Oklahoma football: 5 great Sooners who were NFL busts

This one might be somewhat controversial as Sam Bradford managed (or has managed) to hang on in the NFL for several years. Having said that, when you look at where he was drafted and what was expected of him as he entered the professional ranks, it’s hard to not look at Bradford and think that he fell well short of expectations after his time at Oklahoma.

Bradford started his career by redshirting the 2006 season, then winning the starting job the following year. He helped the Sooners win the Big 12 Championship, though they lost in the Fiesta Bowl, while throwing for 3,121 yards, 36 scores and just eight touchdowns. However, it was his 2008 season that was by far his best as he won the Heisman Trophy. He threw for an unreal 4,721 yards, 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Meanwhile, he led Oklahoma football to the BCS National Championship Game, though they came up short against Florida.

In the 2009 season, however, Bradford suffered two separate shoulder injuries that limited him to just three games. After having season-ending surgery, he elected to turn pro and head to the NFL.

The St. Louis Rams selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft with hopes that he would be the franchise quarterback to lead them back to the Promised Land. Instead, Bradford struggled to stay healthy, which became a theme for him, while also never reaching the potential he was believed to have. He played in just 83 games over nine seasons with only a 34-48-1 record as a starter. Not quite the superstar many thought Bradford would end up being.

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