The 1965 National Football League (NFL) Draft was the league’s 30th annual player selection meeting. It was conducted on November 28, 1964, at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The draft took place prior to the 1965 NFL season and preceded the league’s eventual merger with the American Football League (AFL), which operated a separate draft at the same time.
Format and Procedure
- Rounds and Selections: The draft comprised 20 rounds, during which NFL teams made a total of 280 selections.
- Order of Selection: Teams selected in reverse order of their 1964 regular‑season records, with the club holding the worst record picking first in each round.
- Team Participation: All 14 NFL franchises participated, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants.
- Venue and Technology: The event was held in a conference setting at the Sheraton Hotel; selections were communicated to team representatives by telephone and recorded on official draft sheets.
Historical Context
The 1965 draft occurred during a period of intense competition between the NFL and the rival AFL, each league seeking to secure top collegiate talent. The NFL’s selection process was thus directly comparable to the AFL’s simultaneous draft, leading to several players being drafted by both leagues and ultimately choosing one contract over the other.
Notable Outcomes
- The draft produced a number of players who later achieved significant professional success, including individuals later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Several high‑profile college athletes opted to sign with AFL teams despite being selected in the NFL draft, illustrating the competitive market for talent at the time.
Legacy
The 1965 NFL Draft contributed to the continuing evolution of player acquisition strategies and set precedents for later reforms in draft timing, format, and league cooperation that culminated in the common draft instituted after the 1966 AFL–NFL merger agreement.