From Jason White to Johnny Manziel these six Heisman-winning quarterbacks could never build on their college success in the NFL.
Winning the Heisman may put you in elite company, but it isn’t a very good predictor of future success. Sure, there are all-time greats like Tony Dorsett and Marcus Allen, but recently Heisman winners have been disappointing — especially quarterbacks.
Jason White, the 2003 Heisman-winner from Oklahoma, didn’t even warrant a draft selection. Of course, tearing your ACL twice in college will not give a lot of NFL scouts hope, but to be one of 15 Heisman winners to go undrafted is not a statistic you want to be part of.
Players like Matt Leinart and Tim Tebow, both insanely popular in college, struggled mightily at the next level. Leinart, who led USC to a national championship in 2004, was drafted 10th overall and never got his footing in the NFL. Only a starter for one season, injuries derailed Leinart’s career and he retired after six seasons.
For Tebow — playoff win against the Steelers aside — there were always questions around his throwing mechanics and low accuracy. Three years his miraculous AFC Wild Card win, Tebow found himself jumping from team to team, eventually deciding to give professional baseball a shot (which also didn’t go that well).
Troy Smith might have received the highest amount of first place votes for the Heisman, but even that couldn’t help his NFL career. Unlike Leinart, Smith was never a starting quarterback in the league and was unfortunately drafted a year before the Baltimore Ravens picked a guy named Joe Flacco, essentially ending his career.
Then there’s Robert Griffin III, who wouldn’t even be on this list if it weren’t for a string of season-ending injuries that turned his career from franchise quarterback to backup for Joe Flacco in a span of five years. RGIII won Rookie of the Year and gave life to a Redskins franchise that was desperate for a quarterback, but it ended abruptly when he couldn’t stay on the field consistently.
Last but not least, arguably the most polarizing college player in recent memory Johnny Manziel. The first freshman to ever win a Heisman, Manziel received rave reviews from media members, former players, experts you name it.
Some predicted he would be a star in the NFL, others pointed to his antics off the field as the reason why he will never live up to his potential. Unfortunately, the latter was correct. Several issues off the field led to Manziel’s quick exit from the league, and he now spends time north of the border playing in the Canadian Football League.
In the last 20 years, 15 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks, with Baker Mayfield being the latest winner. Drafted No. 1 overall in last year’s draft Mayfield has a lot of expectations on his shoulders. Although he hasn’t played in the NFL yet, history is not on his side when it comes to Heisman success in the pros.