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The top 10 Heisman Trophy winners who became busts in the NFL. These elite college players were busts in the NFL and failed to live up to expectations.
The Heisman Trophy is arguably the greatest individual award in sports. The award puts college athletes at the top of the world and gives them plenty of exposure ahead of their professional careers in the NFL.
However, not every Heisman winner enjoys success at the next level. It's a tough adjustment to the NFL, where the average player on the other side of the field is bigger, stronger, and faster than what they saw in the college game.
Let's dive into the top 10 Heisman Trophy winners to bust in the NFL. Some Heisman winners were not drafted highly, so they won't be included in this piece. To keep things somewhat recent, this list will only cover Heisman winners since 1985.
10. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (2017)
NFL Stats: 72 games, 16,288 pass yards, 102 touchdowns, 64 interceptions
At Oklahoma, Mayfield threw for 12,292 yards, 119 touchdowns, and just 21 interceptions in three years as a starter. He was deserving of the Heisman Trophy in 2017, but his professional career has not gone to plan.
Mayfield is still in the NFL and has a chance to revive his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his 31-38 record and one playoff victory through five seasons land him on this list. He flashed as a rookie with 27 passing touchdowns in just 14 games but has yet to match that total. It's always tough to see a top overall pick fail to make it to their second contract with the organization that took them.
9. Jameis Winston, Florida State (2013)
NFL Stats: 86 games, 21,840 pass yards, 139 touchdowns, 96 interceptions
As a redshirt freshman, Winston posted 44 total touchdowns, led the Florida State Seminoles to a National Championship, and won the Heisman Trophy. It was nothing short of spectacular, and the big-armed quarterback finished his college career 26-1 overall.
After being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie with 28 total touchdowns. It went downhill from there.
The low point of his career was in 2019 when he threw for 33 touchdowns and a whopping 30 interceptions. Tampa Bay declined to extend his contract, signed Tom Brady, and won the Super Bowl a year after his departure.
Free Agent QB Jameis Winston led the NFL with 30 interceptions.
He had 21 more interceptions dropped: pic.twitter.com/LEAhrBHljj
— QB Data Mine (@QBDataMine) March 16, 2020
Winston remains in the NFL, but it looks like he'll be a backup for the foreseeable future.
8. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (2008)
NFL Stats: 83 games, 19,449 pass yards, 103 touchdowns, 61 interceptions
Bradford had an incredible 50 passing touchdowns and eight-interception season to win the 2008 Heisman Trophy and establish himself as the clear top overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
The Oklahoma product lasted nine seasons in the NFL, but eclipsed 20 touchdowns just once and retired with a 34-48-1 record as a starter. He looked like an average quarterback at times, but he was far from the player he was expected to be when the Rams handed him the keys to the franchise.
7. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin (1999)
NFL Stats: 96 games, 3,722 rush yards, 28 rushing touchdowns, 3.8 YPC
Dayne captured the 1999 Heisman Trophy after rushing for 2,034 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Rose Bowl Champion Wisconsin Badgers. He was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, which ended up being the highlight of his career.
Dane never eclipsed 773 rushing yards in a season and rushed for fewer than 500 yards in four of his eight NFL seasons. Ultimately, running backs taken that high are expected to immediately be one of the best players at the position, and he was far from it.
6. Robert Griffin III, Baylor (2011)
NFL Stats: 56 games, 9,271 pass yards, 43 touchdowns, 30 interceptions
RGIII was one of the most electric college quarterbacks of all time, posting just under 5,000 total yards of offense and 47 touchdowns in his 2011 Heisman campaign.
As a rookie with the Washington Redskins, Griffin III put up 4,000 yards of offense and 27 touchdowns, leading the organization to an NFC East crown. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in that contest and was never the same.
Highest-graded rookie QB seasons of the decade:
1. Russell Wilson (2012) - 89.7
2. Robert Griffin III (2012) - 83.7
3. Baker Mayfield (2018) - 83.2
4. Dak Prescott (2016) - 81.5 pic.twitter.com/dkzI70Mun8— PFF (@PFF) August 26, 2020
He would start in just 27 games over the next seven years, winning just seven of those contests. If it weren't for injury troubles, he likely would not be on the list.
5. Rashaan Salaam, Colorado (1994)
NFL Stats: 33 games, 1,684 rush yards, 13 touchdowns, 3.6 YPC
Salaam handled 322 total touches for the Buffaloes in 1994, yielding 2,349 yards and 24 touchdowns. It was one of the greatest individual seasons for a college running back and he ultimately was drafted with the 21st overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.
He got off to a hot start in his rookie season with the Chicago Bears, rushing 296 times for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he fumbled nine times as well. After the 1995 season, he would go on to play in just 17 more games, posting 610 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Fumbles, injuries, and off-the-field issues would be his path out of the NFL.
4. Tim Tebow, Florida (2007)
NFL Stats: 35 games, 2,442 pass yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions
Tebow is etched in stone as one of the greatest college quarterbacks ever, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and leading the Florida Gators to its second BCS National Championship in three years.
He was viewed as a risky prospect ahead of the 2010 NFL Draft thanks to his bizarre passing mechanics, but the Denver Broncos took a shot on him at 25th overall.
Tebow earned the starting job during the 2011 season after minimal playing time as a rookie. He posted a 7-4 record with 18 total touchdowns and 12 turnovers and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card round.
On This Day in 2012: Tim Tebow finds Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard TD on the first play from scrimmage in OT, giving the Broncos a 29-23 win over the Steelers.
It remains the only playoff game to be decided on the first play from scrimmage in overtime. pic.twitter.com/D9bqwqqPna
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 8, 2022
His efforts didn't stop the Broncos from bringing in free agent quarterback Peyton Manning, and Tebow immediately lost his starting nod and was traded to the New York Jets where his career quickly fizzled out.
3. Matt Leinart, USC (2004)
NFL Stats: 33 games, 4,065 pass yards, 15 touchdowns, 21 interceptions
Leinart won the 2004 Heisman Trophy and a BCS National Championship behind a 36-touchdown, six-interception season. Naturally, he was the 10th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft via the Arizona Cardinals. Surprisingly, never looked good throughout his seven-year NFL career.
He started just 18 games and maxed out at 11 passing touchdowns as a rookie. The Cardinals quickly moved off of him, so he wasn't even a league-average quarterback like some of the other names on this list.
2. Andre Ware, Houston (1989)
NFL Stats: 14 games, 1,112 pass yards, five touchdowns, eight interceptions
Ware threw for an incredible 4,699 passing yards and 46 touchdowns during his 1989 Heisman run. The Cougars entered the national spotlight, and Ware ended up with the Detroit Lions in the 1990 NFL Draft (7th overall pick).
Unfortunately, his NFL career never materialized and he finished with just 14 games on his resume. He completed fewer than 85 passes in four seasons with the Lions and notched just five total passing touchdowns. Whether he was never given a fair shake or simply wasn't ready for the NFL, he goes down as one of the biggest NFL busts among Heisman winners.
1. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (2012)
NFL Stats: 14 games, 1,675 pass yards, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions
Johnny Football took the SEC by storm in Texas A&M's first year in the conference in 2012. Manziel won the Heisman as a redshirt freshman behind 26 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns. The Aggies went 11-2 and beat number one Alabama on the road during his historic run.
His character had question marks and his game led people wondering whether it would translate to the NFL, but in classic Cleveland Browns fashion, they selected him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
He spent two seasons with the organization, posting a 2-6 record as a starter, and never got a chance with any other team before his career ended seemingly before it started.
Johnny Manziel's first career CFL pass is an interception. pic.twitter.com/hlKGxs655J
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) August 4, 2018
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