previous years two wins, but they still were not very competitive at 4–8. saw the institution of the National Football League draft as a means of distributing talent more equitably amongst teams. The Pirates saw little initial return, however, as the team's first draft pick, William Shakespeare, would never play in the NFL. The franchise would trade their first round pick multiple times in their first 30 years. In his second season with the Pirates in , Bach had his team in contention for the NFL's Eastern Division title with a 6–3 record through nine games. However, the season fell apart with losses in the final three games. Rooney and Bach each blamed the other for the collapse. Although Rooney and Bach had an agreement for Bach to remain with the club in , Bach decided instead to take the head job at Niagara University, for which Rooney released him from his verbal commitment. Rooney later expressed regret for letting Bach leave. The Bach era (such as it was) gave way to that of Johnny "Blood" McNally who took over as player-coach in . McNally was an eleven-year NFL veteran who had played for the Pirates in . He was one of the game's most colorful characters, and Rooney hired him with an eye toward increasing ticket sales. After a 2–0 start, the team lost its next five games, finishing at 4–7. The next season saw the arrival of the franchise's first superstar, Byron "Whizzer" White. The Pirates selected White, the All-America quarterback from the University of Colorado, with the fourth overall selection of the 1938 NFL Draft and offered him an unheard of salary of $15,000 (around $ today) to join the team. White declined the generous offer, in order to continue his education through a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University. However, when he was able to arrange to defer his start at Oxford until January, he reconsidered and signed the deal. In addition to the league-high salary, the terms of the deal also included a share of the gate at exhibition games for White, who earned a total of $15,800 (around $ today). In comparison, McNally who served as both coach and player earned just $3,500 (roughly $ today). The big contract Rooney gave White angered several of his fellow owners. The arrival of White led to much optimism in Pittsburgh – McNally stated that, "We had calculated