Central Michigan’s first draft selection was all the way back in the good ol’ days of 1946, when back Ben Wall went 167th overall to the Detroit Lions. The Lions and the Chippewas had a great early relationship, with four of the first seven former CMU footballers to enter the league wearing Honolulu blue.
Curiously, no Chippewa has been drafted by Detroit since the 1958 season, when tackle Gordon Ringquist was selected in the 16th round the year after Detroit lifted the NFL title trophy.
Today, seven former Chippewas grace NFL fields, with five of them having been selected in the Draft since 2016.