Packers Hall Of Famers Who Were Undrafted

There aren’t many of them since the NFL draft began in 1936, but there are a couple. That is, Green Bay Packers Hall of Famers who were signed as undrafted free agents.

Defensive back Willie Wood and tight end Paul Coffman are the only two players since the beginning of the draft era to go undrafted and make the Hall. Although the draft used to have many more rounds than the current seven-round format, there were also fewer teams.

For example, Bart Starr was chosen in the 17th round in 1956. He was pick No. 199. This year, the final pick of the seventh round was No. 253.

Still, in whatever era they played, an undrafted rookie still faces long odds to make the team, much less the Packers Hall of Fame. Wood bucked the odds even further, making it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The reason Wood went undrafted is because he played quarterback in college and was deemed too short to play the position in the pros. When the Packers signed him they converted him to safety and used him as a return man.

Although Coffman wasn’t quite as successful as Wood, he still made three Pro Bowls with the Packers.

Here are the undrafted rookies signed by the Packers this year.

Jaymes Brooks, guard/center, Virginia Tech
Dale Moss, receiver, South Dakota State
Don Barclay, tackle/guard, West Virginia
Sean Richardson, safety, Vanderbilt
Nic Cooper, running back, Winston-Salem State
Dezman Moses, defensive end, Tulane
Dion Turner, cornerback, Southern Utah
Marc Tyler, running back, USC
Drew Vanderlin, defensive end, Michigan Tech
Eric Lair, tight end, Minnesota
Tommie Draheim, guard, San Diego State
Duane Bennett, running back, Minnesota
Cameron Ford, tight end, Wake Forest
Marcus Rivers, receiver, Buffalo

You can read more about the Packers 2012 undrafted free agents here.