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Schools with No. 1 picks in NFL and NBA drafts
Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns became the third UK player taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. 16 years ago, Tim Couch was the No. 1 overall selection of the Cleveland Browns.
Only 10 schools can claim to have produced a No. 1 NFL draft pick as well as have a player chosen No. 1 overall in the NBA draft. Here is a look at those schools.
NFL: Tim Couch (1999, Cleveland Browns)
NBA: Karl-Anthony Towns (2015, Minnesota Timberwolves), Anthony Davis (2012, New Orleans Hornets), John Wall (2010, Washington Wizards)
Looking back: Couch, whose name is at the top of this infamous jersey, didn't exactly deliver at the pro level quite like UK's other NBA top picks: Wall and Davis.
NFL: JaMarcus Russell (2007, Oakland Raiders)
NBA: Shaquille O'Neal (1992, Orlando Magic)
Looking back: One was an instant sensation, the other an instant headache. O'Neal went on to score 28,596 career points and win four NBA titles. Russell was out of the NFL after three disappointing seasons with the Oakland Raiders.
NFL: Jake Long (2008, Miami Dolphins)
NBA: Chris Webber (1993, Orlando Magic)
Looking back: Long was the top pick in 2008 to the Miami Dolphins, spent five seasons there before moving onto the St. Louis Rams, and has made four Pro Bowls. Webber, the top NBA pick in 1993 by the Magic, who immediately traded him to the Golden State Warriors. Webber enjoyed a huge pro career (20.7 points per game over 17 seasons).
NFL: Bubba Smith (1967, Baltimore Colts)
NBA: Magic Johnson (1979, Los Angeles Lakers)
Looking back: Smith played in two Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls over a nine-year career that ended with the Houston Oilers. The Los Angeles Lakers found themselves one of the NBA's all-time greats in Johnson, who led the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s and won five NBA titles in the decade.
NFL: Mario Williams (2006, Houston Texans)
NBA: David Thompson (1975, Atlanta Hawks)
Looking back: Williams is quickly closing in on 100 career sacks entering his 10th NFL season. He set a career high with 14.5 at age 29 last year. Thompson was the top pick of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks but signed with the ABA's Denver Nuggets in 1975. He made four NBA All-Star teams and averaged over 20 points a game in his first five seasons, but his career was cut short by injuries and substance abuse.
NFL: Walt Patulski (1972, Buffalo Bills)
NBA: Austin Carr (1971, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Looking back: The Buffalo Bills took Patulski in 1972 as a defensive lineman. He played four seasons in Buffalo and one with the St. Louis Cardinals before suffering a career-ending back injury. Carr was picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1971 and averaged 15.4 points per game over 11 years, earning the nickname "Mr. Cavalier."
NFL: Tom Cousineau (1979, Buffalo Bills), Dan Wilkinson (1994, Cincinnati Bengals), Orlando Pace (1997, St. Louis Rams)
NBA: Greg Oden (2007, Portland Trail Blazers)
Looking back: Pace turned out the best of Ohio State's three top NFL draft picks. Drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 1997, he stayed there 12 seasons and was a seven-time Pro Bowler at offensive tackle. Cousineau went to the Buffalo Bills in 1979 but began his pro career in the CFL, while Wilkinson was considered a disappointment at defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. Oden was regarded as a draft bust for the Portland Trail Blazers, who took the 7-footer No. 1 in 2007 but had him for just two seasons due to injuries.
NFL: Lee Roy Selmon (1976, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Billy Sims (1980, Detroit Lions), Sam Bradford (2010, St. Louis Rams)
NBA: Blake Griffin (2009, Los Angeles Clippers)
Looking back: Selmon was the first-ever pick of the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976 and played his entire NFL career there. In his fourth year in the league, he was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Sims rushed for over 1,000 yards three times in a five-year career with the Detroit Lions, but a knee injury ended his career, while Bradford now looks to revive his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Griffin is one of the NBA's most dynamic forwards and has averaged 21.5 points for his career with the Los Angeles Clippers.
NFL: Troy Aikman (1989, Dallas Cowboys)
NBA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969, Milwaukee Bucks), Bill Walton (1974, Portland Trail Blazers)
Looking back: There is a lot of championship hardware among this trio. Aikman won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA titles in a 20-year career with the Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Lakers, while Walton won two in an injury-riddled 10-year career that began with the Portland Trail Blazers.
NFL: Alex Smith (2005, San Francisco 49ers)
NBA: Andrew Bogut (2005, Milwaukee Bucks)
Looking back: Only once has a school ever had a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL and NBA drafts in the same year: Utah in 2005. A couple months after Smith went No. 1 to the 49ers, Bogut was the top choice for the Bucks. Ten years later, both are still starters.
