USC football: 5 great Trojans who didn’t live up to the NFL hype

USC football has produced many NFL greats but some were NFL busts.

Over the past few years, USC football has been struggling to find its footing, particularly in the manner that the Trojans have dominated over the years. After all, this is a school that has won 11 National Championships, has a prolific 855-350-54 record overall and has 39 conference championships to their credit as well.

Perhaps the biggest part of the rich fabric of USC football is the superstar players that took the college football world by storm whenever they suited up for the Trojans. It’s felt like one era after another has been littered with top-end talent and singular figures that have become legends.

Not all of those legends and other great players, however, went to the NFL and continued to stay in the limelight. These five USC football greats specifically never became the same level of stardom at the next level.

Big Mike Williams was a stud for USC football and then a big-time NFL bust.

Whenever Mike Williams was on the field for the Trojans, the wide receiver was an absolute standout. He played in all 26 games in his true freshman and sophomore seasons and put up big numbers under Pete Carroll’s watch. In his first season with the team, he had 81 receptions that went for 1,265 yards and 14 touchdowns, both marks setting school and conference records for a freshman and getting started on a star-making career.

As a full-time starter the next season, Williams emerged as one of the best wide receivers in college football. Earning nods as a First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Pac-10 and a spot as a Biletnikoff Award finalist, the wideout hauled in 95 catches for 1,314 yards and 16 touchdowns, setting a USC football record for receiving touchdowns in a season.

However, Williams’ college career took an odd turn. Trying to take advantage of a court ruling that would’ve made him eligible for the 2004 NFL Draft, that ruling was then overturned. But because he hired an agent for the draft, he was ineligible for the 2004 season and had to sit out his junior year with the Trojans, still finishing as USC’s leader in career receiving touchdowns and now sitting third in that category.

Even with missing his junior season, Williams was still the No. 10 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. The Trojans standout never quite found his mojo as a pro. He played in 56 games from 2005-11 but had just 127 total receptions for 1,526 yards and five scores for his career. Many thought he would be a star in the pros but never quite realized that potential.