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

Given the players and quarterbacks that came after Joey Harrington, when you look at the record books of Oregon football, Joey Harrington doesn’t necessarily stand out all that much. After all, he ranks only sixth in career passing yards and just seventh in career passing touchdowns in Ducks history. While that may be true, the impact that he had on the program can’t be understated as he undeniably took Oregon to another level while at the helm of the offense.

As mentioned, Oregon was not a powerhouse for the 1990s, mostly hovering just above .500. When Harrington took over the starting job in 1999, however, things started to turn around in a big way. The Ducks went 25-3 in Harrington’s three seasons as the starter, culminating in an 11-1 campaign in 2001 that saw the quarterback end his career as Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP in a win over Colorado.

Over his college career, he earned notoriety as a Heisman Trophy finalist for the 2001 season and was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year for that campaign as well. He also gained a ton of credit for his ability to lead his team to victory no matter the odds, going 11-2 in games in which the Ducks trailed or were tied in the fourth quarter.

With that pedigree, the Detroit Lions drafted Harrington No. 3 overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. And though he got plenty of chances over six seasons, he never became a good pro quarterback. In 81 games and 76 starts, Harrington was just 26-50 as a starter while completing only 56.1 percent of his passes with 79 touchdowns to 85 interceptions. He may have turned around Oregon football but he didn’t do the same for the Lions or any other franchise he played for.

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