25 Heisman Trophy winners with the best NFL careers
By John Buhler
Mike Rozier
Running Back, Nebraska Cornhuskers (1983)
Mike Rozier had an electrifying three-year collegiate career with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He would challenge former NFL standout Roger Craig of San Francisco 49ers fame for the starting role as a sophomore in his first year on campus in Lincoln. Rozier would win the 1983 Heisman Trophy, as he rushed for 2,148 yards and 29 touchdowns on 275 carries.
He would be taken No. 2 overall in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players behind future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young. Rozier would play two years in the USFL with the Pittsburgh Maulers (1984) and the Jacksonville Bulls (1985) before landing with the NFL team that had his draft rights in the Houston Oilers.
With Houston, Rozier would make two Pro Bowls in five-plus seasons. He amassed 4,462 career rushing yards and 30 career rushing touchdowns. Rozier had 90 career catches for 715 yards and a touchdown.
He would split his last NFL season between Houston and the Atlanta Falcons in 1990. Overall, Rozier certainly had his moments reminiscent of what he did in Lincoln in his six-year NFL career. Though a good player for the Oilers, he didn’t play long enough to garner much buzz towards Canton enshrinement.