On This Day

NFL Draft: North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams first pick from Houston Texans

The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006.

The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by NFL Network. Having signed a contract with the Houston Texans on the evening before the draft, Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State, became the draft's first pick. The selection surprised many commentators, who predicted that the Texans would draft Southern California running back Reggie Bush or Texas quarterback Vince Young. Ohio State produced the most first round selections (five), while Southern California produced the most overall selections (eleven).

Historical Significance

The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006.

Events Before

  1. Shirley Chisholm dies

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  2. Britain's Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes

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  3. Online video-sharing site YouTube is founded in San Mateo, California, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim

    YouTube is an American online video-sharing platform headquartered in San Bruno, California, founded by three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim—in February 2005.

  4. Kyoto Protocol comes into force following its ratification by Russia, committing industrialized nations to limit and red

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  5. President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections, asking

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Events After

  1. Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board

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  2. Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages

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  3. The 110th United States Congress convenes and elects Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House

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  4. Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces the iPhone

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  5. "Married ... With Children" actor David Faustino (32) divorces actress Andrea Elmer Faustino (31) due to irreconcilable

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 29, 2006?
The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by NFL Network. Having signed a contract with the Houston Texans on the evening before the draft, Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State, became the draft's first pick.
Why is NFL Draft: North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams first pick from ... significant?
The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006.

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