Which College Star Surprised You The Most When He Turned Into An NFL “Bust”?

[Born2Steel]

Just another offseason thread for some discussion and friendly debate.

There have been some ‘can’t miss’ college players that completely failed once they reached the NFL. Jamarcus Russell is maybe the first guy that pops into my head, but he seemed like he never really tried to get better. I’m looking more for players that hit the ground running, just weren’t good enough to last.

Have fun with it.

[tube517]

Tony Mandarich. Way overhyped before the draft

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[86WARD]

Bosworth is always one of the first that pops into my head. Ki-Jana Carter is another one.

[Born2Steel]

Wasn’t there recently a top10-15 DL that is no longer on a team? Or maybe with a different team but rookie contract?
That’s gotta be disappointing.

[Mojouw]

Wasn’t there recently a top10-15 DL that is no longer on a team? Or maybe with a different team but rookie contract?
That’s gotta be disappointing.

The dude the Raiders drafted…not Colin Ferrell the actor but something that sounds like that?

[Mojouw]

Aside from QBs (too many to list) and the few mentioned already, I start thinking of recent-ish RBs like Edwards Hilaire and Trent Richardson.

Trying to go a bit deeper…and I’m coming up with a line of guys from Desmond Howard to like Jabril Peppers (or something like that) that had fine to decent NFL careers but just couldn’t impact the game like they did in college. Mostly the lack of NFL return game or the inability to just take the ball and score seemingly at will from anywhere on the field or for defensive guys, the takeaways just dried up.

[Mojouw]

Also younger MojoUW was CERTAIN Rodney Pete was going to be a superstar.

[Born2Steel]

Quick story on a player I knew from 6yrs old. 1st year this young kid was bigger than most. The league had a rule that only kids of a certain weight and below could carry the ball. Good rule since most kids were around 50LBs at 6. This kid I’m talking about was not allowed to carry the ball. If he got control, ball was dead there. 1st year he played OL and DL. He scored 12 points from the defensive side of the ball. He got 2 safeties and a strip sack with recovery for 6pts.
2nd year he again played OL and DL. He excelled as an OT.
Year 3 he was the 1st overall draft pick of the league due to his ability to play OT and be unblockable on DL.
Year 4&5 he became the definition of how an OL looks and plays and won league championships mainly behind his ability.
Year 6, now 13yrs old. Plays for his schools 8th grade team as the starting LT. Team comes just short of state.
Year 7. The highschool varsity coaches want him to play as the varsity LT because of skill obviously, and because this kid of 14/15 is already bigger and stronger than the kid already starting at LT for the highschool varsity team.

The kid says no. He doesn’t want to balloon to 300+ LBs and play vs guys 17&18yrs old with already 2-3years in a highschool weight room.
The kid drops football to pursue a different sport. Wins a highschool national championship twice at that sport.

I know this kid. I would expect him to excel at whatever sport he pursued. He has since quit competitive sports and is going after a medical degree.

I’ll not give this kids name but I will ask that you send him your prayers and well wishes as he continues to be his best him. This kid and his family are very dear to me.

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Johnny Football is near the top of the list.

[Bluecoat96]

Aside from QBs (too many to list) and the few mentioned already, I start thinking of recent-ish RBs like Edwards Hilaire and Trent Richardson.

Trying to go a bit deeper…and I’m coming up with a line of guys from Desmond Howard to like Jabril Peppers (or something like that) that had fine to decent NFL careers but just couldn’t impact the game like they did in college. Mostly the lack of NFL return game or the inability to just take the ball and score seemingly at will from anywhere on the field or for defensive guys, the takeaways just dried up.I always thought Peppers was severely overrated. Even in college. He was decent as a returner but that was about it. And I'm a Michigan fan. [emoji1787]

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[polamalubeast]

Tony Mandarich. Way overhyped before the draft

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This pick is maybe worst that Ryan Leaf because the next 3 pick after Mandarich are HOF players....

[ALLD]

JaMarcus Russell who was such a bust that the NFL changed rules (better) so that 1RD picks were not such a financial gamble.

Ryan Leaf and Limas Sweed too.

[Born2Steel]

JaMarcus Russell who was such a bust that the NFL changed rules (better) so that 1RD picks were not such a financial gamble.

Ryan Leaf and Limas Sweed too.

Sweed ranks near the top. Everybody knew he was going to be a star.

I wonder if the Leaf/Manning draft had gone the other way, would things have been different for Leaf. Maybe Manning was the guy who inspired all those teammates to be great, or maybe it was just that much better of a situation for a rookie QB. Idk???

[86WARD]

Wasn’t there recently a top10-15 DL that is no longer on a team? Or maybe with a different team but rookie contract?
That’s gotta be disappointing.

Vernon Gholston? He’s one of my favorites…I knew he would be bad…no idea why, but I knew it…lol.

DL…that reminds me of Steve Emtman.

[polamalubeast]

Sweed ranks near the top. Everybody knew he was going to be a star.

I wonder if the Leaf/Manning draft had gone the other way, would things have been different for Leaf. Maybe Manning was the guy who inspired all those teammates to be great, or maybe it was just that much better of a situation for a rookie QB. Idk???

Leaf was so bad that his supporting cast did not matter in this case....The colts were also not a good team in the rookie year of Manning.3-13 for the colts in 1998 and Peyton had 28 interceptions but he improved later in his rookie year after a bad start

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The biggest reason why Russell was a bust,it was because he was way too lazy!

[Mojouw]

Both Leaf and Russell ended up being big addicts with significant issues. That almost certainly was the root cause of their failures.

[Born2Steel]

Leaf was so bad that his supporting cast did not matter in this case....The colts were also not a good team in the rookie year of Manning.3-13 for the colts in 1998 and Peyton had 28 interceptions but he improved later in his rookie year after a bad start

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The biggest reason why Russell was a bust,it was because he was way too lazy!

The Colts as an organization was much better than the Chargers at that time, was more my point. Not the talent level of the QB. The Colts knew how to draft talent back then. Also maybe why they took Manning over Leaf in the first place.

[DuckHodges]

Sweed and Mendinghall

[pczach]

Quick story on a player I knew from 6yrs old. 1st year this young kid was bigger than most. The league had a rule that only kids of a certain weight and below could carry the ball. Good rule since most kids were around 50LBs at 6. This kid I’m talking about was not allowed to carry the ball. If he got control, ball was dead there. 1st year he played OL and DL. He scored 12 points from the defensive side of the ball. He got 2 safeties and a strip sack with recovery for 6pts.
2nd year he again played OL and DL. He excelled as an OT.
Year 3 he was the 1st overall draft pick of the league due to his ability to play OT and be unblockable on DL.
Year 4&5 he became the definition of how an OL looks and plays and won league championships mainly behind his ability.
Year 6, now 13yrs old. Plays for his schools 8th grade team as the starting LT. Team comes just short of state.
Year 7. The highschool varsity coaches want him to play as the varsity LT because of skill obviously, and because this kid of 14/15 is already bigger and stronger than the kid already starting at LT for the highschool varsity team.

The kid says no. He doesn’t want to balloon to 300+ LBs and play vs guys 17&18yrs old with already 2-3years in a highschool weight room.
The kid drops football to pursue a different sport. Wins a highschool national championship twice at that sport.

I know this kid. I would expect him to excel at whatever sport he pursued. He has since quit competitive sports and is going after a medical degree.

I’ll not give this kids name but I will ask that you send him your prayers and well wishes as he continues to be his best him. This kid and his family are very dear to me.

- - - Updated - - -

Johnny Football is near the top of the list.



Great story about the kid. There are more people like that than people realize. They are so gifted physically and mentally in so many areas that they can literally do anything they set their mind to do.

Prayers and best wishes to the kid and his family.

The world need more people like that.

[tube517]

KiJana Carter.

[silver & black]

The dude the Raiders drafted…not Colin Ferrell the actor but something that sounds like that?

The guy you're thinking of is Clelin Ferrell.

How about Robert Gallery... the can't miss LT that every team wanted. Has any team drafted more busts than the Raiders?

[86WARD]

The guy you're thinking of is Clelin Ferrell.

How about Robert Gallery... the can't miss LT that every team wanted. Has any team drafted more busts than the Raiders?

Browns…maybe the Cardinals?

[polamalubeast]

Browns…maybe the Cardinals?

Browns is the easy answer!...The raiders are likely in the top 3 in the last 20 years too

[Born2Steel]

https://www.sbnation.com/2018/6/27/17485664/nfl-draft-busts-record-ray-farmer-1st-round-browns-of-course

This article was a fun read about teams and 1st round busts.

[DuckHodges]

Browns…maybe the Cardinals?

The Bengals? In the 90s it was guaranteed whoever they drafted was going to suck :chuckle:

[86WARD]

https://www.sbnation.com/2018/6/27/17485664/nfl-draft-busts-record-ray-farmer-1st-round-browns-of-course

This article was a fun read about teams and 1st round busts.

Nice find!!