Shutdown Corner - NFL

1. Andre Ware, No. 7 overall, 1990.

The Heisman trophy winner was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but only got four years to soak in the expert tutelage of head coach Wayne Fontes. He could never beat out Erik Kramer or Rodney Peete for a permanent starting job, and ended up with the Raiders, where he was also promptly cut. Ware then made the move to the Canadian League, where he was also quite terrible.

But he's doing just fine these days, working as a college football analyst for ESPN, and as part of the Houston Texans broadcast team.

2. Ryan Leaf, No. 2 overall, 1998.

After doing everything he could to hurt the Chargers short of burning down Qualcomm Stadium and stabbing Junior Seau in the neck, Leaf bounced around to a couple of other NFL teams, most notably the Cowboys, but never found any success.

After leaving the NFL, Leaf spent a while coaching at West Texas A&M (he worked as the quarterbacks coach, and as the head coach on the golf team), but resigned after he asked a player for a pain pill.

But the good news for Leaf is that he managed his draft money well, he married a Chargers cheerleader, and you'll be happy to know that he's still making time for fun.

3. Lawrence Phillips, No. 6 overall, 1996.

After stellar rookie and sophomore years in which he averaged 3.3 and 3.4 yards per carry, respectively (had Phillips been able to stick with football and progress at the same rate, he'd be getting ready to average 4.6 yards per carry this season!) Phillips bounced around to a couple of other NFL teams, NFL Europe, Arena Football and the Canadian League. His career ended when two CFL teams cut him because he was kind of a jerk.

What's he doing these days? A 10-year stretch in California state prison. I'll let Wikipedia sum up his post-football criminal career:

On August 21, 2005, Phillips was arrested for assault after allegedly driving a car into three teenagers, following a dispute with the teens during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles, California. At the time of the arrest, Phillips was wanted by the San Diego, California, police in connection with two alleged domestic abuse incidents involving a former girlfriend, who claimed that Phillips choked her to the point of unconsciousness during one of the incidents. In addition, the Los Angeles Police Department was seeking Phillips in connection with yet another, separate domestic abuse allegation that had occurred previously in Los Angeles.

In March, 2006, the Associated Press reported that Phillips had been ordered to stand trial on felony assault with a deadly weapon charges stemming from the August 21, 2005, incident. The assigned judge dismissed two counts of child abuse and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, but continued the trial on the more serious charges.

On October 10, 2006, Phillips was found guilty of seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon. On October 3, 2008, Phillips was sentenced to 10 years in a California state prison.

4. Blair Thomas, No. 2 overall, 1990.

It feels a little unfair to call Thomas a bust, because his career was largely derailed by injuries, but he didn't last long in the league, and only gave the Jets four years and 2,009 total rushing yards.

That wasn't his only contribution to football, though. Thomas was the running backs coach at Temple University, where he helped develop two NFL running backs, which is two more than Temple has any right producing. Jason McKie and Stacey Mack both benefited from Thomas's coaching.

Today, Thomas and former Eagles receiver Kenny Jackson own a small chain of sports bars named "Kokomo's." They have "deep fried stuff galore".

5. Ki-Jana Carter, No. 1 overall, 1995.

Ki-Jana beat out even Ryan Leaf as Charles Robinson's worst all-time first-round draft pick back in 2007. That's the top of the mountain for draft bustage, really.

Carter tore up his knee in his first preseason game as a rookie and was never the same. He managed to stick around the league for seven more years, despite mostly anemic numbers. He peaked with the Redskins in 2001, when he carried 63 times for 308 yards and a 4.9 yards per carry average. After that, though, he failed to gain 100 more yards in his career.

I was hoping to find out that Ki-Jana and Blair Thomas opened up a roller disco together in State College, but that's not the case. Carter lives in Miami, does a little local broadcasting and hosts a Monday Night Football event at a Casino.

6. Tim Couch, No. 1 overall, 1999.

As a number one overall draft pick that went to a team in Cleveland, you might call Tim Couch "the anti-LeBron." Couch did manage to start for five years in Cleveland, though he only won 22 games in those five years, and his quarterback rating never broke out of the 70s. It wasn't like he didn't bring anyone any joy, though. Former Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope loved to make fun of him.

Couch tried to latch on with several other teams after finally being let go by the Browns, but he never saw another down of NFL action. He's currently working as a Kentucky Wildcats football analyst for the Big Blue Sports Network, but his best move was marrying former Playboy Playmate Heather Kozar, so he's got that going for him. Which is nice.

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  1. gaborik10m
    1. Posted by gaborik10m Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    Hey kids! lets play a game! spot the typo's!!!
    yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
  2. aaron b
    2. Posted by aaron b Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:26 pm EDT

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    Does anybody edit these yahoo blogs?
  3. Scott E
    3. Posted by Scott E Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:29 pm EDT

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    Skins drafted Patrick Ramsey in the first round. But an anemic O-line turned him into paste in a year and a half or so. Why does this sound so familiar?
  4. smeef3
    4. Posted by smeef3 Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:33 pm EDT

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    Really? No Tony Mandarich? He's finally been forgotten! Thank the football gods!
  5. Instant Money
    5. Posted by Instant Money Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    Its a crime to put Ware above Leaf.
  6. Cardinals
    6. Posted by Cardinals Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    Matt Stafford will be added to this list in three short years......
  7. Rylie
    7. Posted by Rylie Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

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    all i will ever see are the biggest bust heck might as well pt alex smith up there 2 oh and dont forget the mighty grizzly or shaun alexander who laided out when his team needed him most
  8. Voice of Reason
    8. Posted by Voice of Reason Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:11 pm EDT

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    Brian Bosworth
  9. Matty K
    9. Posted by Matty K Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    Andre Ware still enjoys playing flag football in recreation leagues in Houston and beating the crap out of the regular joes.
  10. sam spade
    10. Posted by sam spade Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:15 pm EDT

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    I'm from Akron so Tim Couch was dead on. But I have lived in Chicago for the last 30 years. In the same draft, Malibu Cade McNown. I remember when the media got them all together. Couch, McNown, Culpepper,McNabb and Akli Smith. McNown was the only who said that if it didn't work out he'd do something else. On draft day, he took the call from the Bears in a vacant Malibu home that listed for 7.9 million dollars. He received a 10.9 million dollars signing bonus.
    when I saw him pick up that old school rotary phone in that home; I got down on my knees and cried. I knew he'd be bust. His intention was to live that California lifestyle that we all have read so much about; not cold weather football in Chicago.
    You can see him now with his surf board out on Malibu. He's barely over 30 and his kid is telling other kids that his father made millions in the NFL as a QB. the other kid is saying: " You lie". 50 millions dollars he was paid.
  11. Jeffrey R
    11. Posted by Jeffrey R Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:25 pm EDT

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    Any player picked by the Detroit Losers
  12. Tim
    12. Posted by Tim Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:35 pm EDT

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    As a Bengals fan I'd like to swap out Ki-Jana Carter with Akili Smith. The way I see it there is a difference between a true bust and someone who had their career derailed by injury. Carter tore his ACL on the 2ND CARRY of his first pre-season game. It's tough enough to recover from that now, even with the advances in medical technology. Imagine what it was then. Akili Smith, on the other hand, just sucked and Mike Brown was so stupid he could have made the Ricky Williams trade and did not. The Bengals alerady had Jeff Blake at QB and could have rebuilt the franchise with that trade. Instead Smith holds out, never developed, never was any good, and bombed out in the NFL, NFL Europe and the CFL. Three strikes and you're out!!!
  13. Tim
    13. Posted by Tim Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:46 pm EDT

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    In 1996 the Titans were very high on Lawrence Phillips. They asked him in an interview who he is closest to. Phillips said his brother. The Titans asked him how often he saw his brother and he replied 'I haven't seen him in 7 years. He's in prison.'
    In 1998 the Colts asked Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf what they would do when they signed their contracts. Manning said that he would get to work learning the playbook and studying film. Leaf said 'I'll go spend a weekend in Vegas.'
    The Titans never got a chance to draft Phillips and took Eddie George later in the 1st Round. The Colts took Manning. The rest is history. And people wonder why players turn out to be first round busts.
  14. rachelle
    14. Posted by rachelle Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:58 pm EDT

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    ohh tim couch
    we all remember him
    but still try not too
  15. Mary H
    15. Posted by Mary H Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:01 pm EDT

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    Great to know that the main indicator for "success" outside professional sports is whether you have married a playboy playmate or cheerleader.
  16. homie
    16. Posted by homie Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:02 pm EDT

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    GO no and brady quinn will not b a draft bust around 20th
  17. changename
    17. Posted by changename Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:04 pm EDT

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    Man, Lawrence Phillips = bad seed.
  18. RC
    18. Posted by RC Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:07 pm EDT

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    No Todd Marinovich?
  19. JBIRD
    19. Posted by JBIRD Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:08 pm EDT

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    I do not think couch was as bad as he was labeled. He got them to the playoffs, granted it was a sweet run that got them in and he was hurt so he never got to play but still, it is a lot more than most of these scrubs can say.
  20. Ryan O
    20. Posted by Ryan O Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:11 pm EDT

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    6. Tim Couch, No. 1 overall, 1999.
    As a number one overall draft pick that went to a team in Cleveland, you might call Tim Couch "the anti-LeBron." Couch did manage to start for five years in Cleveland, though he only won 22 games in those five years, and his quarterback rating never broke out of the 70s. It wasn't like he didn't bring anyone any joy, though. Former Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope loved to make fun of him.
    Couch tried to latch on with several other teams after finally being let go by the Browns, but he never saw another down of NFL action. He's currently working as a Kentucky Wildcats football analyst for the Big Blue Sports Network, but his best move was marrying former Playboy Playmate Heather Kozar (borderline, but probably safe for work), so he's got that going for him. Which is nice.
  21. napalm frost
    21. Posted by napalm frost Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:11 pm EDT

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    wait for a couple of years and this list will welcome michael vick with open arms
  22. Josh B
    22. Posted by Josh B Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:12 pm EDT

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    Where the F is Jake Plummer??
  23. Kyle S
    23. Posted by Kyle S Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:12 pm EDT

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    btw, regarding blair thomas...kokomos is now kok-no-mos, as in it no longer exists. shotty managment and inconsistent food will do that to you.
  24. Drew Diesel
    24. Posted by Drew Diesel Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:12 pm EDT

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    No akili smith shukss i really thought he was good enough to be in the worst players column, but hey ive been off lately
  25. Tiger
    25. Posted by Tiger Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:12 pm EDT

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    Troy 'Can't Catch a Pass' Williamson will be added to this list in the next few years i guarantee.

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