Record 56 players granted draft eligibility

56 PLAYERS GRANTED SPECIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR 2011 NFL DRAFT

The National Football League announced today the names of 56 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft on April 28-30 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The NFL Draft will start in primetime for the second consecutive year. The first round will be held on Thursday, April 28. The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 29. Rounds 4-7 will be held on Saturday, April 30. The entire NFL Draft will be televised by NFL Network and ESPN.

Each of the 56 players has met the league's three-year eligibility rule and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was January 15.

The players granted special eligibility for the NFL Draft the past 10 years:

The players granted special eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft: