Topic - Bert Bell

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FILE - In this Feb. 13, 1957, file photo, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell gestures in his office in Philadelphia. His creation, the NFL draft, has become an industry unto itself and the league's third-most popular annual event behind the Super Bowl and opening weekend. (AP Photo/Warren M. Winterbottom, File)

The story of the NFL draft, from extravaganza to unadorned

By BARRY WILNER - Associated Press

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 1957, file photo, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell gestures in his office in Philadelphia. Bert Bell was not the first NFL commissioner. He was, however, the first to make a major impact on pro football. To call Bell the father of the NFL draft would be accurate. It also would be an incomplete assessment, because Bell was a brilliant innovator who helped carry his league from afterthought to a player among American sports. (AP Photo/Warren M. Winterbottom, File)

Bert Bell was more than the father of the NFL draft

By BARRY WILNER - Associated Press

This Nov. 26, 1964, file photo shows a general view of the National Football League draft meeting in New York. (AP Photo/John Lindsay) **FILE**

From cozy get-together to huge event, NFL draft has soared

By Barry Wilner - Associated Press