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The worst first-round pick from each SEC school in the NFL draft (Gridiron Now article)
Posted on 3/27/18 at 8:34 am
Posted on 3/27/18 at 8:34 am
The worst first-round pick from each SEC school in the NFL draft
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The 2018 NFL draft begins April 26, and it’s a given that there will be a handful of out-and-out first-round busts. And chances are, some of those busts will be former SEC stars.
The 14 SEC schools certainly have had their share of first-rounders who never panned out. Here’s a look at the worst first-round pick from each of the conference members during the Super Bowl era. (One of our “honorees” was drafted when his school wasn’t in the SEC.)
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Alabama
WR Dennis Homan
The particulars: Drafted 20th in 1968 by the Dallas Cowboys
The skinny: He played five NFL seasons and had just 37 total receptions. He did play well in 1975 in the World Football League, though.
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Auburn
LB Aundray Bruce
The particulars: Drafted 1st overall in 1988 by the Atlanta Falcons
The skinny: He was an excellent athlete who started for the Falcons in his first two seasons. But to say he lacked football instincts would be kind, and though he had an 11-season career, he was a reserve for the final nine seasons and finished with 32 sacks (12 of those came in his first two seasons). Bruce, who started just 41 games in his career, didn’t have 40 tackles in any of his final nine seasons. He was barely a journeyman – and he went first overall (three first-rounders from that draft are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame).
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Arkansas
K Steve Little
The particulars: Drafted 15th in 1978 by the St. Louis Cardinals
The skinny: Little is one of just four kickers ever drafted in the first round. He kicked a 67-yard field goal at Arkansas in 1977, a distance that remains an NCAA record. But he was just 13-of-27 on field goals in three NFL seasons (including just 7-of-20 from 30 yards or more), and was so erratic as a rookie that he only punted that season. He was cut six games in the 1980 season, and he was involved in a car accident that left him a quadriplegic a few hours after he was cut.
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Florida
OLB Huey Richardson
The particulars: Drafted 15th in 1991 by the Pittsburgh Steelers
The skinny: Richardson was a star on some high-level Florida defenses. But he did nothing in the NFL. His career stats: Two seasons, 16 games, zero tackles. He played five games as a rookie, then was traded after the season. Richardson eventually got an MBA and works on Wall Street.
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Georgia
OT Bernard Williams
The particulars: Drafted 14th in 1994 by the Philadelphia Eagles
The skinny: Williams had prototype size for a left tackle (6-8, 320) and started all 16 games as a rookie. But that was it for his NFL career. He had substance abuse issues and was suspended six games for testing positive during training camp in 1995. He was suspended again a few months later for a year for more failed tests. He neglected to comply with a required treatment plan and never was reinstated.
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Kentucky
WR Randy Burke
The particulars: Drafted 26th in 1977 by the Baltimore Colts
The skinny: Atlanta drafted Kentucky OT Warren Bryant in the first round in 1977, and Bryant enjoyed a solid NFL career. Burke? He played 57 games in four seasons with the Colts – he missed his rookie season with injuries – and made just three starts; he finished his career with 30 receptions and three TDs. Burke had just 37 receptions at UK, but his size (6-2, 190) and speed intrigued the Colts.
14
Posted on 3/27/18 at 8:34 am to TideSaint
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LSU
QB JaMarcus Russell
The particulars: Drafted 1st overall in 2007 by the Oakland Raiders
The skinny: A handful of players taken first overall were busts, but none to Russell’s level. He had all the physical tools, including a cannon for an arm, but his work ethic was questionable and he always seemed out of shape. Russell started once as a rookie, 15 times in his second season and nine times in 2009. Oakland cut him after the 2010 draft and that was it for his career. He played in 31 games, with 25 starts (7-18 record), and threw 18 TD passes and 23 interceptions.
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Mississippi State
OT Derek Sherrod
The particulars: Drafted 32rd in 2011 by the Green Bay Packers
The skinny: He started one game in three seasons with the Packers – he missed the 2012 season with a broken leg – before being cut in November 2014. He never played in another game.
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Missouri
QB Steve Pisarkiewicz
The particulars: Drafted 19th in 1977 by the St. Louis Cardinals
The skinny: Pisarkiewicz was a St. Louis native, but his return home was disastrous. He started four games in two seasons with the Cardinals before finishing his career by appearing in one game for the Packers in 1979. His final NFL stat line: 64-of-143 for 804 yards, three TDs and seven interceptions.
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Ole Miss
RB John Avery
The particulars: Drafted 29th in 1998 by the Miami Dolphins
The skinny: The Dan Marino era was nearing an end and the Dolphins still were looking for a running back to take pressure off Marino. Alas, Avery was not that guy. He rushed for 503 yards as a rookie – and he ran for just 21 more for the rest of his career. The Dolphins got rid of him during his second season and he got five carries with Denver that season. He later got one carry with Minnesota in 2003.
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South Carolina
OT Ernest Dye
The particulars: Drafted 18th in 1993 by the Phoenix Cardinals.
The skinny: Drafted as a tackle, Dye started just 16 games in a five-season NFL career – and all the starts came at guard in 1994. But while he started all 16 games that season, he played in just 27 more over the next three years, and his career ended after the 1997 season.
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Tennessee
WR Clyde Duncan
The particulars: Drafted 17th in 1984 by the St. Louis Cardinals from Tennessee.
The skinny: His selection was all about potential. Duncan spent part of his UT career as a defensive back and caught 39 passes in his college career – not in his senior season, his career. But he had good size (6-1, 200) and blazing speed. It all went for naught. Duncan was peeved by the Cardinals’ contract proposal and held out as a rookie; he didn’t sign until early September. The holdout made news; his career did not. He played in 19 games in two seasons and had four receptions.
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Texas A&M
QB Johnny Manziel
The particulars: Drafted 22nd in 2014 by the Cleveland Browns
The skinny: Manziel lasted two seasons with the Browns, playing in 15 games and starting eight times (2-6 as a starter); he threw for 1,675 yards, with seven TDs and seven interceptions. He received more press for his off-field actions than his on-field play.
(An aside: Some may be wondering why we didn’t pick Aggies star Larry Stegent here. Stegent was drafted No. 8 by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970 and played just seven games in his NFL career. But Stegent suffered a severe knee injury during practice for the College Football All-Star Classic; that was an annual game from 1934-76 that matched rookies against the defending Super Bowl champs in Chicago in an exhibition. The injury caused Stegent to miss the 1970 season. He returned to play in seven games in ’71, but he was a shell of his former self. His final career numbers: zero carries and one catch for 7 yards.)
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Vanderbilt
CB Leonard Coleman
The particulars: Drafted 8th in 1984 by the Indianapolis Colts
The skinny: The Colts had just moved to Indianapolis when they drafted Coleman. But he had a contract dispute with the Colts and instead signed with the USFL’s Memphis franchise. He did sign with the Colts in 1985 and ended up starting every game that season. But that was it for him as a starter; he played in 21 games for the Colts over the next three seasons before his career ended.
Posted on 3/27/18 at 8:48 am to TideSaint
in arky's defense, if you're drafting a kicker round one then you done fricked up anyway
Posted on 3/27/18 at 8:52 am to TideSaint
TRENT RICHARDS...
Neat
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Dennis Homan
Neat
Posted on 3/27/18 at 9:01 am to TideSaint
quote:
Arkansas
K Steve Little
The particulars: Drafted 15th in 1978 by the St. Louis Cardinals
The skinny: Little is one of just four kickers ever drafted in the first round. He kicked a 67-yard field goal at Arkansas in 1977, a distance that remains an NCAA record. But he was just 13-of-27 on field goals in three NFL seasons (including just 7-of-20 from 30 yards or more), and was so erratic as a rookie that he only punted that season. He was cut six games in the 1980 season, and he was involved in a car accident that left him a quadriplegic a few hours after he was cut.
Wow, talk about a bad turn of events
Posted on 3/27/18 at 9:02 am to TideSaint
I was thinking Keith McCants.
Posted on 3/27/18 at 10:50 am to TideSaint
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Auburn
LB Aundray Bruce
The particulars: Drafted 1st overall in 1988 by the Atlanta Falcons
The skinny: He was an excellent athlete who started for the Falcons in his first two seasons. But to say he lacked football instincts would be kind, and though he had an 11-season career, he was a reserve for the final nine seasons and finished with 32 sacks (12 of those came in his first two seasons). Bruce, who started just 41 games in his career, didn’t have 40 tackles in any of his final nine seasons. He was barely a journeyman – and he went first overall (three first-rounders from that draft are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame).
Ehh... Bo Jackson
Jackson was selected with the first overall pick of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he refused to play for them because a visit to team facilities they said was NCAA-approved was actually not, causing him to miss the remainder of his final college baseball season.
Posted on 3/27/18 at 11:00 am to TideSaint
Note - the consistent BAD drafting by football Cardinals.
Bidwell & Co. were the worst.
Bidwell & Co. were the worst.
Posted on 3/27/18 at 12:49 pm to TideSaint
You could argue that ours is Tebow since the Broncos traded up to draft him in the first round and I think he only started 13 games.
Posted on 3/27/18 at 1:03 pm to TideSaint
quote:
quote:
Auburn
LB Aundray Bruce
The particulars: Drafted 1st overall in 1988 by the Atlanta Falcons
The skinny: He was an excellent athlete who started for the Falcons in his first two seasons. But to say he lacked football instincts would be kind, and though he had an 11-season career, he was a reserve for the final nine seasons and finished with 32 sacks (12 of those came in his first two seasons). Bruce, who started just 41 games in his career, didn’t have 40 tackles in any of his final nine seasons. He was barely a journeyman – and he went first overall (three first-rounders from that draft are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame).
Nope.
Bruce didn't turn out to be worth the overall #1 pick (didn't help that the Falcons tried to make him a middle linebacker which was pure idiocy), but he at least had a journeyman 11 year NFL career and actually made "All-Rookie" in 1988 before the Falcons really got their claws firmly embedded into him.
At this point, I'd give the "Auburn's worst 1st round pick" label to Greg Robinson.
Posted on 3/27/18 at 2:04 pm to TideSaint
quote:
Auburn
LB Aundray Bruce
The particulars: Drafted 1st overall in 1988 by the Atlanta Falcons
The skinny: He was an excellent athlete who started for the Falcons in his first two seasons. But to say he lacked football instincts would be kind, and though he had an 11-season career, he was a reserve for the final nine seasons and finished with 32 sacks (12 of those came in his first two seasons). Bruce, who started just 41 games in his career, didn’t have 40 tackles in any of his final nine seasons. He was barely a journeyman – and he went first overall (three first-rounders from that draft are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame).
LOL I remember vividly the NFL Top 10 Busts episode that listed him and revealed his arrest for pulling a BB gun on the pizza guy, dude was a clown apparently was hyped as the Next Lawrence Taylor when the real Next Lawrence Taylor was a year away (Derrick Thomas) and playing at the Iron Bowl rival school
Posted on 3/27/18 at 8:59 pm to TideSaint
This is pretty much spot on. Homan was a can't miss number one prospect who held many Bama records until Freddie milons came along. He did have snake stabler throwing to him in college and not Don Meredith.
I'd also add
Keith mccants
John Copeland
Eric curry
Scott Hunter
Antonio langham
Wilbur Jackson
Pat trammell would have been a great pro. Turned down the pros to go to med school and died of testicular cancer at 28.
I'd also add
Keith mccants
John Copeland
Eric curry
Scott Hunter
Antonio langham
Wilbur Jackson
Pat trammell would have been a great pro. Turned down the pros to go to med school and died of testicular cancer at 28.
Posted on 3/28/18 at 9:19 am to TideSaint
Jamarcus Russel, LSU!!! 
Posted on 3/28/18 at 9:50 am to TideSaint
For Mizzou I was thinking John Clay, 15th pick at Tackle by Raiders, played 2 seasons and done
Posted on 3/28/18 at 9:52 am to TideSaint
quote:
Alabama
WR Dennis Homan
How is this not Trent Richardson?
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Auburn LB Aundray Bruce
The particulars: Drafted 1st overall in 1988 by the Atlanta Falcons The skinny: He was an excellent athlete who started for the Falcons in his first two seasons. But to say he lacked football instincts would be kind, and though he had an 11-season career, he was a reserve for the final nine seasons and finished with 32 sacks (12 of those came in his first two seasons). Bruce, who started just 41 games in his career, didn’t have 40 tackles in any of his final nine seasons. He was barely a journeyman
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