In 1974 The Green Bay Packers Drafted a Man Suspected of Being One of the Most Violent Murderers in US History
With the 428th pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers took a guy that would go on to become one of the most violent murderers in the history of our country, Randell Woodfield. Some called him quiet and shy, some said he was a ladies man, others said he was quite strange...The Green Bay Packers saw a talented athlete that could help them win...little did they know.
Randall Woodfield was signed to the Green Bay Packers in 1974, for $16000 (boy have times changed) and an extra three grand if he caught 30 passes. They ended up releasing Woodfield in August of that year, and Randell joined a semi-pro team to hopefully continue his NFL career in the near future. That, however, did not work out. Woodfield was cut and his pro football dreams were history. This apparently did not sit well with Mr. Woodfield, who went on to be called the "I-5 Killer." Oh, no real reason was given for his release from the semi-pro team, but one reporter was quoted as saying Randell "couldn't keep the thing in his pants."
Over the next few years, there were a string of gruesome murders up and down Interstate 5 that had his finger prints all over them. Brutal shootings, stabbings, and worse. June of 1981, Woodfield was sentenced to 90 years in prison. There are still unsolved murders into the 2000s that are now getting his name attached to them as those who follow true crime look to put the pieces together.
Wikipedia notes that Woodfield has never confessed to any of the crimes of which he's accused.
[h/t: SI]