Matt Leinart went from Trojan legend at USC to a Trojan Horse in the NFL. In six NFL seasons after being drafted 10th overall, he started only 18 games, and lost his one starting job to a 36-year-old man.
Former NFL draft busts Matt Leinart, Heath Shuler and Brian “The Boz” Bosworth all expressed their longing to return to college in a recent commercial by DISH Network.
In the commercial, the three former college stars who had short, unsucccessful NFL careers and have since moved on to other things, poked some fun at their own expense:
Leinart was the 10th overall pick by the Cardinals in 2006 after winning the Heisman trophy and two National Championships with the USC Trojans. But he struggled to produce as a rookie, and in his 2nd year he suffered an injury that allowed QB Kurt Warner to take over the starting position for the next three years. By 2010 Leinart was taking backup jobs wherever he could get them and by 2013 he was out of the league for good. He recently signed as a broadcaster for college football
Shuler was the 3rd overall pick by the Washington Redskins in 1994 after setting numerous school records at Tennessee and being a Heisman trophy runner-up. But Shuler struggled with the team and made only 13 starts in three seasons due to poor play and injuries. He started 9 games for the Saints in 1997, throwing 2 TDs to 14 INTs before calling it quits. He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2006 and served three terms as a Representative.
Bosworth was taken by the Seahawks with the 1st round pick of the 1987 Supplemental Draft and signed a then-record 10-year, $11 million contract. The two-time Butkus award winner and consensus All-American was a national celebrity because of his incredible athletic ability and larger than life personality. But he was diminished in the NFL, starting only 24 games in three seasons, and was humiliated on a famous Monday Night Football game against the Raiders when Bo Jackson easily plowed through him into the endzone. Bosworth eventually moved on to movies and television.
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