Heisman busts: 12 biggest Heisman Trophy winners who flamed out in the NFL

Of all the Heisman Trophy busts of the 21st century, the tale of Johnny Manziel is by far and away the saddest. As a redshirt freshman at Texas A&M, Manziel took college football by storm during the Aggies’ first season in the SEC. Although it was a weak year for the Heisman, his first-half in the road upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide was why he ended up winning the award.

“Johnny Football” would return to College Station for his redshirt sophomore year as a rockstar, but not one who could handle the spotlight. His partying got in the way of his play, although he could certainly mask it during his 2013 season with the Aggies. However, him deciding to leave college after just two years as a starter for the 2014 NFL Draft was a massive red flag.

Manziel would be the No. 22 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns, a team that he only played two years with before being released. His antics, on and off the field, did not translate to winning football. In 15 career games with the Browns, he completed 57.0 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He was then out of football for the next three years.

Substance abuse issues ruined his NFL career. While he would play in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes in 2018, it was just a one-year thing for him. After he was signed by the failing AAF to play for the Memphis Express, you knew that his football career was over. He was never going to be great in the NFL, but he should have lasted more than two years.

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