Ohio State Legend Tom Cousineau Shakes Up Pro Football After Being First Overall NFL Draft Pick
Tom Cousineau, one of college football’s most dominant linebackers and the 1979 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, stunned the sports world by bypassing the Buffalo Bills to play professional football in the Canadian Football League, sparking a rare and dramatic twist in player draft history.
The linebacker, renowned for setting multiple tackling records at Ohio State under coach Woody Hayes, was expected to be a transformative addition to the Bills. Cousineau had amassed unmatched totals including the most tackles in a season and game, earning two All-American titles and the Chicago Tribune’s Big Ten MVP in 1978, solidifying himself as the top-rated player entering the draft.
Draft Day Shock: Buffalo Bills’ Top Pick Opts for CFL Over NFL
Held at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, the 1979 NFL Draft saw Buffalo select Cousineau with the first overall pick—a franchise first for Ohio State since the NFL draft’s inception 43 years earlier. However, contract negotiations quickly turned tense. Bills owner Ralph Wilson proposed a five-year deal worth roughly $1.2 million, but urged Cousineau to test the open market if dissatisfied.
Cousineau answered by accepting a lucrative offer from the Montreal Alouettes, featuring a $200,000 signing bonus and $150,000 annual salary—making him the first top NFL pick since 1960 to ditch the league entirely.
“I think I can be very effective because the game is fast and wide open,” Cousineau told The New York Times after signing with Montreal.
His gamble paid off immediately: Cousineau earned Grey Cup Defensive MVP honors during his rookie CFL season and became the East Division’s top defensive player, snatching the James P. McCaffrey Trophy in his second year.
From Montreal to Cleveland: The NFL Rights Tug of War
After three seasons north of the border, Cousineau opted out of his Montreal contract amid the Alouettes’ financial struggles, aiming to join the NFL where the Bills still held his rights. Houston’s Oilers offered a massive five-year $2.5 million contract, including a huge $500,000 signing bonus, but Buffalo balked at matching the price.
The Bills instead traded Cousineau’s rights to the Cleveland Browns, led by owner Art Modell, who coveted the local Ohio star. Buffalo received a first-, second-, and third-round draft pick in return—the first selection eventually becoming legendary quarterback Jim Kelly.
Cousineau’s reaction was telling: “I’ll have to remember to send Bud Adams a Christmas card,” referring to Houston’s owner who set the high offer that forced Buffalo’s hand.
Cousineau went on to play six NFL seasons, including four with the Browns earning second-team All-Pro honors in 1984 and two with the San Francisco 49ers, before retiring and returning to Ohio. His impact on multiple franchises continues to resonate decades later.
Legacy of a Reluctant No. 1 Pick
In 2016, Cousineau’s outstanding college career was immortalized with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Yet his legacy as the NFL’s most unusual No. 1 overall pick endures—someone so coveted he changed two franchises’ futures without ever playing a down for the team that drafted him.
For Ohio State fans and football historians alike, Cousineau’s journey remains a compelling story of talent, business, and unexpected moves that reshaped pro football’s landscape—and offers a vivid reminder why draft day dreams don’t always unfold as expected.
