He was the first player in Pitt history to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft, going to the Philadelphia 76ers as the third overall choice. He went on to enjoy a successful 10-year NBA career. The squad did not wait till the end of his career to retire his jersey. The number 3 is now used as a practice jersey.
The University of Pittsburgh began play in 1873. So, it's safe to say that this is a new thing for them. Tony Stewart was the first player drafted by an NHL team when the Philadelphia Flyers took him with the third pick of the 1988 draft. He played only one season before being traded to the New York Islanders, where he spent nine more seasons playing in all but two games before retiring in 1997. The only other player to be drafted by an NHL team is Doug Jarvis, who was selected by the Quebec Nordiques with the ninth pick of the 1989 draft. He too only played one season before being traded, this time to the Washington Capitals. In 2001, the Nordiques were rebranded as the Avalanche and Jarvis has been their top pick ever since.
In addition to Stewart and Jarvis, four other players were selected in the 1988 draft but didn't play a single game in the NHL. Three of them (Scott Stevens, Keith Tkachuk, and Chris Simon) were picked in the first three rounds respectively.
Joe Greene, a defensive lineman from North Texas State, was Noll's first-round choice and went on to become a perennial All-Pro and the defensive line's backbone. The Steelers picked quarterback Terry Bradshaw (Louisiana Tech) and running back Franco Harris (Penn State) as first-round choices over the following three years.
Len Dawson was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft out of Purdue, but he was unable to make an impression on the squad. Following his debut season, his position with the Steelers was jeopardized when the team acquired future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne early in the 1958 season.
Four of the first five players chosen in the draft-quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Barry Sanders, linebacker Derrick Thomas, and cornerback Deion Sanders-were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1955 The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the ninth round (102nd overall) in the 1955 NFL draft. He played only one season for them, but it was a very successful one. Unitas went 9-1 as a starter and led them to their first ever championship.
Two days after the season ended, the New York Yankees signed him to a $13,000 contract. He stayed with the Yankees for seven years, winning 105 games while losing 50 games over that period. In 1962 he returned to football when the Baltimore Colts hired him as their quarterback. He won two more championships with the Colts, including an undefeated season in 1969. After that season he decided to retire from football.
He came out of retirement in 1973 when the Chicago Bears offered him a job as their quarterback. He started eight games for them that season, finishing with a record of 5-3. In 1974 he joined the San Francisco 49ers and started nine games for them, finishing with a record of 4-5. That same year he also finished second in the voting for the NFL MVP award.
He continued to play at a high level throughout his career, helping several teams reach the playoffs. In 1978 he had a record of 10-1-1 when he got married.
Shaw, Oregon's first first-round choice and the first and only No. 1 overall pick, appeared to be destined for a long and prosperous NFL career. Unfortunately, an injury during his first season allowed another rookie, Johnny Unitas, to take over as the Colts' starter. Shaw remained with the team but never regained his original form and was released after three seasons.
He died at the age of 30 in a car accident.
The Chicago Bears selected Shaw with the first overall selection in the 1953 NFL Draft. The move was widely viewed as a favor to Mr. McMahon since the team was having financial problems and was expected to be cut down to size by now-legendary owner George Halas. In fact, the Bears had been planning to select Nebraska's Ed Jones with their first pick but changed their mind at the last minute due to the presence of Shaw on the board. Although both players were from small towns (Shaw came from Sweetwater, Texas while Jones came from Norfolk, Nebraska), neither one knew anything about each other before the draft.
Shaw went on to play nine seasons in Chicago and was a two-time All-Pro selection. He retired after the 1960 season with 99 interceptions, which is still a franchise record.
After leaving football, he worked as a security guard at Wrigley Field and taught physical education at Edison High School in San Diego.
The Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan in the first round as a third-round choice in the 1984 draft. He was selected after Akeem Olajuwon, who is currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Sam Bowie.
Jordan played for the Bulls for six seasons before being traded to the Washington Wizards. He finished his career with the Charlotte Hornets.
During his time with the Bulls, he helped them win three championships - in 1991, 1992 and 1993 - and was named MVP all three times. The "Flu Game", as it's known in basketball folklore, occurred when Jordan scored 46 points against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals. It was only the second time in NBA history that someone had scored 50 or more points in a game. The other time was when Bill Russell did so for the Boston Celtics in 1956.
After leaving the Bulls, he returned in 2001 and became the president of operations for the franchise. He was also named an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau for four years.
In 2004, Jordan announced that he was returning to basketball. The following year, he signed with the Wizards once again. This time, though, he served as an ambassador for the team while still playing on a part-time basis. He retired for good after the 2007-08 season.
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