In 1966, the Michigan State Spartans finished the season 9-0-1, and were crowned (by some) as co-national Champions, along with the team they tied, Notre Dame (who also finished 9-0-1).

When the 1967 NFL/AFL Common Draft came around–the first year the two leagues would draft together–the Spartans saw four of their players selected within the first eight picks of the draft.

The Baltimore Colts started things off by selecting defensive tackle Bubba Smith, who would play in two Pro Bowls for the team before moving on to the Oakland Raiders, Houston Oilers, and Police Academy film series.

The second pick of the draft was Clint Jones, who was a running back for the Spartans. He was taken by the Minnesota Vikings, in a pick received from the New York Giants in the trade for Fran Tarkenton.

After a couple of quarterbacks came off the board (Steve Spurrier and Bob Griese), the Houston Oilers selected defensive back George Webster, who would be moved to linebacker and would make the AFL All-Star team in his first three seasons, but interestingly never made the NFL Pro Bowl. He would eventually file for disability, being found to have lost most use of a hand, foot, knee and ankle due to football-related injuries, but was ruled to not meet the NFL’s definition of totally disabled. The Supreme Court eventually let stand the finding by the NFL’s retirement board that his disability was not related to his football career.

Finally, wide receiver Gene Washington joined Jones in Minnesota when the Vikings selected him 8th overall. He would go to two Pro Bowls for the Vikings, but this was not the former wide receiver Gene Washington that eventually served as Director of Operations for the NFL for several years (another discovery made tonight).

Four more Spartans would be selected before the end of the draft.

There have been schools with more 1st round picks in a single draft (the Miami Hurricanes had 6 taken in 2001), but I have yet to find a school with more in the first eight players selected.