Tim Tebow found himself in the headlines again for his controversial opinion that college players should not be paid. Easy for him to say with all the other options he has for income via speaking opportunities, endorsements and MiLB. He’s among many quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy and went on to inglorious NFL careers.
Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier came to the San Francisco 49ers from Florida. He did last 10 forgettable years in the NFL. Spurrier threw 60 picks against 40 TD passes and was 13-24-1 as a starter, including 0-12 in Tampa Bay in 1976.
Gary Beban
Gary Beban won the 1967 Heisman for UCLA. He was a second-round pick of the Rams, but wound up in Washington. Beban threw one incomplete pass and played in 5 NFL games in 2 seasons.
Pat Sullivan
Pat Sullivan (pictured, left) came to the Atlanta Falcons from Auburn. He made 4 starts — all losses — in 4 NFL seasons. Sullivan threw 5 TD passes and 16 picks.
Andre Ware
One of the all-time busts, Andre Ware won the Heisman at Houston. The Detroit Lions chose him seventh overall in 1990. He played in a grand total of 14 games, making six starts and going 3-3.
Ty Detmer
BYU’s Ty Detmer played in 8 seasons. He missed the 1994 and 2000 campaigns. Detmer was 11-14 as a starter.
Gino Torretta
Miami’s Gino Torretta was a seventh-round pick of the Vikings. He played for them in 1993 and Seattle in 1996. His career stats: 5-of-16 passing for 41 yards with a pick and a TD.
Danny Wuerffel
Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman out of Florida. He went to the New Orleans Saints and also played for the Packers, Bears and Washington. Wuerffel threw 12 TD passes and 22 picks.
Chris Weinke
Chris Weinke was 2-18 as a starter in the NFL after winning the Heisman at Florida State. He threw 15 TD passes and 26 interceptions.
Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch won the Heisman at Nebraska. He was a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. Crouch had no NFL stats. His most memorable factoid was he was on the Toronto Argonauts with fellow Heisman winner Ricky Williams.
Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart won the Heisman as a junior at USC. He was heralded as a QB and went to the Arizona Cardinals 10th overall in 2006 after deciding to stay in school for his senior season. He was 8-10 as a starter while playing for 3 teams. Leinart threw 21 picks against 15 TD passes.
Troy Smith
Troy Smith was a fifth-round selection by the Ravens out of Ohio State. He spent 3 seasons in Baltimore and 1 in SF. Smith was 4-4 in 8 starts.
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow is back in the news for his opinion on whether college players should be paid. He played 2 seasons in Denver and 1 with the Jets. Tebow actually was 8-6 as a starter with 17 TD passes and 9 picks. He is trying to find a way to MLB in the Mets’ system. Either way, he is better known for his college career at Florida and philanthropy.
Robert Griffin III
Robert Griffin won the Heisman at Baylor and was drafted by Washington, which moved all sorts of picks to get to him. He was a star as a rookie and his star has fallen dramatically since. He is a backup in Baltimore.
And …
The jury remains out on other winners such as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. It is crunch time for the duo to deliver or be considered among the failures in the NFL who won the Heisman.
