Auburn Football: Top five NFL draft steals from the Plains
By Chris Roush
1. Tom Banks, center for the St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals selected Tom Banks in the eighth round, 189th overall, in the 1970 draft, a year after he snapped the ball to a sophomore quarterback by the name of Pat Sullivan.
Banks went on to play 10 years for the Cardinals, starting 116 games. He was selected to four Pro Bowls (1975 to 1978) during that time and made the All Pro team in 1976. In 1979, he also was selected All-NFC by The Sporting News. Banks also made the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s all-St. Louis NFL team.
Drafting a 10-year starter in the eighth round is a rarity. Getting one that made four Pro Bowls makes Banks the biggest draft steal in Auburn history. Only three NFL players drafted in the eighth round have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And there were only two Hall of Famers from the 1970 draft — Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount.