Way back in 1964, the San Francisco 49ers used a ninth round pick to select Hillsdale College guard Howard Mudd. Unlike today’s draft, rather than a TV spectacular and telephone call to the player, the team sent out telegrams. On Monday, Mudd tweeted out a picture of the telegram he received from 49ers director of player personnel, Lynn “Pappy” Waldford.
The 1964 NFL Draft actually took place on December 2, 1963, and Mudd was notified of his selection the following morning. The timing is odd, as the 49ers season did not end until December 14. The team was 2-10 after a December 1 loss, and lost their next two games after the draft.