receiving, 1000 yards passing, and 1000 yards rushing.


Best pick of 1941-1945: BILL DUDLEY (1942)

Dudley and Trippi were without a doubt the two best picks of the half-decade. However, Dudley managed to score more points than Trippi ever did, despite Trippi's longer career and championship ring. Dudley was a touchdown machine and had it not been for the war he may have endured a very long career as one of the top football players of all time.