With how big and popular college football is in the USA, it is no surprise that players can get a massive amount of hype in college and that can easily translate to the NFL. Well, when players who are barely in their 20’s get a boatload of hype, sometimes it can be too much and they can’t even hope to live up to it. Here are five of those players.
1. Jamarcus Russell
(source: everyjoe.com)
Coming out of LSU, Russell had everything you want in a starting quarterback. Huge arm, poise and a winner with a 21-4 college record. The Oakland Raiders made him the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, after some bad performances, a bad attitude and no work ethic, Russell soon fizzled out of the league and is one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
2. Trent Richardson
(source: cbssports.com)
After dominating in Alabama during his college years, Richardson was thought to be the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson and thus, the Cleveland Browns made him the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, which is a very high spot for a running back to go. After a fairly good rookie year in which he showed potential, Richardson began to appear out of shape and lost his work ethic. He bounced around a few teams in the NFL and is still trying, but it is doubtful he will even get close to as good as people thought he would.
3. Charles Rogers
(source: spike.com)
While in college, the skill and frame of Rogers has NFL coaches salivating. The guy produced at an unreal level, was quick and measured in at 6’3. He would be taken second overall in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and was thought to be a sure-fire Pro Bowl caliber player. Unfortunately for him and the Lions, he was out of the league after three years for a number of reasons such as injuries, drugs and various other off the field issues.
4. Tony Mandarich
(source: chatsports.com)
In 1989, this man was called the best offensive line prospect ever and in the NFL Draft of the same year, the Packers made him a second overall pick. Unfortunately, his horrific attitude as a player is what basically killed his career and saw him moved from te team only three years in. What is even worse and still haunts Packers fans is that he was taken before Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders, who are all in the Hall of Fame.
5. Ryan Leaf
(source: boltbeat.com)
When talking about the biggest busts or unrealized hype of an NFL player, Leaf is almost always at the top. He was made the second overall pick by the Chargers in 1998 and was thought to be their QB of the future. Instead, the Chargers only had him for two years and he soon faded into obscurity and out of the NFL because of his poor play, bad attitude, injuries and off the field issues. He was so bad that in his rookie year, he actually had a QBR of 39.0. This is horrific because if a QB just threw a ball into the ground every single play, their QBR would still be 39.6.
