Gator you thought would excel in the NFL but didn't (and the other side of the coin)

[ChattanooGATOR]

Buzz kill.......................

Is that the picture of Kim Kardashian's ass that everyone was talking about?

Con: Jarvis Moss was the first that came to mind. All of the aforementioned Spurrier receivers.

Pro: First thoughts were Ernest Graham for the amount of time he stayed relevant & Max Starks. But thinking about it a little more, I'd give the nod to Riley Cooper for kicking it up a notch. And he'll whip anybody at a Kenney Chesney concert, so there's that.

 

[t-gator]

I thought rex Grossman was going to be a stud in the nfl. I think he's thrown more career picks than Karl Malone. Reidel Anthony was also a let down. I gotta say javon kearse was the biggest surprise. I thought he'd be good but didn't have any idea he'd be the best de in the nfl when he was at his best. I also didn't think Will hill would be as good as he is

 

[Floridagator]

So many. I thought Tebow would excel if used properly, I guess we will never really know how good he could have been because the nfl is its own animal. I thought all the SOS WR would be suitable, some were some not. I really thought CI would be a real game changer. I guess Aaron Hernandez didn't pan out since I thought hed have super bowl rings instead he got matching bracelets.

Those that surprised would have to be Louis Murphy at the top right ? He went from a contributor in college to a big time WR in the nfl. Another that was not a surprise that he did well but a surprise that he did that great. So much so that he dropped to 17th pick despite being such a great RB in college. nfl teams thought he was too small and a little too slow, yet he went on to hold the all time rushing record in the NFL. Emmitt Smith.

 

[The Original DC]

I'll stick with the Jackson's; Darrell Jackson and Jack Jackson. Darrell Jackson was a good player at UF with 97 career catches and 14 TD's, but I don't think anyone envisioned him being one of the most prolific former Gator WR's ever in the NFL. Believe it or not, he had 499 catches in the NFL and 51 TD's which I think only trails Wes Chandler and Ike Hilliard. On the other hand, I can think of few Gator WR's more explosive than Jack Jackson. He amassed 143 catches and 29 TD's at UF and was a clutch playmaker. Most, including me, expected that to carry over in the NFL, but he finished with a paltry 4 career catches in the NFL.

 

[Gator Fever]

Huey Richardson was probably the biggest bust in the NFL with how high he was drafted.

 

[soflagator]

Surprise bad: Huey Richardson, Reidel, Ike, and Moss.

Surprise good: McDonald(until recently), Mincey, McCRay, David Nelson and Coop to some extent.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

Steve Spurrier first round draft pick, third pick overall, played second fiddle to John Brodie.

 

[Floridagator]

I'll stick with the Jackson's; Darrell Jackson and Jack Jackson. Darrell Jackson was a good player at UF with 97 career catches and 14 TD's, but I don't think anyone envisioned him being one of the most prolific former Gator WR's ever in the NFL. Believe it or not, he had 499 catches in the NFL and 51 TD's which I think only trails Wes Chandler and Ike Hilliard. On the other hand, I can think of few Gator WR's more explosive than Jack Jackson. He amassed 143 catches and 29 TD's at UF and was a clutch playmaker. Most, including me, expected that to carry over in the NFL, but he finished with a paltry 4 career catches in the NFL.

Darrell also had a one time Super Bowl record for receptions at one point. I think it only lasted on super bowl or so then it was surpassed. Neat none the less

 

[HogtownGator]

Thought would have done better: Danny Wuerffel.
Surprised at his success: Ricky Nattiel, just a kid from Newberry.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

Huey Richardson was probably the biggest bust in the NFL with how high he was drafted.

You can put Clifford Charlton's name up there as well.

One thing people forget about Huey....he went to Emory and got an MBA and worked for Merrill-Lynch in NYC....he was in the WTC on 9/11 and was supposed to be at a meeting in one of the upper floors when the plane hit, but got delayed in the lobby and got out.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...rs-most-confounding-flop/stories/200504190165

 

[The Original DC]

Surprise bad: Huey Richardson, Reidel, Ike, and Moss.

Surprise good: McDonald(until recently), Mincey, McCRay, David Nelson and Coop to some extent.

Ike hung around the NFL for 12 years, had 546 receptions or about 46 a year. That's a solid NFL career.

 

[PatDooleySucks]

I guess Ciatrick Fason would be my pick for bad surprise. Although after he left school, I found out that he bragged about not being able to read in his tutoring sessions, which explains a lot. Grossman would have been number one, but I went to school at the same time with him. I was in the athletic/student dorms first year, and his party lifestyle and arrogance were definitely red flags. Grossman dominated at Florida because he was that much better than the competition. His spare time was never filled with self improvement.

I'll stick to offense in the same time period for my good surprise. Never thought Gaffney would stick around as long as he did.

 

[78]

Grossman dominated at Florida because he was that much better than the competition.

I don't know that he was that much better, but the system he played in surely was. The dropoff in production after Spurrier left is noticeable.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/rex-grossman-1.html

 

[WobbleGator]

Surprise bust: Percy Harvin

Surprise success: Will Hill

 

[TheDouglas78]

How about Jimmy Spencer as the ultimate dark horse NFL success story?

He was blazing fast but overshadowed by the corner playing opposite him, Richard Fain.

He was unpolished and accomplished very little in his college career. He was a nobody. A very fast nobody, but a nobody.

Spencer shocked everybody by leaving early for the NFL draft. Maybe he figured he might go pro at track? Maybe it was a grades thing?

Anyway, the little fella was an 8th round pick by the Washington Redskins (Fain went in the 6th). Spencer spent his first year on the practice squad then moved over to the Saints where he figured out how to play the position and put those jets to good use.

Dude ended up playing a DOZEN seasons in the NFL (really rare for a corner, they usually lose a step and that's it for their career).

I don't think he was ever an All-Pro kind of guy, but he was solid for over a decade. Pretty impressive!



Alex.

Continued on to be a DB's coach as well, if I remember right.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Surprise: Matthews, Godfred Myles (didn't expect a 6 year NFL career and 3 Super bowls Rings),

Con: Lawrence Wright

 

[biggator6]

Surprise bad: Errict Rhett - started strong and then somehow disappeared.

Surprise good: Jordan Reed - hell of an athlete, but I never figured he'd be a solid NFL player

 

[TheDouglas78]

Surprise bad: Errict Rhett - started strong and then somehow disappeared.

Surprise good: Jordan Reed - hell of an athlete, but I never figured he'd be a solid NFL player

Rhett had injuries... Rhett had that foot issue he never came back from.

 

[ReelGatorDoc]

As far as who out performed, I would go with Emmitt. He was solid in college, but ruled the NFL...crazy great development

Haden is right on track with what I thought he could do

Hernandez excelled on the field even more than expected, but surely pissed that away

Collinsworth continued to raise the WR bar and now has raised it again as an announcer that I can enjoy listening to.

and Tebow

Rex...

 

[Gatorwitt]

You can put Clifford Charlton's name up there as well.

One thing people forget about Huey....he went to Emory and got an MBA and worked for Merrill-Lynch in NYC....he was in the WTC on 9/11 and was supposed to be at a meeting in one of the upper floors when the plane hit, but got delayed in the lobby and got out.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...rs-most-confounding-flop/stories/200504190165

Whoa, I never knew that. Thanks for sharing.