"Johnson was standing on a stool in his hotel room, modeling his custom-made beige suit for his personal tailor as agent Jerome Stanley and the Jets' Pat Kirwan haggled over the contract. Johnson deemed the offer below market -- this was 15 years before the NFL's rookie wage scale went into effect -- and told the Jets through Stanley, 'Don't draft me!' He fired off a few expletives as well."
"Thirty years later, Johnson remains an outlier -- the last wide receiver to be selected with the top pick in the draft. While the position has grown in stature and value -- the salary of the highest-paid receiver has increased by more than 600% since 1996 -- it hasn't loosened the quarterback stranglehold on the top spot."
"It took a perfect storm, so to speak, for the Jets to make such an unconventional move. It was a historically poor quarterback draft, so there was no temptation to go in that direction. They longed for a charismatic star, and Johnson, one of the most recognizable names in college football, was a spotlight-loving athlete from Los Angeles."
"I think [the Jets] were looking for somebody to change the identity of the organization, bringing a snap, crackle, pop -- a pizzazz. But also playmaking ability,"
On the morning of the 1996 NFL draft, the New York Jets aimed to convince Keyshawn Johnson to sign a contract before the draft began. Johnson rejected their offer, stating it was below market value. Despite his objections, the Jets drafted him as the first overall pick, making him the last wide receiver to achieve this status. The decision was influenced by a weak quarterback draft and the Jets' desire for a charismatic star to transform their organization.
Read at ESPN.com
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