| TOP 10 BUSTS

October 4, 2014December 28, 2017

Kelly Stouffer: Honorable Mention (NFL)

I'll readily admit that I only had a vague recollection of Kelly Stouffer before researching players for this site. In case you need a refresher as well, the 1987 #6 overall pick sat out for an entire season after being unable to come to terms with the St. Louis Cardinals. At an impasse for almost a year, the team ultimately traded his signing rights to the Seattle Seahawks. Given the quarterback's starting record of 5-11 and career totals of 2,300 passing yards with seven touchdowns and 19 interceptions, the Cardinals made the right decision. Stouffer didn't have a good NFL career, but should he be considered a bust? Perhaps, but not a Top 10 Bust.

October 2, 2014December 30, 2016

Vernon Gholston: Honorable Mention (NFL)

Going into the 2008 NFL Draft, analysts recognized Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston for his tremendous athletic ability. At the same time, they acknowledged his raw talent. Regardless, the New York Jets took him with the 6th overall pick. Mostly a one-dimensional player in college, Gholston became a zero-dimensional player in the NFL. In particular, the Mark Gastineau-wannabe never got the chance to celebrate even one QB sack. Out of the league after only three seasons, Gholston certainly deserves to be called a bust. However, I just can't call him a Top 10 Bust given that his on-field accomplishments didn't justify being such a high draft pick in the first place.

October 2, 2014December 30, 2016

Johnathan Sullivan: Honorable Mention (NFL)

Going into the 2003 NFL Draft, most experts ranked Georgia DT Johnathan Sullivan as the 3rd or 4th best defensive lineman. Based on the importance of the position, they still considered him a mid-1st round pick. Regardless, the New Orleans Saints packaged TWO mid-1st round picks (#17 and #18) in order to move up and take him 6th overall. During his three-year career, Sullivan recorded 56 tackles and 1.5 sacks. With those numbers, he certainly qualifies as a bust. However, I couldn't include him as a Top 10 Bust because he lacked the pedigree typical of such a high pick. As discussed in a previous post, I established the Troy Williamson Exemption for this exact reason. Then again, it's hard to overlook Sullivan's horrendous NFL production so I granted him an Honorable Mention.

October 2, 2014September 8, 2018

Jamal Reynolds: Honorable Mention (NFL)

Excluding the strip sack in the featured imagine, former Packers DE Jamal Reynolds tallied 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble in his unproductive 18-game NFL career. Including the play, Reynolds' career numbers could be confused with J.J. Watt's totals from one game. As the 10th overall pick in the 2001 Draft, Reynolds got off to a slow start because of assorted injuries. Even after recovering, he couldn't get on the field because his replacement played too well. And somehow, we act surprised when football players ignore injuries or concussions. I wonder if Alex Smith knows the feeling?

October 2, 2014December 20, 2017

Rich Campbell Exemption (Not Given a Fair Chance)

Any way you cut it, Rich Campbell failed miserably as an NFL quarterback. To start, the 1981 #6 overall pick never started even one game during his four-year career. Furthermore, he only threw for 386 yards with 3 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while appearing in a total of seven games. Despite his historically bad numbers, the former Cal Weenie falls short of qualifying as a Top 10 Bust. Of note, he never got a fair chance to prove himself on the field. Without that proof, I just can't put him on the level of other all-time busts.

October 2, 2014December 28, 2017

Jerry Tagge: Honorable Mention (NFL)

Between the retirement of Vince Lombardi in 1968 and arrival of Brett Favre in 1992, the Green Bay Packers experienced a 24-year period of futility. Of note, they had only five winning seasons and two playoff appearances. Their failure can be attributed to monumentally bad draft decisions. The selection of OT Tony Mandarich with the 2nd overall pick in 1989 has received the most notoriety. However, the team also failed by trading multiple high round draft picks for washed-up QB John Hadl in 1974 and selecting QB Rich Campbell with the 6th overall pick 1981. Perhaps starting the downward cycle, Green Bay took QB Jerry Tagge with the 11th overall pick in 1972. This post focuses on that decision and whether Tagge deserves to be considered an all-time bust.

October 1, 2014March 5, 2018

Penn State Jinx

Before establishing this site, I heard about a Penn State Jinx. Specifically, the jinx refers to great Penn State running backs who failed in the NFL. In this post, I analyze the four running backs usually mentioned in support of the argument. While they don’t deserve to be called Top 10 Busts, their stories help clarify certain exemptions.