Smith, Jones, Webster & Washington: A quartet like no other
The first common draft produced an unprecedented and yet to be duplicated bonanza. Four players from Michigan State were selected among the first eight picks. Defensive end Bubba Smith was taken first overall by the Baltimore Colts; halfback Clinton Jones, second by Minnesota; linebacker George Webster, fifth by the Houston Oilers; and offensive end Gene Washington, eighth, also by Minnesota.
The four players were the products of coach Duffy Daugherty’s pioneering stance on inclusion. At a time when the major football programs in the South remained segregated and many northern schools abided by quotas of no more than five or six Black players on their rosters, Daugherty welcomed minorities.
In the 1966 national championship showdown against Notre Dame, the soon-to-be 9-0-1 Spartans had 20 Black players on their roster, including 11 starters – one of them being their quarterback and future NFL assistant coach Jimmy Raye – and two captains.
The bellwethers were the first-round picks.
On Bubba Smith (6-7, 268)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive backfield coach Don Heinrich (Spring 1966 BLESTO Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Has great size, speed, strength and overall ability. Is an outstanding prospect. Has had some problems in the past with attitude and loafed when he got the chance. Is so much stronger, he’s not pushed. Pro ball could change this for him.”
Steelers personnel director Art Rooney Jr. (Fall 1966 BLESTO Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Very inconsistent. As good as he wants. Rushed QB so hard, he put him out of the game. Lets blocker get to his body but that doesn’t usually stop him. Overruns people. Can be mean. Plays some DT and did well. Will have to make an effort to star in NFL but has tools.”
Steelers assistant coach Joe Krupa (Fall 1966 BLESTO Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Strong, fast charge. Has a tendency to play too high, but uses hands on pass rush. Tends to relax. When he played was easily cut. Fast.”
On Clinton Jones (6-2, 206)
BLESTO scout Bill Daddio (Spring 1966 Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Has good speed, eyes, hands and balance. Another (George) McAfee and (Gale) Sayers combination. Should be No. 1 draft choice in the country.”
Bill Nunn Jr., Pittsburgh Courier sports editor and part-time Steelers scout (Spring 1966 BLESTO Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Best running back I’ve seen this spring. Has speed, balance and change of gears. Sets up blocks quite well. Terrific to the outside. Couldn’t tell about his catching ability because they didn’t use him as a receiver. Running reminds me of Lenny Moore. Can’t miss making grade in NFL.”
BLESTO scout Jerry Neri (Fall 1966 Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “A darting type runner with great quickness to accelerate. Despite his size, he has great leg drive and the power to break tackles. His hands are questionable, although adequate to be able to catch the check off and swing pass. In practice, he showed problems catching deeper type passes – he seems to be stiff fingered and fights the ball.”
On George Webster (6-4, 218)
Rooney Jr. (Spring 1966 BLESTO Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Great quickness, pursuit and red-dog. A hitter. Comes up and belts pass catcher. Covers flat well. Wards off blockers. Strong. Good reactions. A real mean streak. Poor hands on interceptions. Great growth potential.”
BLESTO scout Ken Stilley (Fall 1966 Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Covers a lot of field. Plays rover. I think he will be a great LB. I have never seen him miss a tackle. He stalks his man and lets him have it. Will be great. 10.3 100.”
BLESTO scout Ralph Kohl (Fall 1966 Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Great prospect. Active and great range. Really ‘sticks’ tough and great hitter. Makes the big play. Pass cover potential very good. Needs upper body development. Could play DS (strong safety). 1963 – knee surgery, taped now. 1966 neck nerve pinch, wears collar.”
On Gene Washington (6-3, 218)
Rooney (Spring 1966 BLESTO Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Runs track. Coaches say he is one of best all-time athletes at Michigan State. Tries to block. Good crack back. Needs work on straight-ahead and downfield blocks. Gets off line nifty. Fights for ball. Quick feet. Jumps high and great deep receiver.”
Stilley (Fall 1966 Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Can catch the ball well. Will outrun most defenders. I haven’t seen him make good fake and cut like a pro, but I don’t think he’s coached to do so. Great ability. Great pro prospect. Can be a flanker.”
Kohl (Fall 1966 Report, Pro Football Hall of Fame): “Has slim chance as NFL starter. Gifted. Has everything great except hands. Looked tight and dropped a lot in practice. Maybe bad day.”
Smith and Webster were dominant players early in their careers before becoming victims of serious injuries.
In his first five seasons, Smith tallied 43 sacks before they were recognized as an official statistic and was named to two Pro Bowls. He suffered ligament and tendon damage to his right knee in a preseason game in 1972, spent the season on injured reserve and was never the same. He played four more years with Oakland and Houston and registered only 9½ more sacks.
After Webster’s first three seasons, his bio in the 1970 Houston Oilers media guide stated, he “is already considered the finest outside linebacker in the game” and is “already in the superstar class.” At that point, Webster was a three-time Pro Bowl pick and three-time Associated Press All-Pro. In 1971, Webster injured his knee in the season opener and missed 11 games over two seasons. He finished his career with Pittsburgh and New England without ever playing again at an all-pro level.
Minnesota’s first two picks, Jones and Washington, had some good years but were never standouts.
Jones couldn’t beat out Dave Osborn, who was a better blocker, more punishing runner and a better fit for coach Bud Grant’s between-the-tackles running attack. Only twice in Jones’ seven-year career did he rush for more than 500 yards.
Washington made an impact as a big-play receiver for three seasons from 1968-70 when he was named to two Pro Bowls and averaged 17.7 yards and scored 19 TDs on 129 catches, but he suffered a foot injury in 1971 and struggled to get open thereafter. He played six seasons for the Vikings before being traded to Denver.
Chicago Bears general manager and former Vikings GM Jim Finks, second-guessing himself for the Jones and Washington picks (Christl interview, 1983): “Very honestly, we made a horrendous mistake with those three firsts. We took Clinton Jones when we should have taken (Syracuse halfback) Floyd Little. We took Gene Washington, and I don’t remember who we passed over. Neither ever proved to be anything more than pretty good football players. Then, finally, we took Alan Page. The thing that got us off Little – looking back now we didn’t know enough about the kid – was that he would have been 24 years old. He’d been in the military. But he would have been tailor-made for us up there. Clinton Jones is not a good athlete. He didn’t have good eye-to-hand coordination. He didn’t know how to block.”
The best of the Vikings’ three first-round picks turned out to be the last one taken, Notre Dame defensive end Alan Page. The Vikings obtained the 15th choice and end Marlin McKeever in a draft-day trade, giving up halfback Tommy Mason, end Hal Bledsoe and a second-round selection in exchange. One of seven Notre Dame players taken in the first three rounds, Page (6-5, 255) was projected as a defensive tackle.
The Vikings made their selections from a most unlikely draft room.
Grant on his first draft as Vikings coach (Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 27, 2018): “Jim Finks had a medical condition. He was in the hospital. … (Director of player personnel) Jerry Reichow, myself and Jim Finks drafted from his hospital room on the telephone.”
After the Vikings had drafted Jones and Washington, Minneapolis Star sports columnist Dick Cullum wrote that Grant gushed: “Things are going well for the Vikings. Sit tight for a few minutes. Something else may develop.”
Not long after, the San Diego Chargers selected defensive tackle Ron Billingsley (6-8, 258) of Wyoming with the 14th pick. “Ron Billingsley!” Grant exclaimed with a big grin before revealing that Billingsley wasn’t ranked among their top four defensive linemen. Promptly, the Vikings swung their trade with the Rams and grabbed Page.
Grant on Page (Minneapolis Star, March 15, 1967): “He was one of the best four (defensive linemen) and I don’t mean he was fourth. I only say he was one of the four standouts. … I don’t know where he’ll play for us. We need pressure (on the quarterback) from the inside of our defensive line. We’ll have to see if Page can give it to us, or maybe move Carl Eller to tackle.”
Finks (Christl interview, 1983): “Page should have been the guy taken first. We got lucky as hell with Page.”
Page played 15 seasons at defensive tackle and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988. Billingsley played four years with San Diego, demanded to be traded and played in only 17 more games with the Oilers. Page was credited with 148½ career sacks; Billingsley with eight in six seasons.
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