Tom Cousineau’s Historic NFL Draft Shock Sends Ripples Through Pro Football
Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, the first overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft, stunned the sports world by bypassing the NFL entirely and signing with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes, upending expectations and rewriting draft history.
The legendary Buckeye, known as Woody Hayes’ “Sentinel” for dominating every tackling record at Ohio State, was widely regarded as the top player available entering draft day. The Buffalo Bills held the No. 1 pick thanks to a trade that sent O.J. Simpson to San Francisco, and everyone expected Cousineau to be their cornerstone linebacker.
Shock Move Sends NFL Into Turmoil
Just three months after going first overall at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, Cousineau stunned the football world by spurning the Bills’ $1.2 million, five-year contract and instead signing a lucrative deal with the Montreal Alouettes worth $150,000 annually plus a $200,000 signing bonus. This marked the first time since 1960 that the top NFL draft pick chose another league.
“I think I can be very effective because the game is fast and wide open,” Cousineau told The New York Times after making his decision, immediately proving his worth in the CFL. He earned Grey Cup Defensive MVP honors in his rookie season and the James P. McCaffrey Trophy as the East Division’s outstanding defensive player following his second season.
Buffalo’s Loss Reshapes NFL Landscape
Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson was caught holding the short end in negotiations, refusing to match a mammoth offer from the Houston Oilers—a five-year, $2.5 million contract with a $500,000 signing bonus—when Cousineau decided to return to the NFL.
The Bills quickly brokered a deal sending Cousineau’s rights to the Cleveland Browns, led by owner Art Modell, in exchange for a first-, second-, and third-round draft pick. The first-rounder later became Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, a franchise icon in Buffalo.
Cousineau spent four impactful seasons in Cleveland, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 1984, followed by two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring and returning to Ohio.
Legacy of an Unusual NFL No. 1 Pick Continues
Cousineau remains a unique figure in NFL and college football lore—a player so dominant he sparked memories of Ohio State coaching icon Woody Hayes and altered NFL franchise futures without ever suiting up for the Bills. In 2016, his outstanding college career was immortalized with his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
For football fans in Alaska and across the United States, Cousineau’s story is a reminder of the unpredictable power of sports contracts and player moves, spotlighting how one athlete’s decision can ripple through leagues and redefine careers.
“I’ll have to remember to send Bud Adams a Christmas card,” Cousineau joked referring to Houston’s owner after the Oilers’ top offer
The Alaska Insider will continue monitoring developments connected to historic NFL draft stories and their impacts on pro football today.
