Draft Busts

by 06Lion on Apr 18, 2008 12:56 PM EDT

After perusing ESPNs ranking of the top 50 draft busts, I couldn't help but notice we provided a good half dozen or so NFL busts. And I didn't really count it up, but at first glance I got the feeling the Big Ten had the highest number of draft busts of any conference.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/news/story?id=3325995

It's not much of a surprise to me, considering how different the Big Ten style of play is from the NFL style. The conference spits out enormous, successful NFL linemen because we're 2 yards and a cloud of dust on offense. But at the so-called skill positions, it would appear we are overhyped.

As an aside, this year's crop of QB draft prospects is bare. I think it is a trend that is going to continue as long as major college football programs keep leaning towards getting that one athletic "quarterback" that can run a sub-4.5 forty. Landing a prospect like that is great for a college program because it's like playing Nintendo with a GameGenie...the coach can call a bad play or the O-line can be as porous as swiss cheese, but who cares because that kid can outrun everyone except for the secondary, who are 20 yards upfield.

But NFL play suffers because the latest mobile QB craze in college doesn't translate so well into the pros. Instead of spending the time and knowledge developing a pocket QB with the NFL potential, programs are falling all over each other to grab the fastest high schooler to get that edge.

Thanks for the fanpost! Please do not post any content from a premium site that requires a subscription. Also, if you just want to share a link, quote, or video, please consider using fanshots instead. Thanks.

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

This one kills me too

I love how on of our guys goes to the NFL and sucks and it turns into a knock on Penn State. Penn State tailbacks suck because Ki-Jana Carter blew his knee out on that shit Riverfront Stadium Astroturf and because the Bears couldn't block for Curtis Enis (or Rashaan Salaam, what's his name from Texas, etc.)? Maybe they were "system tailbacks", the system being playing on an actual field and blocking.

Really, I saw those guys play, they were good when they left, maybe the schmucks in the NFL screwed them up.

The 49ers can't figure out how to get Michael Robinson on the field and Penn State's coaches are stupid? The Steelers draft Lawrence Timmons instead of Paul Posluzny because he has more "upside potential", and something is wrong with our program?

Gimmie a break.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Apr 18, 2008 1:35 PM EDT reply actions

Read Between The Lines.......

"upside potential" means he is way more athletic than Poz.

I mean......I guess the point is the guys who are stars in college haven't done very well and frankly, not many have been very good. PSU has had 129 guys drafted between 1980 and 2000. I would say 104 of them are guys that never contributed in any meaningful way in the pros. The biggest names in the pros from that era are guys like Kerry Collins, Lavar Arrington, Jeff Hartings, Darren Perry, Bobby Engram, Kyle Brady, the Wisnewskis, but other than that. No Franco Harris' or Jack Hams. A whooooolllle lot of wasted draft picks. Maybe there is something to that.....maybe as you have alluded to in other posts (and I agree with you by the way) what school does really have lots and lots of GREAT pros. Your discussion of the QBs in the pros is what I had in mind. Really no school that has put QB after QB in the NFL where the QB was successful in the NFL.

But when I ran down the list of PSU guys drafted it seemed like a lot of busts. But what do I know.....I thought the fact that Paterno was like 4-21 vs. the top 5 over the last 30 years or whatever that stat is was terrible until I saw where most coaches don't have very good records against the top 5.

Take it for what its worth.

Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

by ech2os on Apr 18, 2008 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions

A lot of notables forgotten....

Curt Warner despite two knee surgeries had a very good NFL career...overshadowed by Marcus Allen playing for the Raiders in the same division.

OJ McDuffie....Marino's favorite target for the dolphins

Shane Conlan....nuff said

Richie Anderson....surprise...but great NFL career..several Pro-Bowls

LeRoy Thompson...see above

Sam Gash...Pro-Bowl

Gary Brown....several good years at Running Back despite playing corner his last two years at PSU

Kenny Watson....turning into a hell of a player for the Bungles

Eddie Drummond....Pro-Bowl return man

I could go on....All of the above were not hall of famers but all had or have good careers.

I thought only safeties played 15 yards off the ball?

by pic15 on Apr 18, 2008 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

How about Joe Jurivicous?

Personally, I never thought he'd catch a pass in the NFL.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Apr 18, 2008 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions

First Day Draft Choice........

if I am a first day draft choice......let's say first 2 rounds.....there are expecatations that you are going to be better than average.

Between 1980 and 2000 Penn State had 34 guys taken in the first two rounds....8 made it to a pro-bowl at some time in their career. So far, only one Hall of Famer (Mike Munchak).

Is that good or bad ? I don't know. In comparison to nothing else I would say it isn't very good.

If nothing else, you can see where people get or have the opinion that PSU has had its share of busts given the hype in college and the subsequent expectations of those players in the pros.

Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

by ech2os on Apr 18, 2008 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Franco and The Rest........

Franco Harris Rushing Yards 12120
Curt Warner, DJ Dozier, Ki Jana Carter, Blair Thomas, Curtis Enis combined for 12323

Franco Harris TDs Rushing and Receiving - 100
Curt Warner, DJ Dozier, Ki Jana Carter, Blair Thomas, Curtis Enis combined for 108.

With all due respect to Curt Warner......he accounted for over half the total rushing yards and 63 of the TD's, so he really wasn't a bust. But following Franco's Pro Legacy in 83 and being selected No. 3 overall certainly didn't make it easier for Warner perception-wise.

I just thought those were interesting numbers.

Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

by ech2os on Apr 21, 2008 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Kenny Watson

should start, Rudi Johnson hits the hole with no conviction, he tip toes in like Herschel Walker started doing late in his career...

WE ARE, PENN STATE!

by LinebackerU on Apr 19, 2008 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Rashan Salaam

Played for Colorado and couldn't get it done in the NFL because he was a coke head. He got booted from the league very quickly

by JGuiher on Apr 21, 2008 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Biggest BS!

Was Salami winning the Heisman over KiJana! What was KiJana's yards per carry? i think it was over 7...sick!

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

by wookieeman on Apr 21, 2008 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

"Busts"

I hate the term "bust". Its really a slight on a player that, in most cases, is grossly unfair. I mean, unless a player is personally responsible by not working hard enough or not taking care of himself, how can you really define what a "bust" is?

Is it someone who doesn't perform up to expectations? Because if it is, it really isn't fair to label someone based on expectations. They wern't created by the player himself, they were created by media observers. Not living up to high expectations isn't a failure of the player in my mind. In most cases, they're doing their best. If a coach at the NFL level can't find a way to get the most out of a college star like their college coach did, its HIS fault, not the fault of the school. If a fanchise misassesses (is that a word?) the value of a player, and picks him in the top 10 when he should be in the 2nd round, thats the FRANCHISE'S fault, and not the school or player's.

God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...

by Adam Bittner on Apr 18, 2008 3:22 PM EDT reply actions

Timmons upside

He must have a ton of upside potential, because presently, he sucks. He was pretty marginal at Florida State too.

And he doesn't just suck; he's lazy, has a bad attitude, and plays dirty (he's the guy that stomped on Ricky Williams in the Miami game). But hey, he can jump real high (when he feels like it).

In all seriousness though, I think NFL people call certain players busts to lay off the blame for making a stupid draft pick. Blair Thomas is considered a huge "bust" but come on, he got drafted by a terrible franchise that had no talent, that's why they were picking so high. O.J. Simpson would have sucked on that team. When a quality football player, and a quality guy (I kind of knew Blair) can't make it work in the NFL, I think it has to have something to do with the environment, rather than exclusively his talent (or lack thereof).

On the hand, maybe we have been playing with a bunch of no talent hacks and our coaches are geniuses.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Apr 18, 2008 3:30 PM EDT reply actions