Summary
Fred Zirkle was drafted by the New York Jets in 1969. He was 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, a natural leader and supremely confident. He never played a down in the NFL, never showed up for training camp, as a matter of Zirkle was a defensive tackle at Duke, a team captain and participated in the Blue-Gray Football Classic. In 1967, 25 of the 57 players picked last managed to appear in at least one regular-season game -- 44%, according to Pro Football Reference. In Zirkle's day, the odds were longer because the draft was 17 rounds The Jets "followed the rules," Zirkle says. "Everyone -- the whole country -- was excited about the Jets," he says. "We all identified with the Jets as a group that played football" In 1969, the minimum salary for rookies was less than $12,500; that's the equivalent of $104,000 today. Zirkle bypassed the Jets (not to mention graduate school at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to start a company with his father. He later was the president and CEO of Key Tronic The NFL draft was held two weeks after the Super Bowl. "Once upon a time, the NFL wanted him," says Zirkle. "I always felt it was an honor to be drafted," he says.
