Location a crowd pleaser C
(APRIL 30, 2015)
This story published when the NFL draft returned to Chicago for the first time in 51 seasons. Florida State’s Jameis Winston was selected by Tampa Bay as the first overall selection on April 30, 2015.
HICAGO — One by one on Thursday night some of the NFL’s top draft prospects filed out of black SUVs fit for the Secret Service and followed the gold-carpet path into the historic Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University.
Former Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon was the first player dropped off on Michigan Avenue. He and his mother followed Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Bears Hall of Famer Dick Butkus for what seemed like a city block before making a right onto Congress Parkway and into Gordon’s future.
A sea of people in a blur of jerseys from the Saints to the Steelers to the Packers packed the streets surrounding Draft Town, where police sat at the ready atop horses.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase what a great city we have,” Butkus said of having the draft here for the first time since December 1963.
“This has exceeded our highest expectations,” Emanuel said.
“This is larger than any sporting event except for the Super Bowl.”
Inside, foggy white spotlights intersected one another above a shiny black stage where NFL dreams begin to merge into NFL reality.
Cityscape portraits of the skyline and Buckingham Fountain flashed on almostlife-sized screens behind a lectern sitting center stage.
Unlike the top two picks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota -- or “Marioto,” as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell introduced him -- who weren’t in attendance, Gordon wanted to be present.
“To find out what team I’m playing for,” said Gordon, whom the Chargers selected at No. 15. “(Time) is not going fast enough.”
It didn’t move much quicker inside. The first 10 picks milked an hour of clock. But Bears fans didn’t have to wait too long to hear West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White’s name echo off the walls of the auditorium when he was picked seventh.
The selection didn’t mirror Butkus’ intuition.
“John Fox, defensive guy,” Butkus said of the Bears’ first-year coach. “I think they should go with defense.”
Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton walked the gold carpet, his parents on either side of him, wearing native Samoan garb that included a maroon lava-lava, which is a skirt-like garment. Shelton greeted Goodell with a hug before lifting him off his feet during the embrace after Shelton was announced as the Browns’ pick at No. 12. Then he was at a loss.
“I can’t even explain it,” Shelton said.
“It’s crazy. It’s happening right now.”
Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray was just hoping to be picked as high as possible. He was issued a marijuana citation Monday and many expected his draft stock to plummet.
“This moment is everything, and regardless of the mistake that I made, I owned it and I came here and I’ve learned from it,” Ray said. “And more importantly I’ve worked my whole life to be here and I feel I deserve this opportunity still.
“Everybody has a bump in the road. (It) just so happens mine was earlier this week. Whoever decides to take a chance on me, give me an opportunity, I’m going to dedicate myself to that team (and) be successful.”