Chet Simmons
FILE - In this March 14, 1967, file photo, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle works at on a blackboard at a New York City hotel during the first round of the combined National Football League (NFL) - American Football league (AFL) football player draft. This brand new TV entity called ESPN approached NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1980 offering to broadcast the proceedings from the New York Sheraton. Rozelle couldn't fathom why ESPN boss Chet Simmons made the offer. (AP Photo/Jacob Harris, File)
The story of the NFL draft, from extravaganza to unadorned

By Barry Wilner Mar. 27, 2020 12:24 PM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 1957, file photo, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell gestures in his office in Philadelphia. His creation, the NFL draft, has become an industry unto itself and the league’s third-most popular annual event behind the Super Bowl and opening weekend. (AP Photo/Warren M. Winterbottom, File)
From cozy get-together to huge event, NFL draft has soared

By Barry Wilner Apr. 23, 2019 12:59 PM EDT