A player's success in the NFL is not determined by how they are received when their name is called at the NFL Draft. You can bet, however that for some, when they walk onto that stage to a chorus of boos, it adds an extra layer of incentive to prove each and every "booer" wrong.
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The art of booing at the draft may have started as a cry for help from New York Jets fans who had to helplessly stand there as their beloved franchise made terrible pick after terrible pick. A gander into the Jets draft history is akin to watching a child run into the same wall over and over again.
Over the years, the Jets faithful jeering their own draft pick has become more of a tradition than a quarterback going number one.
Lately, no matter where the venue, the vitriol that usually follows a questionable pick has been bestowed on the presenter himself. That's not to say NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has not earned the resounding boos he receives as the spotlight shines down on him. It's more the sound tickles the ear in a way that makes you almost…giggle.
What happens, however, when the boos that rain down on draft night are not only misguided, but prove to be a mistake?
Over the years, numerous players who were thought to be erroneous picks have gone on to prove the naysayers wrong, and for a few, win a Super Bowl.
Here are some of the best Booed Players That Proved Fans Wrong:
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Philadelphia Eagles Select Donovan McNabb
Everybody who wasn't the Cleveland Browns wanted Ricky Williams. The Heisman Trophy winner from Texas amassed over 4000 yards from scrimmage during his junior and senior year. So when former commissioner Paul Tagliabue said McNabb's name and not Williams, the boos, oh the boos. McNabb would prove the naysayers wrong almost immediately.
In McNabb's second year, first as a starter, the Eagles finished 11-5. In his third year, they went to the first of four straight NFC Championship games, including one Super Bowl appearance.
Although McNabb was never able to bring a title down Broad Street, he currently holds the title as the best quarterback in franchise history.
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Seattle Seahawks Select Bruce Irvin
The Seahawks weren't only lampooned by their own fans, but practically everyone in the world for taking Irvin 15th in the 2012 NFL Draft. Most had Irvin projected in the third round. The Seahawks had other ideas, taking Irvin with their first pick, in a draft that would become the bedrock of the Seattle dynasty. Irvin would tally eight sacks as a rookie. After sitting out the first four games in 2013, he started every game after as part of a dominant Seahawks defense that would go on to win the Super Bowl.
Over his four years in Seattle, he established himself as one of the premier edge rushers in football.
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New York Jets Select Sheldon Richardson
The self-loathing is absolutely palpable when the Jets selected Richardson. In fact, go on YouTube and there are several other videos of Jets fans hating on this pick. The truth is, it didn't take long for Richardson to leave a mark in the league as one of the best interior linemen. Richardson was Rookie of the Year in 2013, and a Pro Bowler in 2014.
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Houston Texans Select J.J. Watt
Watt is the face of the Texans. His relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey made him the face of the whole city of Houston as well.
It wasn't too long ago, however, that the whole city was left to question why Watt was selected with the Texans first round selection in 2011. It has fueled Watt to THREE Defensive Player of the Year awards and four Pro Bowls.
He said recently that the fans reaction helped set his initial goals in the league. "I'm going to do everything I can to take this city from hating the draft pick to hopefully loving me."
Mission accomplished.
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MORE: NFL Draft Fan Reactions: From Elated Expectations to Realized Misery
