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Oklahoma football: 5 great Sooners who were NFL busts

By Cody Williams

NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 27: Landry Jones #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners throws a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 27, 2012 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Fighting Irish defeated the Sooners 30-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 27: Landry Jones #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners throws a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 27, 2012 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Fighting Irish defeated the Sooners 30-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma football, NFL busts
Quarterback Landry Jones #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by Jackson Laizure/Getty Images) /

These Oklahoma football players were great Sooners but NFL busts.

En route to winning seven National Championships in program history, it’s not surprising that Oklahoma football has enjoyed an elite level of talent putting on the Sooners uniform over the years. Reeling off a host of legendary coaches has a tendency to allow a program to bring in great players and that has undeniably been the case in Norman.

Even just recently, we have seen Lincoln Riley produce some college football stars. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won back-to-back Heisman Trophies for the Sooners and then Jalen Hurts almost made it a three-peat as he was a finalist for the award. Star-making is part of the brand of Oklahoma football.

Unfortunately for the Sooners, not every great who has played for the team has gone on to have the same level of success in the NFL. These are five such Oklahoma football standouts who never amounted to much or what they were supposed to in the NFL.

Serving as a backup and ultimately redshirting in 2008, Landry Jones was thrust into action in the season-opener of the 2009 campaign when Sam Bradford was injured. Though the Sooners struggled a bit when he was at the helm against an admittedly tough schedule early on, Jones flashed his potential. When Bradford returned but was injured again, he went on to finish the year with 3,198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

With Bradford gone the following season, it was Jones’ job under center. Though Oklahoma suffered two regular-season losses, they still won the Big 12 and the Fiesta Bowl as Jones threw for 4,718 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. As a junior, he continued to ball out with 4,463 yards, 29 touchdowns and 15 picks while leading the Sooners to double-digit wins once again.

For his final act in Norman and, though they went 10-2 in the regular season, they only got a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and lost in the Cotton Bowl. Even still, Jones threw for 4,267 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He finished his career as the Oklahoma football all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, both marks still standing today.

Despite his record-breaking college career, Jones was only a fourth-round pick by the Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft. And he’s primarily been a backup in the NFL with just 18 appearances and five starts with only 169 career attempts. He also played four games in the rebooted XFL but it’s obvious Jones was a superior college quarterback to what he became as a pro.

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