Riddle Me This Batman . . .

[Midswat]

Who was the greatest college quarterback in NCAA history that busted in the NFL?

How about wide receiver?

And runningback?

 

[SALADIN]

Who was the greatest college quarterback in NCAA history that busted in the NFL?

How about wide receiver?

And runningback?

Some of this was before my time but as far as I can remember here would be my list.

1st Team
QB Jack Thompson - Wazu
RB Archie Griffin - Ohio St.
WR Johnny "Lam" Jones, WR - Texas ( 2nd overall in '80 and only 138 rec. in 5 years)

2nd Team
QB Ryan Leaf - Wazu
RB Alonzo Highsmith - (Alonzo Highsmith never finished in the top 10 in any major category.Alonzo Highsmith is not in the all-time top 50 in any major category.)
WR Hart Lee Dykes

3rd Team
QB Tony Eason - Illinois
RB Lawrence Phillips - Nebraska
WR Desmond Howard - Michigan

DISHonorable mention
QB Steve Spurrier - Florida
RB Ricky Bell - USC #1 overall but only rushed for 1,000 yards once (God rest his soul)
WR Jonny Rogers - Nebraska

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Some of this was before my time but as far as I can remember here would be my list.

1st Team
QB Jack Thompson - Wazu
RB Archie Griffin - Ohio St.
WR Johnny "Lam" Jones, WR - Texas ( 2nd overall in '80 and only 138 rec. in 5 years)

2nd Team
QB Ryan Leaf - Wazu
RB Alonzo Highsmith - (Alonzo Highsmith never finished in the top 10 in any major category.Alonzo Highsmith is not in the all-time top 50 in any major category.)
WR Hart Lee Dykes

3rd Team
QB Tony Eason - Illinois
RB Lawrence Phillips - Nebraska
WR Desmond Howard - Michigan

DISHonorable mention
QB Steve Spurrier - Florida
RB Ricky Bell - USC #1 overall but only rushed for 1,000 yards once (God rest his soul)
WR Jonny Rogers - Nebraska

Blair Thomas, my friend.

 

[SALADIN]

Blair Thomas, my friend.

He missed the list by that much

 

[Midswat]

Blair Thomas was bad . . . but didn't he still manage to stick around the league for about 8 years?

For QB . . . I'm thinking Art something from OSU who had the gambling problem. Or Heath Schuler as a close 2nd.

Wide receiver . . . I'd say Desmond Howard. I could give a crap less about his punt returning.

For Runningback . . . uh . . . Lawrence Phillips.

 

[JoshBYW]

Klingler anyone?

 

[trickblue]

I'm with Barb... Blair Thomas HAS to be on that list... at least in place of Ricky Bell...

I am an old Draftnik from way back... here are some busts I remember in no particular order... if I remember they are all top 10's... I may have gotten a few of the teams wrong... hard to remember at my age...

QB:
Heath Shuler (Tennessee/Commanders)
Todd Blackledge (Penn State/Chiefs)
David Klinger (Houston/Bengals)
Tim Couch (Kentucky/Browns)
Rich Campbell (Cal/Packers)
Andre' Ware (Houston/Lions)
Rick Mirer (Notre Dame/Seahawks)
Akili Smith (Oregon/Bengals)
Art Schlichter (Ohio State/Colts)

RB:
Bo Matthews (Colorado/Chargers)
Michael Haddix (Ole Miss/Iggles)
Curtis Enis (Penn State/Bears)
Ki-Jana Carter (Penn State/Bengals)
Brent Fullwood (Auburn/Packers)
Bubba Bean (Texas A&M/Falcons)
Lawrence Phillips (Nebraska/Rams)

WR:
Irving Fryar (Nebraska/Pats)
Michael Westbrook (Colorado/Commanders)
Desmond Howard (Michigan/Commanders)
J. J. Stokes (UCLA/49'ers)

Special mention goes to the following:
Aundray Bruce
Tony Mandarich

 

[joseephuss]

Irving Friar? Really. I know it took a few years for him to have an impact, but he did end up going to 5 Pro-Bowls and have 850 receptions.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Some of this was before my time but as far as I can remember here would be my list.

1st Team
QB Jack Thompson - Wazu
RB Archie Griffin - Ohio St.
WR Johnny "Lam" Jones, WR - Texas ( 2nd overall in '80 and only 138 rec. in 5 years)

Archie Griffin...the man won BACK TO BACK Heisman Trophies.

One QB that I did not see mentioned....Andre Ware.

 

[Midswat]

You could make a case for Ki Jana Carter, considering he was taken 1st overall and a team traded up to get him . . .

But he was a bust because of injuries . . . and he still managed to stick around the league for several years.

Heck, he looked pretty good as a back up RB with the Commanders a few years ago. Enough so that I wished we had signed him instead of Chris Warren.

And yes...David Klinger definitely deserves some serious consideration for greatest bust in NFL history. He broke a ton of records in the NCAA, and did nothing in hte NFL.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Some of this was before my time but as far as I can remember here would be my list.

1st Team
QB Jack Thompson - Wazu
RB Archie Griffin - Ohio St.
WR Johnny "Lam" Jones, WR - Texas ( 2nd overall in '80 and only 138 rec. in 5 years)

2nd Team
QB Ryan Leaf - Wazu
RB Alonzo Highsmith - (Alonzo Highsmith never finished in the top 10 in any major category.Alonzo Highsmith is not in the all-time top 50 in any major category.)
WR Hart Lee Dykes

3rd Team
QB Tony Eason - Illinois
RB Lawrence Phillips - Nebraska
WR Desmond Howard - Michigan

DISHonorable mention
QB Steve Spurrier - Florida
RB Ricky Bell - USC #1 overall but only rushed for 1,000 yards once (God rest his soul)
WR Jonny Rogers - Nebraska

Thompson went to the Bengals and then was traded to Tampa Bay while Bell was drafted to Tampa Bay in the orange uni days so I give them a pass. They might have been all world for all we know but you never would have known it. Tampa Bay was just bad. Worst team I ever saw. Not even close.

Highsmith was hurt early on. He was actually pretty good before the injury but the injury came so quick, you just never would have known. Rogers was a good return guy. Eason lead his team to a SuperBowl.

These are all take your picks.

QB:

Couch
Smith
Leaf
Shuler
Mirer
Klingler
McGwire
Marinovich
George
Ware
Stouffer
Everett
Long
Blackledge
Schlichter
Campbell
Thompson
Pisarkiewicz
Tagge
Phipps
Cook
Domers
Landry
Spurrier
Johnson

Bout as far back as I can recall at all.

Running Backs:

Green
Duckett
Jones
Dayne
Enis
Phillips
Biakabutuka
Carter
Wheatly
Salaam
Hill
Vardell
Smith
Dunbar
Williams
Bunch
Thomas
Thompson
Worley
Green
White
Highsmith
Fullwood
Dozier
Palmer
Harmon
Dupard
Horton
Haddix
Jones
Nelson
Abercrombie
McMillan
Overstreet
Cooper
Furgeson
Alexander
Ivery
Brown
Miller
Peacock
Bean
Gaines
Hardeman
Matthews
Smith
Amundson
Kinney
Thomas
Profit
Brockington
Moore
Burns
McCauley
Hayden
Stegant
Thomas
Lane
Hull

WRs:

Terrell
Robinson
Warrick
Taylor
Nash
Hilliard
Green
Anthony
Carruth
Westbrook
Galloway
Stokes
Johnson
Lewis
Howard
Hill
Dykes
Collins
Cox
Davis
Jeffries
Nattiel
Ingram
McGee
Jackson
Duncan
Gualt
Hancock
Scott
Tuttle
Nichols
Jones
Adams
Burke
Brooks
Burton
Curtin
Holden
Smith
Rogers
Siani
Hill
Lewis
Wright
Thompson
Gillette
Sellers
Seymour
Homan


All guys taken in the first round that I don't remember being very good.

Lots of bad picks here.

 

[SALADIN]

Archie Griffin...the man won BACK TO BACK Heisman Trophies.

One QB that I did not see mentioned....Andre Ware.

I think the point of the thread was great college players who didn't do squat in the NFL. = Bust

 

[The30YardSlant]

Andre Ware, best college QB ever also the biggest bust ever.