1960 NAAF Draft - Round 1
1 - Indiana Victors - WR Alexei Dubois - Quebec City, QC
It wasn’t too big of a surprise to see Dubois go off the board to Indiana first. The team has had no weapons through the air in their first 3 seasons and desperately needed to give their QBs options through the air. Dubois is likely to step in right away as a top option on the offence.
Lawrence Gainsborough’s Scouting Report
Dubois is a stellar wide receiver prospect. He has some of the best hands that any receiver has ever had. All season he would find ways to reel in catches, even if they were a mile over his head. His athletic ability to go up and get the ball certainly helped him gain an advantage over top-end DBs that would try to stop him. The only real issue for Dubois could be a bit of sloppy route running, which can put him in tough spots, but he makes up for it in athletic ability.
2 - Worcester Athletics - DB Joe Robinson - Philadelphia, PA
GM Jack McKinnon knew he needed to find a replacement for DB Alexander Bradley after he took off to Louisville last year. McKinnon had his eyes set on Robinson regardless of who the Victors took #1. Robinson seems to be one of the most sure-fire players near the top and should be able to jump in and make a difference out of the gate.
Dewey Thomas’ Scouting Report
Robinson is a hard-working, never give up type of player. He gives it his all on every play and will stick to his man like glue. He is a very physical DB, which means he can lay down the law on the defence and knock players into next week. The downside to the physical play is that Robinson can get himself into trouble, whether that is penalties or missed tackles on attempted hits. He has cleared a lot of those mistakes up which makes him look good going into next season.
3 - Buffalo Blue Wings - RB Jimmy Golden - Wakefield, QC
The Blue Wings were very happy to see Golden fall to them at #3; though they would’ve been just as happy with Robinson. Buffalo is looking for the centrepieces of their future and Golden is a great RB for the job. RB Johnnie Stafford will likely still be in the starting role, but it gives Golden some time to learn and grow into the NAAF.
Johnny Armando’s Scouting Report
Golden is a special player, he’s got great field vision and “rabbit” quickness, that allows him to weave his way through defences. In his college season with St. Lawrence, Golden was able to score 5 touchdowns from 60+ yards. The issues for Golden come from his personality. The RB certainly has a me-first attitude, which is good for confidence, but tough for being on a team. This may also be a reason for his lack of effort when blocking out of the backfield. Certainly don’t expect him to be on the field much during passing plays.
TRADE ALERT
Well, GM Virgil Gross had to make his presence known at some point tonight. The man known for his dealing nature, made a move early in the draft to move Montreal back in the draft. The Providence Gold Stars would hop on the train to move up. GM Allen Hutchensen was looking to trade some of the veterans out of Providence and this was his opportunity. The Gold Stars would send the 6th overall pick and DL Zakary Turbide to the Rouge in exchange for the 4th overall pick, DL Xander Devereaux, and 1959 All-Star, S Jumon Cobb.
Gross was the one to originally being Turbide over to Providence from the Rouge, but now he’s bringing him back home to play for the Rouge one more time and boost the DL.
As for the Gold Stars, they add a younger Deveraux to help rebuild the line and S Jumon Cobb to fill up a very vacant Safety position as Montreal moves on to second-year S Garet deVale for next season. There is also a 1961 conditional pick headed to Montreal if the Rouge are not able to re-sign Turbide.
4 - Providence Gold Stars (via Montreal) - DL Craig White - Cambridge, MA
The Gold Stars would quickly replace Turbide with a younger top-end DL. With the pick, the Gold Stars now have a revamped and younger DL core that should grow into a strong part of the future.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report
White is a monster, he’s got terrifying strength combined with clean technique. He uses both his strength and handwork to get around linemen in varying ways. White is also a hard worker, that takes football very seriously. He’s constantly looking to get stronger and improve his abilities, which is a coach’s dream. Seems like a perfect pick out of the gate for the Gold Stars.
5 - Louisville Thunder - DL Dale Rothery - Portland, ME
The Thunder would follow the Gold Stars in taking a defensive lineman. Louisville has significant weaknesses on both the DL and OL, which they really wanted to address in this draft. They did pass up on OL Kurt Booker, who surprisingly fell to them, but they had their sights set on Rothery and decided to play their safe hand.
Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
It was tough to differentiate Rothery and Craig White as both are strong and powerful players. The biggest difference is Rothery’s use of speed to get around lineman versus Craig Whtie’s technique. The mix of strength and speed help him either run around players or run through them. The big issue might be getting caught up in a play, or getting caught behind the play with his aggressive style to get to the QB, but he’s a fierce fighter and will be a good addition for the Thunder.
6 - Montreal Rouge (via Providence) - OL Kurt Booker - Syracuse, NY
Booker was not going to slide any further from 2nd overall with the Rouge finally taking him at 6. Montreal hopes the addition of Booker can continue to grow the OL and allow for RB Scott Mallard-White to get some open space to make big plays this season.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report
Booker is a talented OL with plenty of winning experience, being on very successful teams throughout his life. He’s a determined player that can be a great leader on any team. He backs up his leadership with excellent footwork and quickness to protect his QB and open up holes for the run game. His only issues could be his conditioning, which can leave him tired on long drives or towards the end of the game. However, it’s likely something he can overcome with a very determined personality.
7 - Boston Independents - OL Reynold Gilbertson - Rochester, NY
The Independents end up being one of the first to reach a bit in the draft grabbing Gilbertson. Certainly, not a bad pick since Boston still has a strong OL, but with some getting older Gilbertson should be a great addition for the future.
Johnny Armando’s Scouting Report
Gilbertson is a great OL option. He is disciplined and great with fundamentals. He’s great for coaches, as he will stick to the playbook and will do what he is asked. Overall he is a strong athlete, with decent strength and quickness. His personality is very relaxed as well and will be a good piece for any team’s chemistry.
TRADE ALERT
The Louisville Thunder decided they wanted to make a jump in the draft and made a trade with the Long Island Raiders to move into the 8th overall spot. The Thunder picked up the 8th overall pick in exchange for the 15th overall pick and undrafted DB Herb Covington. The Raiders do get an interesting young player in Covington who has shown a lot of growth since the Thunder signed him a couple of seasons ago.
8 - Louisville Thunder (via Long Island) - LB Calvin Hardy - Burlington, VT
With their next pick, the Thunder grabbed a linebacker to help continue to grow their defence. With LB Silas O’Brien and LB George Yokoi being the base so far, Calvin Hardy will likely be a strong 3rd LB to strengthen the core.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report
Hardy was originally a RB but he found his true strength on the defence. While LB is where he’s placed with a strong tackling ability, but he has the speed to be put in almost any position on the defence. Hardy is also a strong presence on the team being a no-non-sense player that keeps his teammates in check. Could be a great leadership option for the future.
9 - London Tigers - LB Gideon Jura - Philadelphia, PA
The Tigers ended up grabbing the player making waves in the football world with his conversations about the NYFL/ACFL’s actions towards minorities. Jura is a great option that should be able to step into the LB core that is getting up there in age on the Tigers.
Lawrence Gainsborough’s Scouting Report
A freight train some will say, Jura has the ability to run through players. He has the speed and strength to make tackles in the open field. His on-field IQ isn’t great as he has trouble seeing plays develop, but if you get him focused on a specific task he will do that task to the beat.
10 - Ottawa Royals - OL Fabrice Beaufort - Quebec City, QC
The Royals were very tempted by both WR Ed Edwards and WR Joshua Lafleur, who has dropped quite a bit in this draft, but they ended up going for the position of need in the O-line. They decided to Beaufort to help to turn over the ageing OL to a new core.
Vincent Desjardins’ Scouting Report
Beaufort is a good all-around OL that should be able to fit on any OL in the NAAF. He’s a jack of all trades type, that has a sound style that works well for the passing game. He was a major reason QB Charles Lemieux has a lot of success in St. Lawrence this past college season. He lacks any true skill that makes him stand out, but he also lacks a lot of major flaws, so there are the pros and cons.
The second round opened up with the Indiana Victors taking their second WR of the draft. The Victors were interested in grabbing Ed Edwards before the 1959 season began, but they ended up having the opportunity to grab Dubois at #1. In the end, the team was able to get both receivers to truly rejuvenate their WR core. Worcester also could not pass up on taking WR Joshua Lafleur who fell to them at #12 despite needs in other positions like OL.
The Buffalo Blue Wings would be the team to take a shot on QB Charles Lemieux. Pairing up Lemieux with his college teammate RB Jimmy Golden could be a huge opportunity for the team’s future. There are some concerns with the Blue Wings having taken QBs in now the last 3 drafts and might not have focused on other positions.
Montreal would grab DB Jayson Kylde who was targeted by a few teams to go around this point in the draft. Long Island’s first pick of the draft would be OL Wally McRose. Their gamble to drop back worked out and they still grabbed one of the 3 OL available around the end of the 1st. Providence would add LB Willis Patrick and the Victors would pick DL Allen St. Benson from a pick they got from Boston in the DB Lester Murphy trade.
The Gold Stars would then trade up to pick S Frankie Munster at 18th. They would send veteran DB Victor Bean and their 4th rounder to Long Island to move up. London and Ottawa would round out the round with a WR and a DL respectively.
11 - IND - WR Ed Edwards - Indianapolis, IN - Stickman
12 - WOR - WR Joshua Lafleur - Hamilton, ON - Darknes
13 - BUF - QB Charles Lemieux - Quebec City, QC - Kingsfan11
14 - MTL - DB Jayson Klyde - Chicago, IL - Wallflower
15 - LI (via LOU) - OL Wally McRose - Wilmington, DL - QCS
16 - PRO - LB Willis Patrick - Brooklyn, NY - Wallflower
17 - IND (via BOS) - DL Allen St. Benson - Boston, MA - Stickman
18 - PRO (via LI) - S Frankie Munster - Boston, MA - ThisIsFine
19 - LDN - WR Russell Wilcox - Binghamton, NY - Wallflower
20 - OTT - DL Quincy Adams - Quincy, MA - QCS
Round 3
The 3rd round would kick off with the second QB taken in the draft with Indiana taking QB Mike Key. Louisville would follow up with WR Denis Langlois and RB Greg Dix to add some depth to their offence. Boston would make the interesting pick in grabbing WR Ellis Lindholm’s younger brother TE Tobias Lindholm. DL Dean Leanman would also go to Long Island. Leanman is interesting, being more of a support style of DL that helps open up holes for more skilled players.
21 - IND - QB Mike Key - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - ThisIsFine
22 - LOU (via WOR) - WR Denis Langlois - Montreal, QC - Kingsfan11
23 - BUF - DB Jacques Gaul - Gatineau, QC - ThisIsFine
24 - MTL - WR Bernard Sandeirs - Burlington, VT - QCS
25 - LOU - RB Greg Dix - Egg Harbor Township, NJ - ItDoesntMatter
26 - PRO - DB Ervin Cook - Philadelphia, PA - Captain Mort 3D
27 - BOS - TE Tobias Lindholm - Rochester, NY - Darknes
28 - LI - DL Dean Leanman - South Bend, IN - thehealthiestscratch
29 - LDN - DL Samuel Carrington - Peoria, IL - Darknes
30 - BUF (via OTT) - WR Moe Schafer - Akron, OH - Rugrat
Round 4
The final round of the draft had two more QBs go off the board with the Rouge taking Montreal native Ulysses Alton and then London going with QB Johnnie Trout. Most of the picks at this point were more shots in the dark hoping to find some diamonds in the rough.
31 - IND - OL David Alexander - Wells, ME - ItDoesntMatter
32 - WOR - RB Stuart Beasley - Cairo, IL - DireBear
33 - BUF - S Wesley Jones - Durham, NH - Captain Mort 3D
34 - MTL - QB Ulysses Alton - Montreal, QC - EnigmaJones
35 - LOU - LB Joe Larkin - Schenectady, NY - Rugrat
36 - LI (via PRO) - TE Nick Nacker - Atlantic City, NJ - QCS
37 - BOS - DB Georges Martel - Longueuil, QC - Kingsfan11
38 - LI - OL Jeff Winecoff - Mount Vernon, NY - Rugrat
39 - LDN - QB Johnnie Trout - Chicago, IL - Rugrat
40 - OTT - RB Wally Morton - Bellingham, MA - Rugrat
Undrafted
S Jay Shephard - Haverhill, MA - ItDoesntMatter
RB Wesley Foreman - Pittsburgh, PA - Wallflower
LB Ben Jenkins - Louisville, KY - Rugrat
DL Bart Samson - Lexington, KY - Stickman
QB Des Midget - Manhattan, NY - Sevsdast
DL Dion Johnson - Newark, NJ - Rugrat
OL Jim Denison - Albany, NY - Rugrat
OL Doug Dix - Egg Harbor Township, NJ - Wallflower
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