'Pocket aces': Houston Gamblers select ex-Northwestern, NFL QB Clayton Thorson in USFL Draft

The Houston Gamblers selected ex-NFL quarterback Clayton Thorson in the first round of the inaugural USFL Draft on Feb. 22.

"POCKET ACES! Clayton Thorson is a Gambler," the team's official Twitter announced.

Former Houston Oilers signal-caller Warren Moon helped the Gamblers announce the pick in a video posted to the USFL official Twitter account.

"Looking forward to watching you, Clayton," Moon, who commanded the Oilers' vaunted run and shoot offense in the early 1990s, said in the video.

Unlike the NFL Draft or any other sports draft for that matter, the USFL dedicated each of the 35 rounds of its two-day event to a particular position, with the first round designated for quarterbacks, FOX Sports reported.

The first day saw 12 rounds go by with 101 players selected.

A native of Wheaton, Illinois, Thorson played his collegiate ball at Northwestern in Chicago. 

He threw for 10,731 yards and 61 touchdowns in four seasons as the Wildcats' field general, earning the distinction as Northwestern's all-time passing leader. 

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Thorson in 2019 with the hopes of shoring up its quarterback room, but he would soon bounce around the NFC East before his contract expired earlier this year, according to FOX Sports.

Thorson's scouting report, written by FOX Sports Draft Analyst Rob Rang, says the 26 year old has the ideal physical frame for a quarterback, touting his height as a disadvantage for defenders.

Rang said Thorson can run the ball for someone his size, as well as throw in any type of scheme. 

"The Gamblers might have won big with Thorson, perhaps the most prototypical quarterback selected," Rang wrote on the FOX Sports website. 

While the Gamblers' inaugural season schedule has yet to be released, its first game will likely be in April, the Houston Chronicle reported. 

All games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama with Canton, Ohio to serve as the site for the postseason matchups. 

The Gamblers are coached by Kevin Sumlin, who held the same position at the University of Houston a decade ago.