Oregon football: 5 great players who didn’t live up to the NFL hype

When Dion Jordan first arrived in Eugene in 2008, he was a tight end by trade. However, the team elected for a position change with the young player, converting him to a defensive end after redshirting his 2008 year and then spending the 2009 season essentially in limbo. As a backup in the 2010 season as a redshirt sophomore, Jordan flashed his athleticism and potential with two sacks and 33 tackles in a backup role.

Earning a starting job as a redshirt junior, Jordan burst onto the scene as a dominant force coming off of the edge. The defensive end was named First-Team All-Pac-12 that season as he registered 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss. He continued to show out the next season when he earned all-conference honors once again, this time while putting up 5.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in his final season with the Ducks.

Though his college production was good, it was the potential that made him the apple of many people’s eyes as he was set to enter the NFL ranks. He showed at the NFL Combine that he was an athletic monster, notably running the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds at 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds. That led to him being selected No. 3 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

Jordan’s career got off to a relatively inauspicious start as he had two sacks in his rookie campaign, though he played in all 16 games. Problems began the next season, though, when he was suspended for six total games due to violating the league’s PED policy. He was suspended for all of the 2015 season for a third failed PED test (a diluted sample). Jordan was eventually released after not playing in 2016 and has bounced around with other teams since, serving another suspension and undeniably never reaching his potential.