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When the Colts took Edgerrin James No. 4 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft, many people thought it was a mistake. The Colts had recently traded Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, and Ricky Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner that year, seemed like the obvious choice to be the first running back taken in the draft.
Hall of Fame General Manager Bill Polian had other plans.
James, the only player to ever lead the NFL in rushing in his first two seasons, made Polian look like a genius almost immediately and, on Aug. 7, James will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Children s book author, Marshall Faulk share stories at Hall of Fame cantonrep.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cantonrep.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
How it played out: With the first pick, the Giants considered Butkus before choosing Auburn s Tucker Frederickson because he is the best all-around fullback in the country, Giants vice president Wellington Mara said at the time.
After the 49ers selected North Carolina running back Ken Williard, the Bears chose Butkus third with a pick they had acquired in a trade with the Steelers and Sayers fourth with their own selection.
After the Cowboys drafted California quarterback Craig Morton fifth overall, the Bears chose DeLong at No. 6 with a pick they had acquired from Washington.
Butkus and Sayers became Hall of Famers who remain among the best players at their respective positions in NFL history. DeLong signed with the Chargers in the rival AFL and later played his final pro season with the Bears in 1972.
Jamal Lewis won an NFL championship, a league rushing title and is a member of the exclusive 2,000-yard fraternity along with Hall of Famers O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders and Terrell Davis. What he doesn t have is any love from Canton.
LOS ANGELES (AP) Cam Akers grew up in Mississippi, and his football journey has taken him to Tallahassee and Los Angeles. So the Rams' rookie running back hasn't spent a whole lot of time.