Cal Bears By The Numbers in the NFL Draft

225 and 26

Since the NFL Draft first came into existence, there have been 225 Cal Bears players selected to play in the NFL. 26 of those players have gone in the first round.

In the inaugural Draft, Cal tackle Larry Lutz became the first Golden Bear to be selected, when the Boston Redskins picked him in the sixth round as the 49th overall pick. At the time, there were only nine NFL teams, and in nine draft rounds, 81 players were selected. Lutz turned down the offer to play in the NFL.

The Bears’ initial first-round pick didn’t come until 16 years later, when the New York Yanks selected guard, linebacker, and kicker Les Richter as the second overall pick. Unfortunately for Richter, the Yanks ceased operations before the 1952 season began, and the Dallas Texans assumed his rights. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for 11 players (the second-largest single player deal in NFL history), marking his third team before he played his first snap in the NFL.

Cal’s most recent draft selection came in 2014, when the New Orleans Saints picked linebacker Khairi Fortt in the fourth round as the 126th overall pick. Their most recent first-round pick was in 2011, when defensive end Cameron Jordan went 24th overall, also to the Saints.

Next: The Cream of the Crop