The Cardinals had three picks remaining in the seventh round. Staring anxiously at a television in the home of Marie’s parents as this final round got under way, Pat, Marie, and their families watched as the Cardinals used two of these picks to draft other players. When their last pick came up, they selected Pat—as the 226th of 241 players chosen. The Cardinals offered him a one-year contract for the minimum NFL salary of $158,000, plus a $21,000 signing bonus. By way of comparison, the first player chosen in that year’s draft, Peyton Manning, received a six-year deal from the Indianapolis
...more
