5 Heisman winners who flopped in the NFL ft. Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel and more

St Louis Rams v Dallas Cowboys

5 Heisman winners who flopped in the NFL

#3 - Sam Bradford

Sam Bradford was the No. 1 overall NFL pick in 2010 after winning the Heisman at Oklahoma in 2008. The St. Louis Rams drafted him with the expectation he would be their next franchise quarterback.

Bradford started all 16 games as a rookie, finishing with 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. Injuries held the former No. 1 pick to a total of six touchdowns in 2011, and he did bounce back the following season.

However, the Rams still only went 7-8-1.

Bradford did not get a second contract with the Rams and that right there represents a major flop. The best season of his career came in 2016 with Minnesota, but it still did not end in a playoff appearance.

His NFL career came to an ugly finish in 2018 as he was benched by the Arizona Cardinals in favor of Josh Rosen.

#2 - Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart won the Heisman in 2004 and decided to return in 2005 for another year at USC. He is a college football legend and was thus drafted No. 10 overall by the Cardinals in 2006.

Leinart was a top pick and finished his NFL career with 18 career starts. He was ultimately put on the bench behind Kurt Warner in Arizona as the veteran found a second wind out west.

The most starts Leinart made during the season were the 11 he had as a rookie in 2006. He managed to throw for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Injuries derailed his chances of being the long-term answer in Arizona and he was released in 2010.

He made one more start, with the Houston Texans, before his career came to a close.

#1 - Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel was a superstar in the world of college football. He won the Heisman in 2012 and his stock never fell en route to the Cleveland Browns drafting him No. 22 overall in 2014.

The pick was criticized from the start and Manzield did nothing to change that narrative in a dramatic, short-lived NFL career. He got a shot to start in 2015 and was eventually exiled after seemingly going to Las Vegas to party, while in disguise, when he was recovering from a concussion.

The situation was so bad the Browns decided to cut Manziel, a first-round pick, after two seasons. He has not appeared in an NFL game since and sits with eight career starts.

That is not what either side had in mind when he was taken in the first round.

It was a sad fall for someone who showed so much promise at the college level.

He also serves as a cautionary tale of how fast college fame can fade away in the NFL. Hopefully, future Heisman winners avoid any scenario similar to what Manziel presented once he became a professional.