Boos and hugs have been part of NFL draft day traditions since Roger Goodell became the league’s commissioner.
Goodell is known for greeting draftees with a hug after he calls their name in the draft but that may not happen Thursday night.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Goodell had back surgery three weeks ago and may not hug draftees despite having recovered well. But the commissioner hasn’t completely ruled out the hugs.
When did Roger Goodell start hugging players at the NFL draft?
In 2007, Goodell hosted the NFL draft for the first time, and his interactions with players then were quite different than they are now.
He would shake the hands of players or possibly give a side-hug depending on the moment, according to ESPN. But that changed in 2010 thanks to Gerald McCoy, who gave the commissioner his first full-on hug.
Why does Roger Goodell hug players at the NFL draft?
McCoy told ESPN that draft-eligible players meet with Goodell the day before the draft, and when McCoy and the 2010 draft class met with the commissioner, he asked how “crazy” he could behave when he walked onto the stage after his name was called.
“(Goodell) was like, ‘Obviously man, you get this one time, it’s your one day you need to show emotion and show your feelings and show how excited you are. I wouldn’t mind that at all,’” McCoy said.
McCoy appreciated that answer but didn’t know what he was going to do until the moment came to shake the commissioner’s hand after being drafted third overall.
“But once I got out there, you know, it was just my reaction. I knew the Bucs had picked me, let me play for them, but Mr. Goodell just called my name, so I guess he got to feel all the love,” he said.
McCoy started a trend that Goodell has embraced. Trent Williams, who was drafted right after McCoy, followed suit and so has nearly every player since, except for those selected in the virtual 2020 NFL draft.
“I was just overwhelmed with emotion and it all came out in that big hug,” McCoy said. “That hug was like a thank you for allowing me to be in the league, everything. It all came out. He just happened to be the one to receive it.”
Fans will have to wait until 6 p.m. MDT to see if Goodell decides to hug draftees as they celebrate one of the biggest moments of their lives.
If he decides to, he will be hugging fewer players this year with only 13 prospects invited to the draft, The Athletic reported. That’s a large decrease from the 23 invited before the COVID-19 pandemic and the 17 invited last year and the 21 invited to the 2022 NFL draft.