The XFL draft took place in order for teams to be ready to begin league play when the season kicked off on February 3, 2001.

Many of the players selected in the XFL draft went on to compete in the NFL and other football leagues.

Smart stated that he had wanted to put "They Hate Me" (a jab at his critics) but there wasn't enough room.

Smart, who was only picked 357th in the draft, later went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, and the Oakland Raiders, thus becoming the second XFL player (after receiver Yo Murphy did as a member of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI)[2] to play in a Super Bowl, participating in Super Bowl XXXVIII, which his team lost.

Many other XFL "alumni" who were selected in the draft went on to play in the NFL, including Kevin Kaesviharn, Jose Cortez, Corey Ivy, Mike Furrey and Rod Smart, and many others played extensively in the CFL, including Kelvin Anderson, John Avery, Duane Butler, Jeremaine Copeland, Marcus Crandell, Reggie Durden, Eric England, Paul McCallum (who wore the jersey nickname "CFL Reject"), Yo Murphy, Noel Prefontaine and Bobby Singh.