Some moments in our childhood shape the people we become. The 1995 NFL Draft was one of those moments for me. I was 9 years old at the time. I was a passenger in a car. My dad was driving. The Jets were on the clock. All signs pointed to them taking Warren Sapp, who went on to become the best defensive tackle in the game and helped the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl. The fans at the Draft chanted, "We want Sapp! We want Sapp!"
The Jets took Kyle Brady, a tight end from Penn State. The pick made no sense. Even at the time, nobody thought Brady was going to be better than Sapp. Sure, Sapp had drug rumors flying around him that made some teams pass, but there was no defense for the pick. The Jets were trying to develop another tight end, Johnny Mitchell, who appeared at number 6 on this list.
My dad told me at that point that as my father, he wanted me to become a Giants fan. He told me I was young and had my whole life in front of me. He didn't want me to be a Jets fan and make the same mistake he did. His family was originally from Pennsylvania. We followed Penn State football. We knew the Penn State product, Brady, was going to be a bust.
Brady was just that. He only lasted 4 years with the Jets and never had more than 30 catches or 315 yards in one season. He was an excellent blocker and made a long career at the position as a result. You do not take a tight end in the first half of the first round to be a blocking tight end, though. When there are serious conversations by fans just a few years later about how it would be a good idea to turn a first round tight end into a tackle as some fans suggested, something has gone horribly wrong.
As something of a funny postscript, the Cleveland Browns and head coach Bill Belichick picked immediately after the Jets and were in need of a tight end. They reportedly loved Brady and were set to take him. They were stunned and promptly traded down 20 slots to regroup. Belichick's affection for Brady never faded, and the coach brought aboard the veteran tight end as part of the 2007 Patriots team that went 18-1.
Are You Smarter Than The Experts?
Correctly predict the first 32 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft and you’ll win $10,000,000!
BEST ROUND EVER IN PRIMETIME
Enter at facebook.com/BudLight
Here We Go
Enjoy Responsibly ©2011 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO. ©2011 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. No Purchase Necessary. Contest open to U.S. residents (except CA) 21+. Contest begins 12AM CDT on 4/1 and ends 5:59:59PM CDT on 4/28. See Official Rules for complete details. Void where prohibited.