Detroit Lions: Revisiting Andre Ware’s short-lived career
Quarterback Andre Ware played only four NFL seasons, all as a member of the Detroit Lions. Sadly, he's considered the franchise's biggest draft bust of all time.
Ware is known for his spectacular college career at the University of Houston. The Texas native produced a total of 295 completions, 3,503 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions during his first two seasons.
However, his final season was truly one for the ages. Ware recorded 365 completions, 4,699 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also completed 63.1 percent of his passes and tied or broke 27 NCAA records, which is simply amazing. During a hard-to-fathom 95-21 win over SMU, he threw for 517 yards and six touchdowns and didn't even play in the second half.
Houston went 9-2 and finished as the 14th-ranked team in the country. Meanwhile, Ware took home the 1989 Heisman Trophy.
Heisman winner heads to the Motor City
Following such a memorable year, Ware was selected by the Lions with the seventh overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft.
The Lions expected him to eventually form a dynamic offensive duo with 1989 draft pick Barry Sanders, who had won the Heisman the year before Ware did. Sanders, of course, went on to become one of the NFL's greatest running backs ever, while Ware turned out to be a major disappointment at the next level.
Detroit Lions teammates and back to back Heisman trophy winners Barry Sanders and Andre Ware. #BarrySanders #AndreWare #Detroit #Lions #football https://t.co/9BNR5pUfJ4
Ware started only one of his four games as a rookie, throwing for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
After appearing in just one game during his second season, he started three games in 1992, posting a 2-1 record.
During Ware's short four-year career with the Lions, he started six of his 14 games, producing 83 completions, 1,112 passing yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.
. @UHCougarFB history in first round of #NFLDraft: QB Andre Ware selected No. 7 overall by @Lions in 1990 https://t.co/svn1IE4eSr
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After piloting the Houston Cougars' high-powered "run and shoot" offense in college, Ware just never fit in as an NFL QB for some reason. Lions head coach Wayne Fontes went with other quarterbacks like Rodney Peete and Erik Kramer instead, as Ware rarely saw the field.
Ware left Detroit following the 1993 season. He had stints with both the Los Angeles (now Las Vegas) Raiders and expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, but never played a regular-season game with either franchise. He later joined the Canadian Football League. He played with the Ottawa Rough Riders, BC Lions, and Toronto Argonauts. He also spent time with NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder.