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Texas football: 5 great Longhorns who were NFL busts

By Cody Williams

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 21: Bryan Wilson #9 and Adam Carriker #90 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers move to sack quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Texas Longhorns on October 21, 2006 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Texas won 22-20. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 21: Bryan Wilson #9 and Adam Carriker #90 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers move to sack quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Texas Longhorns on October 21, 2006 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Texas won 22-20. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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Texas football, NFL busts
Texas Longhorns (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Despite being a highly celebrated high school recruit with buzz about his electric prep career, Vince Young was redshirted in the 2002 season and didn’t earn the starting job as a redshirt freshman the following season. By midseason, though, Young was splitting time in a time-share at quarterback, largely serving as a rushing threat at the position to mix things up for the Longhorns offense.

As a redshirt sophomore, though, Young earned the starting quarterback job for Texas and led them to a ton of team success. The Longhorns went 11-1 on the season — though their only loss was a tough one, falling to rival Oklahoma — and a victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Young himself wasn’t outlandishly good but did flash his elite dual-threat ability with over 1,100 rushing yards, over 1,800 passing yards and 26 total touchdowns.

It’s Young’s junior season in Austin that made him a legend, though. Not only did he help lead the team to a perfect season but he was wildly productive on the year as well, finishing second in the Heisman voting. He was also the hero as he toppled a USC dynasty in the BCS National Championship Game, accruing 467 total yards and three rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner with under a minute left on the clock. He’s third at Texas in career total offensive yards and total offensive touchdowns.

The Tennessee Titans selected Young with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and he immediately made a huge impact. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and, after an injury in 2008, won Comeback Player of the Year. However, injuries and issues with his behavior ultimately got him shown the door in the NFL, officially retiring in 2014. He makes this list not because he didn’t flash in the NFL but because he was never the game-changer many thought he could be while he was at Texas.

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