5 Heisman winners who flopped in the NFL ft. Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel and more
NFL teams are desperate to land their next big star every year in the NFL Draft.
But it does not always work out that way. College football is much different from the NFL and there are numerous examples of winners who ended up flopping in a major way at the next level.
These five Heisman Trophy winners just couldn't live up to the hype once they reached the NFL.
5 Heisman winners who flopped in the NFL
#5 - Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow is a legend of the Florida Gators football program. He won the Heisman as a sophomore and was a finalist in each of the next two years before heading to the NFL.
There were clear concerns about his ability as a passer at the NFL level. Yet the Denver Broncos still drafted Tebow with the No. 25 overall pick in 2010.
Josh McDaniels was the fiery young head coach of the Broncos at the time and tied his fate to Tebow.
Tebow appeared in nine games as a rookie, throwing for five touchdowns and running for six. He then started 11 games in 2011 and even led the Broncos to a thrilling playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Would that win him the job? No, as the Broncos signed Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the New York Jets.
He threw a total of eight passes in 2012 with the Jets and was released following the season. Tebow wanted to play quarterback and just couldn't be trusted as a passer.
Tim Tebow announced that he has been released by the Jaguars.
He was attempting an NFL comeback playing tight end. https://t.co/H9lcXOOZAL
He got a shot as a tight end with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 because of Urban Meyer being the head coach. The plan was confusing at the start, didn't pan out, and should be the end of Tebow's time in the NFL.
#4 - Robert Griffin III
Robert Griffin III won the Heisman in 2011 and was the No. 2 overall pick by Washington in the 2012 NFL Draft. He even made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
So what happened?
Griffin dealt with injuries as a rookie and just never seemed to be the same player following that. Washington famously drafted Kirk Cousins in the fourth round in 2012, seemingly as insurance in case Griffin did get injured.
Griffin gradually lost his starting role and officially lost it to Cousins in 2015. He was then put at the bottom of the depth chart and all the hype surrounding him faded into nothing.
The #Ravens have agreed to terms with former #Redskins and #Browns QB Robert Griffin III. He’s back.
The former No. 2 pick got a shot with the Cleveland Browns in 2016, but once again dealt with injuries and only appeared in a handful of games. He recently spent time as Lamar Jackson's backup in Baltimore, but his days as a starter peaked in 2012 with Washington.