Three-Day Football Frenzy Begins As NFL Draft Kicks Off In Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's all come down to this. After months of preparation and planning, the NFL Draft gets underway Thursday in Chicago.
It's the first time the NFL Draft has been held in Chicago in 51 years, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is hoping to convince the league to bring it back next year.
Representatives from every NFL team are in town for the draft, and the league has transformed part of Grant Park into "Draft Town," a sprawling fan festival where fans can meet this year's prospects, watch the draft and even learn football skills.
The first round of the draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m., but Draft Town opens to the public at 4 p.m.
On Wednesday, many kids had a chance to check out Draft Town and got to play flag football, take part in a mock NFL Combine or climb on giant models of team helmets.
The second and third rounds will be Friday, starting at 6 p.m. The final four rounds will be Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.
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Meantime, Draft Town will feature a weekend full of events coinciding with the actual draft, including a miniature Pro Football Hall of Fame, which includes player jerseys, photos and information about the best players of all time.
Mary Pat Augenthaler, vice president of events for the NFL, said the league wanted to bring a little bit of the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, to Chicago for the draft.
"We know that everybody can't always travel to Canton," she said. "We are in the Midwest, and I think it's easier for folks to get here, but anyone that's come in from out of town that hasn't been there yet, we would love to show football history. There is a meaningful NFL football history, especially with the Bears."
The draft also is serving as the kickoff of a yearlong celebration of Super Bowl 50, which will be held in San Francisco.
"We have a new exhibit that no one's ever seen before that celebrates 50 years of everything Super Bowl. So that's here as well," Augenthaler said. "We also have a full set of Super Bowl rings here."
Fans also will be able to get an up close look at the Lombardi Trophy and the AFC and NFC championship trophies.
