who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

[trapezeus]

Watching the game, i was unimpressed with Newton. it got me thinking, "when is the last time a heisman winner went on to do well in the NFL?"

also, why is the heisman still considered some future predictor of NFL talent. all these reporters are just self congratulatory, but the heisman tends to just show who is good at the moment and not necessarily who is a good player. Would you agree with this?

[Mr. Miyagi]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

OJ

[Mr. Miyagi]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

Barry Sanders was ok too.

[T-Long]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

Off the top of my head, I can give you some names:

Marcus Allen
OJ Simpson
Archie Griffin
Tony Dorsett
Herschel Walker
Bo Jackson
Barry Sanders
Vinny Testaverde
Charles Woodson
Ricky Williams

I'm sure there are more...

[psubills62]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

The Heisman has turned into a QB/RB award, not even close to the "best player in college football." Suh losing last year cemented that notion.

I think Bradford will have a really good career, but that's very unproven.

The list of Heisman winners who went on to have bad or mediocre NFL careers just shows the difference between college and the NFL. College football can be dominated by athleticism. The NFL cannot. This is why the NFL is right to make kids wait until they're 3 years out of school to be draft-eligible.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

I mean none recently have been studs (Bradford is close though, IMO, but too early to tell obviously)...Eddie George was a star, Reggie Bush is dynamic but just isnt a true RB, Palmer was very good before his fateful injury...but yeah its surprisingly rare that players even become solid starters after winning the Heisman.

[STRONG_BAD]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

Watching the game, i was unimpressed with Newton. it got me thinking, "when is the last time a heisman winner went on to do well in the NFL?"

also, why is the heisman still considered some future predictor of NFL talent. all these reporters are just self congratulatory, but the heisman tends to just show who is good at the moment and not necessarily who is a good player. Would you agree with this?

I agree that it's odd more don't work out..but here is a list of well-doers

2008 - Sam Bradford
2002 - Carson Palmer
1988 - Ricky Williams
1997 - Charles Woodson
1995 - Eddie George

[Forward_Lateral]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

Charles Woodson, 1997
Ricky Williams, 1998
Reggie Bush, 2005
Sam Bradford, 2008

[Forward_Lateral]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

I forgot Carson Palmer.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

*Cameron Newton
*Mark Ingram, Jr.
*Sam Bradford - Having a very good career so far
*Tim Tebow - Still too early
*Troy Smith - Nothing so far
*Reggie Bush - OK, but nowhere near as good as advertised
*Matt Leinart - bust
*Jason White - blacklisted from the league
*Carson Palmer - has had an OK career, especially in the pit that is Cincinnati
*Eric Crouch - career minor leaguer
*Chris Weinke - too old to make much of a difference by the time he made it to the NFL
*Ron Dayne - he and Tiki had some success in New York
*Ricky Williams - we all know his story.
*Charles Woodson
*Danny Wuerffel - bust
*Eddie George

That's the list from the past 16 years or so. From that list... it's been pretty much a crap shoot. You have the Carson Palmers and the Eddie Georges who have good careers... but for every one of those you get an Eric Crouch or a Matt Leinart who doesn't pan out in the NFL.

[Forward_Lateral]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

Yeah, it's close to a 50-50 chance, probably less even. I don't know how much NFL scouts put into the Heisman hype though.

[trapezeus]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

yeah, i wasn't saying none of the players turn out well. i was born in the late 70's. and the heisman in the early 80's had bo jackson and marcus allen. It had always kind of been touted to be an award that kind of foretold NFL greatness. and it really just hasn't since the early 90's. The lions were drafting Heisman QB after Heisman QB and it's kind of just become an "you are amazing right now, but if you don't have the heart to put the work in, you'll suck at the next level award."

It's just odd that sports writers hail the picking as this big honor for themselves to teach us know nothing fans who is a great player, and in the end they are about as accurate as us.

[Forward_Lateral]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

There have been some HOF Hesiman winners, like Sanders, Tim Brown, Allen but there has also been some atrocious busts like Rashan Salaam, Gino Toretta and Eric Crouch.

[BidsJr]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

Yeah, it's close to a 50-50 chance, probably less even. I don't know how much NFL scouts put into the Heisman hype though.

I can answer this one..... 0%

[mikemac2001]

Re: who was the last heisman winner to work out in the NFL

why was jason white blacklisted (other then sucking?)