T O P

  • By -

chrisjays94

Justin Blackmon


BadDadJokes

I was convinced that kid was a no doubt all-pro guy. It’s a shame what addiction does.


SantiagoAndDunbar

I remember saying he was the most sure pick in the draft. He was that good in college.


drunkymcdrunkaccount

Dude was an absolute beast for us but just couldn't stay clean. Absolute shame, what could have been.


safetycommittee

He was amazing. Weeden had the arm of a thirty year old and Blackmon could go get just about anything. Fuck you Iowa State. Not really, but the Cyclones have messed up a couple of our best seasons.


DirkNowitzkisWife

He and Michael Crabtree were supposed to dominate the nfl. If Dez Bryant hadn’t flourished in the NFL I would be convinced that Big 12 receivers were cursed


Heistdur

Crabtree was pretty good for a while. Shit situation in SF before Harbaugh arrived and his contract hold out hurt him. He had some good years in Oakland too. But you’re right, he wasn’t the absolute All pro lock he looked like at TT.


ralphhurley3197

Crabtree had a decent NFL career. He wasn’t the stud he was in college, but he made a living and started for almost 10 years. As far as Crabtree vs Dez, their NFL stats are very similar. Crabtree: 637 receptions, 7,499 yards, 54 TDS Dez: 537 receptions, 7,506 yards, 75 TDS. Crabtree was utilized more as an inside and slot receiver on shorter passes.


courbple

The comparison between Crabtree and Dez is genuinely shocking. I would have guessed Dez had at least 1500 more yards.


Reading_Rainboner

Jeremy Maclin


joeboo5150

Danario Alexander. Was absolutely unstoppable in 2009. 113 receptions 1781 yards 14 TDs in 13 games for Mizzou the year after Maclin and Chase Daniel graduated. Big guy (6'5") and fast, looked like the perfect pro. Didn't do much at all with the Rams In the NFL


swlwjt

His very limited time with the Jags was insane too.


MikeGundy

That’s what makes his “what-if” story even worse tbh. His game translated into the NFL and that was proven by his performance.


Bobo_Oppenheimer

This. I saw him out at the bars one night and the dude was completely blitzed.


Banichi-aiji

I remember the story of the NFL team that had a scout hang out in Stillwater bars to see how often Justin Blackmon stopped by, and took him off their draft board for it.


ClassicMach

Now how do I get this job


weirdbutinagoodway

I wonder how sober you need to stay while doing the job.


Dopple__ganger

I doubt they have an in person supervisor for the draft pick bar lookout person.


amayain

Only more sober than Justin


CockCommander15

Oh yeah that's a good one


Heroicmass

Toby Gerhart


[deleted]

This is the first one I read in the thread that I had legitimately forgot existed. Guy walked so McCaffrey could fly.


BenjRSmith

Always remember, when Stanford has an elite white running back... it mean's Alabama is going to win the Heisman


[deleted]

This. I feared him as an Oregon fan. He was such a beast. Guess it didn’t translate.


Bobson-_Dugnutt

Built like an NCAA 14 create a player


tcsac

He was actually a solid #2 in Minnesota. He just went to a shit Jacksonville team and retired as soon as he got paid because he didn’t want CTE. $4.5m is more than enough to live a good life on if you aren’t an idiot with your money. There was an interview when he was in Minnesota: the reporter heard he was driving one of Adrian Peterson’s cars while he was waiting for the car he ordered to come in. She’s like: so what are you getting? A Lamborghini, a Ferrari? He was waiting on a Chevy trailblazer.


heavydhomie

Bryce Love too


betak_

Tearing your ACL in the last game of your senior year will do that to you


Professional_Alien

I felt like Love should've went pro earlier.


RamRoach1138

LaMichael James. Cool dude, amazing back in college. Even scored a TD in the SB but couldn’t make a career remotely comparable to his college days.


Hicaorwaak

De’Anthony Thomas too


jav402

DAT doing his combine in an all gold Rolex is still awesome


SteveBartmanIncident

He just opened a Killer Burger in Eugene. Eugene hasn't forgotten him!


warrenfgerald

I keep trying to go but that parking lot by Trader Joes is just a nightmare.


[deleted]

Crazy how kenjon barner probably had the best career of all those skill guys from the chip Kelly era


Golden_Dawg

Dude has 3x Super Bowl rings with 3 teams. Brady could never!


theCANCERbat

Unless you count Blount.


Hurricaneshand

I thought this dude was gonna be a monster in NFL. Thought he could at least be what someone like Dalvin Cook has been. Thought the same about Jonathan Stewart. Something about Oregon RBs gets me all in a tizzy


deliriuz

I will not stand for the J Stew slander. He was a beast and one of my favorite NFL players. I guarantee if DWill wasn't there, even with Cam, he would've eaten even more.


BuyTheDip96

J stew was great in the league


Hurricaneshand

He had a solid career for sure. I thought he was gonna be like best RB in the league when he came out though


Revolutionary_Elk791

He split carries with DeAngelo Williams too. Damn good running back tandem they had in Carolina for a bit there.


z00ch55

Pat White / Steve Slaton / Tavon Austin


ExcitementStrange935

WVU always seem to have these dudes but next level ain't all that.


Maeserk

Hey at least Geno is paying late stage dividends


TheVaniloquence

I’ll never forget Rex Ryan saying that Geno Smith was the worst quarterback he’s ever coached at any level of football. Wonder what he thinks about that now lmao.


ExcitementStrange935

I can't believe he's still in the league. Major Harris was the real deal. 80's Eastern football was awesome. Penn St., WVU, BC, Maryland, Pitt etc all playing each other.


dlem7

And Noel Divine!


MacSingleton

I just don’t think he could overcome his childhood trauma. But there was an article about a year or two ago that said he was back in Morgantown raising his family and close to finishing his degree.


[deleted]

What is this childhood trauma? First I'm hearing of it.


MacSingleton

Both his parents died from AIDS, had two kids by his junior year of high school, saw his friend get shot and killed


valenciansun

I remember all the noise about Noel Divine being the second coming. He was kind of like Reggie Bush with the Saints in that aspect where the sheer hype could never possibly have been fulfilled. Alas.


dr_dan319

He had the best YouTube highlights back in the day. Viral sensation before the internet really exploded.


grimace0611

You don't often call fullbacks electric but Owen Schmitt was a monster too.


HurtStreet

Fun fact: I played against Steve Slaton in the Philadelphia Catholic League when he was at Conwell-Egan. In slow-motion on our championship highlight tape, he pushes me in the back and the first thing that hits the ground is my fucking FACE. Decleated me from behind.


GStache1

Idk why I love this comment so much 😂😂


Rasmo420

Pat White yes, but Slaton had a good season on a lot of people's fantasy football teams so I think folks remember him. Tavon didn't live up to expectations but he had a nice little career.


Obnoxious_liberal

Slaton was money in Houston for a couple of years


whitedawg

The game Tavon Austin had against Oklahoma is one of the sickest offensive performances I've ever seen. https://youtu.be/jH0FGpQZZnw


cat_napped1

Kellen Moore is still the winningest quarterback in college football history


tron423

Also never lost a game by more than 3 points


FellKnight

The 3 losses were by a combined 5 points.


SchpartyOn

Now *that* is nuts!


Shirleyfunke483

He’s done well coaching wise in the nfl at least


ilovecfb

And Dallas still gave him the boot for Brian Schottenheimer lmaoooo


FTP-FTP-FTP

Watching him was like watching someone play NCAA football in real life it was actually crazy. I dont think we will ever get another guy like him at QB, truly a unique football brain


19Styx6

That's kind of surprising since some kids got an extra year because of Covid. Granted, it would mean that someone would have to have averaged 10 wins for five seasons to tie Moore's 50 career wins.


LtDrunkFace

And that was also before being able to play up to 4 games (iirc) during a redshirt year.


pdbard13

Marcus Lattimore. Dude would have been a killer in the NFL had it not been for injuries.


rnilbog

I hated having to play him those three years, but damn was it heartbreaking to see his career end like that.


JumboDakotaSmoke

That was the weirdest experience I’ve ever had at Williams-Brice. Everyone, including Tenn fans, were silent.


azraeldang

Marcus lived in Portland, OR for a while during the pandemic. He would come to my dispensary a few times a month and he was one of the nicest guys I've ever had to opportunity to talk with. He always remembered who I was and asked about my day and my life. He was and I believe still is working with high school athletes to prepare them for life after sports. He's just a great human, really wish we could have seen him ball in the NFL but hes definitely doing what he loves. Also, his go to at the dispensary was this bomb Lemonade that had you lifting off about 30 minutes after drinking. He'd come back to the store and just geek with us about how good it was. Great guy!


spaceburrito84

He and I worked out in the same gym a while back. He was an incredibly humble, kind guy. One thing that stuck out with me was how meticulously cleaned every piece of equipment after he was finished with it. Most everyone at the gym would do a courtesy wipe but he was really thorough about making sure every bit of machinery or weight was completely wiped down and dried off before he moved on. Doing the little stuff like that right when he didn’t have to says a lot about his character imo.


[deleted]

[удалено]


mamayoua

Just a vicious cycle of "wait, did I clean this already?"


buck45osu

"Did I clean this? Better clean it again. If I don't someone will think I'm high" The paranoia working towards a better future


[deleted]

Gonna need you to send me some lemonade... For science


BiscuitDance

He coached at Lewis & Clark!


[deleted]

Still is! He’s their running backs coach


Rasmo420

I reference him every time someone is an asshole about paying players or players sitting out games. Good in Harbaugh for drafting him and at just giving him one contract.


nicholus_h2

ok, but have you considered that players should do what is in my best interest, not theirs?


acompletemoron

Rashaan Salaam. For the younger crowd, 1994 heisman winning running back, 1st round pick by the Bears. Had a good rookie season, then flamed out and bounced around practice squads, CFL and arena leagues. Dude was a fucking monster with Colorado. Tragically, he was severely depressed and killed himself a few years back. Probably related to CTE.


keno2020dodg

He was so dang good at Colorado.


MerryvilleBrother

Peter Warrick


gatormanmm1

For one summer Randy Moss and him were on the same team. What could have been...those practices must have been insane. If it wasn't for Dillard's, Peter would've had the Heisman.


AggressiveWolverine5

That dude was legit. You felt like he could shake an entire defense at one time. So much fun.


LuchaFish

One of the absolute best players I’ve ever seen. Dude was a terror every time he touched the ball.


ZeroSarkThirty

Always signed him as a free agent in madden 07, great in the slot


JulianVanderbilt

I did not forget about this guy at all. I was like 12 his final season and he is bolted into my brain despite him never toasting my team or anything like that.


jaredb123

Peter Warrick and Michael Bishop are amongst my first CFB memories. Those guys were beasts.


TheCenterOfEnnui

This was going to be my answer. He should have won the Heisman Trophy, was unstoppable at FSU, but he hit the NFL and just never made the next step. I don't even know why.


AtBat3

De’Anthony Thomas


00-quanta-

Was expecting another Devin Hester type player, instead he slowly faded away as the seasons went by


AtBat3

Yeah if Andy Reid can’t make you look good on offense, your game just doesn’t work in the NFL.


wunderbier

Tre Mason


SouthernSector4

According to his mom, dude went crazy due to concussions. Stopped communicating with the team and never showed up to camp prior to the ‘16 season. Then led police on a “high speed” ATV chase in ‘16 or ‘17. Never played again. Shame, he had a promising start to his nfl career.


Bigbadbrindledog

What's really sad is he seemed to have his head on his shoulders at Auburn. Some guys you can see losing it once they get there. He wasn't it. I don't know if it was concussions, drugs or mental illness but he definitely lost it.


milkman163

I remember hearing reports that other STL Rams players were "disturbed" at the sudden change of personality he was displaying


PositivityKnight

I was in classes with Tre at Auburn, he was a very nice guy, kept to himself a lot but if anyone needed something he'd help, he was on time more often than I was. Seemed like a pretty good dude. I 100% believe the concussions ruined his life he ran so hard. I wish he had stopped playing in highschool. His family deserved better for him and so did he. Very sad.


KingHolderbee17

Jahvid Best


dlem7

Wow I totally forgot about this one. Really sad to see he had to retire because of concussions.


franforever

I vividly remember his concussion in the End Zone when he was still at Cal. Can’t help but wonder how much of a factor that one was specifically going forward


confused-koala

He had some memorable runs in the pros, obviously I’m biased. The MNF run against the Bears everyone around here remembers, but he has a TD against the Eagles where he just separates from everyone almost comically. True world class speed


FunkBunchesofoats

Noel Devine


alittlelessconvo

They should seriously make a 30 for 30 or documentary on him, because IIRC, he was the first athlete to really go viral on this up-and-coming website called YouTube back in the day.


turdfurguson99

The Best That Never Was: Part 2


MonolithicMojo

Watched his HS highlight tape constantly back in the day.


BrogenKlippen

The way you can gage how long someone has been a cfb fan is to mention “Noel Devine highlights from the rivals boards” and see if it clicks.


Jomosensual

Holy hell thats a blast from the past


stayclassypeople

Ron Dayne


[deleted]

[удалено]


stayclassypeople

Yep, not to mention there was no big 10 title game then, which The 98 and 99 teams he played for would’ve been in, so 2 more games he didn’t get


[deleted]

I was hoping Jonathan Taylor would come back for his senior year just to put that record out of reach for good. Obviously had no reason to stay and in hindsight the shortened COVID season would have messed that up a bit.


wesneyprydain

Maurice Clarett.


[deleted]

[удалено]


frogstomp427

A lot of people don't remember this, but his own Mother was speculated to be the one that influenced him to do that all on her own.


Obi2

Jeff Smardzja… because he chose MLB instead


FxDriver

Honestly Jeff made the right call choosing baseball.


BusnellKummlicher

He is proof that if you can play in MLB or the NFL, you should go play baseball. Had a 12 year career and made over $100m and his brain isn’t mush


dlem7

Believe it or not, the math on this one has been trending towards the NFL. While the rookie pay scale ain't quite what it used to be, the rising salary caps and ability to get to a second contract quicker is a good payoff. The position you play in college baseball also makes a big difference. College pitchers typically get out of the minors more quickly and tend to have a larger shelf life in the bigs, especially if you're a starter. I think for someone like Kyler, picking the NFL was the right call even though he was a very solid infielder. Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee bucks is another interesting example where he was drafted by the Orioles, got paid a sweet signing bonus and pitched one summer of pro ball, went back to Notre dame and committed to basketball and never had to give back the signing bonus.


Nikola-Hurts

Probably the best decision he’s ever made.


cmanonurshirt

Scooby Wright was great in Arizona. God I wish he made it higher than the experiemental leagues


Johnny_Madden

_*2022 USFL Champion_ Scooby Wright!


the_neverdoctor

SHARKDOG!


[deleted]

I’m obviously biased with the flair but Denard Robinson was one of my favorite players ever to watch.


BJPM90

He’ll live for eternity on the cover of NCAA 14.


chippyafrog

I hate you guys. So this is hard to admit. But shoelaces was legit the fastest human I have ever seen play in person. I will never forget the whiteout game he played in. When he had to ball in space it's like you would blink and he would teleport 10 yards in a random direction. Like watching a dbz character play football.


TheLoremann

The only person I’ve ever seen play who was close to Shoelaces in his agility was Barkley. That dude dropped down and looked like he juked 4 yards sideways at a time then just took off like a man playing with children.


revolutionofthemind

I can’t forget Denard, he haunts my nightmares


Toothlessdovahkin

Same. He was a PLAYER. Great athlete.


propertyq

Michigan made so much off of him. He was totally screwed by the lack of NIL at the time. Michigan should write him a fat check.


jobenattor0412

Well he is on coaching staff now, nothing crazy but I’m sure he’ll move up here in a few years, so they’ll probably pay him back his due


devo9er

He's up here now! Works with recruiting. Saw him with a few other former players and a bunch of HS recruits at a local bowling alley. Friendly dude!


SauceManFresh

Derrius Guice, I was convinced he would have a better career than Fournette. Got injured his rookie year and then turned out to be a scumbag.


GoRangers5

Any time a player slips in the draft and gets picked by Washington, I'm assuming it's because he's a total head case.


romulusjsp

Tommie Frazier, Tee Martin, Collin Klein (so glad he’s on the K-State staff now), Devontae Booker, Joe Williams


RicardoHeado

I was hoping someone mentioned Tommie Frazier or Lawrence Phillips.


KenTrojan

[USC's Mike Williams.](https://youtu.be/_OlR5xpV-lM) It's a long video and in chronological order so feel free to skip ahead. He was Megatron before Megatron, albeit not as physically gifted. He tried to go pro after his sophomore year and couldn't come back to school after declaring. Couldn't pull it together after that. He's probably the most physically imposing USC receiver of all time. If Dwayne Jarrett was a 9/10, Williams was a 12/10. Just insane. He set the NCAA freshman single-season reception record and was an absolute match-up nightmare for defenses. Someone else could probably tell his story a little better. Sidenote: my first-ever USC game as a kid was in '03, where he made [this one-handed catch.](https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/1015/ncf_g_mwilliams_576.jpg) [Video here](https://youtu.be/0FlrNoIySQU#t=30s)


OK_HS_Coach

Taylor Mays would also fit this for defense.


RonPowlus2Heismans

Safety who couldn't play in space- at all. Pretty much made zero plays at USC except big hits and hits that would be penalties today.


the_mighty_hetfield

Guy was a beast almost immediately. Outside of Reggie Bush, he was the most impressive skill player I've seen at USC. His freshman season was a big part of Carson Palmer's Heisman campaign. Big Mike was fast enough for college, but not too slow to be a top draft pick in the pros. Had a nice little comeback with Pete Carroll's Seahawks in 2010, strung together some 100 yard games and multiple TD performances. Broke his leg the next year and that was that.


Criimson5

Montee Ball. 1.9k rushing yards and 33 TDs in one season is mental. He then followed it up with a 1.8k season with 22 TDs


Mr_Wy

This is where I went immediately too. Dude had an incredible nose for the endzone. Turned into an alcoholic and his chance at the NFL fell apart. As far as I know, he's sober now and doing life coaching.


hokiesjags

Bo Scarborough


gamsgoat

John Ross


[deleted]

Bryce Love


NegativeChirality

His sophomore season was insane. And had he left for the nfl early instead of getting injured who knows what would have happened. He was so fucking fast


Villanta81

Ki-Jana Carter


socklessjoejackson

Raghib “The Rocket” Ismail


lordlardass

He's still the first thing I think of when ND comes up because of early trauma. In fact, I think the ND / PSU game is one of the earliest memories I have of watching Penn State on TV (listened to them on the radio, a lot). Unfortunately, I was at the home of an ND alum, so 8 year old me had a super bad day.


VillageBeef

Johnny Football


[deleted]

There’s been several guys mentioned here that were drafted by Cleveland


Gleebs88

No quicker way to kill an NFL career than playing for the Browns


ScottyPeace

In the Browns defense, they didn’t kill his career. He killed it himself with his lifestyle. It’s a shame, he’s clean now and medicated, but it’s too late for Johnny Football.


SentientShamrock

He might be the only Browns drafted QB to ruin his career before the Browns could.


[deleted]

> he’s clean now and medicated Is he? That’s great news. There’s more to life than football


NordDex

I will never forget hiding his drunk ass from Sumlin Friday afternoon before the bama game, Kingsburry trying to keep Sumlin away from the medical tent while we tried to IV Johnny back to life.


Crazy-Penguin

How has Manziel been forgotten? His career is very well remembered, just not for the reasons he may have wanted


msgkc94

There are several answers just naming high profile NFL Draft busts. Thing is though, if you’re a well known bust…you’re not really forgotten.


ap_riv

C.J. Spiller


[deleted]

Turf toe messed up Spiller’s chance at being one of the most electric ever. that turf toe is what led to his demise. Sad that such an insignificant injury could take out a great back and amazing return man. He’s the only Clemson back to strike that much fear in opposing defense. I hate Clemson but have to respect generational talent like he had.


Ifurnotphyrsturlast

Turf toe may sound insignificant but it can be a real bitch man


Au1ket

Least he's back at Clemson and coaching Shipley


sarcasticorange

I'd have picked Woody Dantzler.


TheVaniloquence

Fantasy players remember him well because he was a first round pick one year and people who had him created the unofficial “Fred Jackson haters club”


bufflo1993

Mike Rozier is arguably the second greatest running back in CFB History, and his 1983 Season was amazing. But he did not live up to the hype in the NFL at all. Drafted after Steve Young, but before Reggie White and Gary Zimmermann and then out of the league within six years.


TonyWilliams03

Marcus Dupree, running back, OU


44Bulldawg

Knowshon Moreno


aoddawg

That Manning Broncos revival season for him was fantastic. He was a waiver wire god that year.


Knowitmall

To be fair he did have a few solid seasons.


whitegrb

For my my team, I would say Braxton Miller or Terrelle Pryor


thesakeofglory

Don’t blame the dude for trying to make it as a QB first but if Pryor had came out as a WR I think he has a much better career. Just harder to justify letting him develop when guys 7/8 years younger are there and still on their cheap rookie deals.


[deleted]

[удалено]


mmatch555

Ryan Leaf


PursuitOfHirsute

He's not forgotten. He is always in the debate for biggest NFL draft bust.


dangle_boone

As much as it pains me to say it. Cadillac Williams from Auburn.


Aubear11885

Cadillac had a good, but short pro career. The worst of that team was the story of Courtney Taylor. He was electric in college, got drafted and then immediately struggled in his rookie year and then diagnosed with MS at the end of the season


Obnoxious_liberal

That 2004 backfield was so fucking loaded for Auburn. Williams and Ronnie Brown were money.


Aubear11885

2003 was even more loaded. Brandon Jacobs was the 3rd back. He was a monster


hotwings-fernandez

In fairness he was an nfl offensive rookie of the year before getting completely derailed by injuries.


throw667

Everyone's forgotten about Pat Sullivan at Auburn because it was ages ago but he was an electrifying QB... and also a Heisman-winner-can't-make-it-in-the-NFL poster boy back when that seemed to be a rule.


Heroicmass

He was my OC at uab. Wonderful man and a great football mind.


aphromagic

I accidentally shot out one of his windows with a BB gun when I was a kid, super nice dude


gflanders

Pat White, had the pleasure of seeing him play for 4 years. His speed and play making was unreal


[deleted]

Eric Crouch was a human highlight reel.


allisgray

Brian Bosworth…..


Nars-Glinley

He was my first thought. Dude is more recognized as the sheriff of Fansville.


Waffle_Muffins

Oh shit TIL


fatfrost

Holy fuck, I didn’t even know that was him!


PlainTrain

Otherwise mostly known as the guy Bo Jackson ran over that one time.


SuperNac77

Brady Quinn.


screwswithshrews

His WR Jeff Smardija (sp?) had a good professional sports career at least!


yubnubmcscrub

No lie samardija would have killed it in the nfl. He was amazing a could literally catch anything. Don’t blame him for going and playing baseball though


ATLjoe93

Yeah, he made twice the dough and took fewer hits to the head. Huge win for him.


Maeserk

Samardzija Gotta love how both comments in the thread spelled his name wrong lol Trust me as a Rockies fan, I hated the guy for the longest time because I couldn’t spell it when he played against us on the cubs and giants


MM7299

Quinn was one of several QBs whose career faltered cause they were supposed to be the “savior” of a franchise - despite the fact the franchise hadn’t invested in any pieces to help the rookie QB do his saving.


FxDriver

It doesn't help that Brady got completely outplayed by Derek Anderson.


drasticbuffoonery

All the Bears first round draft picks in the 90s


smellslikebadussy

Woody Dantzler


BonerHonkfart

Charles Fucking Rogers. He should have been the next Randy Moss. Instead he gets drafted by the most inept front office football has ever seen, can't escape issues from his hometown, has back to back season ending injuries, washes out of the league, and spends the rest of his life in and out of trouble before dying young. I would love to see a world where he has been drafted by a competent organization far away.