Heisman winners and lack of NFL success

[utisdabomb12]

It's pretty crazy how over the last 20 or so years how unsuccessful Heisman winners have been in the NFL. Outside of Eddie George, Charles Woodson, and maybe Ricky Williams there really haven't been many Heisman winners that have been very successful in the NFL. 

2014-Mariota: Hasn't played yet
2013-Winston: Hasn't played yet
2012-Manziel: Bust so far, but early in his career
2011-RG3: Bust so far
2010-Newton: Pretty decent NFL career, but I wouldn't say spectacular. He might be better if he played on a different team.
2009- Ingram: Decent NFL career. Not great in his first 3 years, but looked good in '14.
2008-Bradford: Bust
2007- Tebow: Bust
2006-Smith: Bust
2005- Bush (but vacated)-Pretty good career, I thought he would have had a better NFL career.
2004- Leinart: Bust
2003-White: Bust
2002-Palmer: Decent career, nothing spectacular.
2001-Crouch: Bust
2000-Weinke: Bust
1999-Dayne: Nothing great, but I won't call him a bust.
1998- Williams: Good career. Thought he would be better in the NFL, but he had some issues.
1997- Woodson: Great career.
1996-Wuerfell: Bust
1995- George: Great career.
1994-Salaam: Bust.

 

[Duke C #11]

There have been nine Heisman winners who were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Doak Walker was the first. Barry Sanders was the latest.  The rest are Paul Hornung, Roger Staubach, OJ Simpson, Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell. Marcus Allen and Tim Brown. 

 

[Juan]

 

[streettopeschel]

It's pretty crazy how over the last 20 or so years how unsuccessful Heisman winners have been in the NFL. Outside of Eddie George, Charles Woodson, and maybe Ricky Williams there really haven't been many Heisman winners that have been very successful in the NFL.

2014-Mariota: Hasn't played yet

2013-Winston: Hasn't played yet

2012-Manziel: Bust so far, but early in his career

2011-RG3: Bust so far

2010-Newton: Pretty decent NFL career, but I wouldn't say spectacular. He might be better if he played on a different team.

2009- Ingram: Decent NFL career. Not great in his first 3 years, but looked good in '14.

2008-Bradford: Bust

2007- Tebow: Bust

2006-Smith: Bust

2005- Bush (but vacated)-Pretty good career, I thought he would have had a better NFL career.

2004- Leinart: Bust

2003-White: Bust

2002-Palmer: Decent career, nothing spectacular.

2001-Crouch: Bust

2000-Weinke: Bust

1999-Dayne: Nothing great, but I won't call him a bust.

1998- Williams: Good career. Thought he would be better in the NFL, but he had some issues.

1997- Woodson: Great career.

1996-Wuerfell: Bust

1995- George: Great career.

1994-Salaam: Bust.

wow. Haven't thought about it but that's a whole lotta meh on that list.

 

[Johnstark23]

My theory is that Heisman winners are usually surrounded by an amazing array of talent around them. While it might look like they are shouldering the whole team, and really jump off the page, they actually aren't. Then they are generally drafted by mediocre or worse NFL franchises and then boom, they bust, because they really aren't as transcendent as they appear.

 

[Coot]

The most obvious reason to me is that the college and NFL games are different.  If a college player gets into a system that exactly fits his talents, he may be great, and he should be rewarded as great at the college level by the Heisman.  But those same talents may not fit the NFL system, so he is a bust at that game.  Sometimes it's apples and oranges.