Sounds great right? There have been 81 Heisman winners in its history. While not every winner would proceed to the NFL early on, in the past three decades or so, the majority of winners have went on to play in the NFL. Forty-two percent of Heisman winners are quarterbacks.
So how can Sundays match up between former USC quarterback Carson Palmer, and former Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton, be the first time two Heisman winning quarterbacks are going head to head in the NFL Playoffs? Where have all the Heisman winning quarterbacks gone?
Where are you Robert Griffin III?
After winning NFL Rookie of the Year in 2012 and almost winning a playoff game in the same season, everything was pointing in the right direction for the former second overall pick. Then the injuries mounted on to each other, and before we knew it, Robert Griffin III was demoted to 3rd-string in 2015. Kirk Cousins looks to be the guy, and the Redskins will most likely move on without the Heisman winner in favor of the 4th-round pick Kirk Cousins.
Where are you Tim Tebow?
Tim Tebow was arguably the greatest college football quarterback of all time. The highly-decorated Florida product had been drafted 22nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. We all remember the playoff win led by Tebow against the Pittsburgh Steelers in that year. Yet, Tebow has spent his first 5 years in the NFL with 4 different teams (Broncos, Jets, Patriots, Eagles). Tebow is currently out of a job in the NFL.
Where are you Troy Smith?
Former Ohio State quarterback and 2006 Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith was drafted in the 5th-round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Many did not believe that Smith has much of a future in the NFL. His NFL career died out after a few years backing up QBs around the league.
Where are you Sam Bradford?
Sam Bradford's career has been less tragic than others. Bradford, former number one overall pick by the St.Louis Rams in 2010, has had his career riddled by injuries, much like Robert Griffin. He too won NFL Rookie of the Year, but has not shown the success since then. He is currently the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Bradford has yet to take a snap in an NFL playoff game.
Where are you Matt Leinart?
Matt Leinart, former 10th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft out of USC, spent most of his career backing up future Hall-of-Famer and former undrafted rookie, Kurt Warner. Leinart never showed the ability to start in the NFL and went on to backup Matt Shaub in Houston. When that did not work out, he then went on to backup Palmer in Oakland. You get the gist of it.
Where are you Johnny Manziel?
Albeit just his second year in the league, Johnny Manziel has not transitioned into the NFL well to say the least. The former 22nd overall pick in 2014 has not seen the field much, primarily because of his off-field problems. Cleveland has invested a great deal into him, but it is more than likely that the Browns will have to part ways with Johnny Manziel in 2016.
The last two Heisman winning quarterbacks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, each had promising Rookie seasons in 2015. Although the jury is still out as to whether each will bring NFL glory to their respective teams. Do not forget, some of the quarterbacks listed above had great rookie seasons.
So what is the problem here? Why are the nations best collegiate quarterbacks not seeing success at the next level? This question has many variables and can be taken apart in many ways. Former Super Bowl winning head coach Brian Billick put it this way. "The Heisman is for college," he said. " It's a tough transition". Still, I do not think this question is so easily answered. You come to notice that all of the quarterbacks listed above were former first round picks, all except Troy Smith. I think much of these perceived failures are a product of coaching arrogance.
The fact is, Robert Griffin, Johnny Manziel, and Tim Tebow should not have been first-round picks. NFL coaches believe they can shape anyone with potential into a franchise quarterback, thus these players are now launched into the spotlight by being picked in the first round. With a first round grade, comes the expectations. With expectations comes accountability to produce immediately. I blame some of the failures these players have seen on the side of NFL coaches who over-draft players who, like Billick suggests, are more fit for the college game. Cleveland fans would not be so up in arms about Johnny had Johnny been a third round pick. The coaching staff says "Lets bring him in, he can make him something he is not" and when that fails, we label Manziel or Griffin a failure. When the truth of the matter is that these guys just may not be cut out for the NFL in the first place.
It will be interesting to see where some of these players take their NFL careers. There are talks Johnny Manziel may head to Dallas. There are talks RG3 will head to L.A. These are two huge markets, and with huge fan bases, the pressure to produce will only get greater. How ironic.
0 comments:
Post a Comment