The Pittsburgh Steelers' first-ever NFL Draft pick was named William Shakespeare.
Really no reason to hide the entire reason for this article -- it doesn't get much crazier than that.
That draft pick happened on this day back in 1936, 90 years ago Sunday, according to the Steelers History account on X.
Shakespeare was the third pick in that draft:
On this day in 1936, we drafted HB/P William Shakespeare with the 3rd overall pick in the first official NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/uqwhwmly72
— Steelers History (@SteelersHistory) February 8, 2026MORE: The latest on Travis Kelce's retirement timeline
Shakespeare was born in Staten Island and was a college star at Notre Dame, where he played halfback and punted.
He threw the game-winning touchdown pass as time expired in the famed 1935 Notre Dame win over Ohio State.
In 1935, Shakespeare was voted a consensus first-team All American. He's also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
He earned nicknames "The Bard of Staten Island" and "The Bard of South Bend" thanks to sharing a name with the famed writer.
Also a fun point: When Pittsburgh chose Shakespeare in the draft, they were actually known as the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shakespeare never suited up in the pros. It wasn't a given in those days.
He went into a career in business instead, and he also served in the U.S. Army during World War II, including at the Battle of the Bulge.
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