Hope you have enjoyed the 2017 NFL Draft, or annual Festival of Hope.
Forget the Bills draft mistakes and misses the last two decades for a moment. 2017 is the silver anniversary of one of the league’s worst drafts of all-time.
Picture it: New York City. 1992. The pre-Bill Polian Indianapolis Colts were what the Buffalo Bills have been since Polian left. And in an unprecedented blend of dumb luck and dumber coaching and architecture, the Colts had not only the first pick in the draft, but the SECOND as well.
The Colts had their quarterback of the the future–the brash, but self-entitled Jeff George, who became more John Daly than Johnny Unitas. With George having two years under his belt (in the days when quarterbacks were allowed to season before Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco raised the expectations of rookie passers) the Colts were looking to bolster their defense.
Steve Emtman was an Outland and Lombardi Trophy winner coming off a (disputed) national championship season as the star defensive end at the University of Washington. The 6’4”, 290 pounder accepted the only scholarship he was offered by legendary Huskies coach, Don James, in 1988. He thanked his coach by becoming college football’s defensive version of Tom Brady, earning him College Football Hall-of-Fame honors in 2006.
His NFL legacy isn’t a bust in Canton, however, but just the dreaded “bust” label that overshadows his college achievements. Injuries forced him out of football at only 27.
Of course, there was that cameo alongside Bruce Smith, Emmitt Smith and John Madden in the “Mighty Ducks” rip-off, “Little Giants.”
As mentioned, the Colts did have the No. 2 selection as well–Quentin Coryatt, a linebacker from Texas A&M. He lasted longer in Indy than Emtman and had a few solid seasons, but his Colts career is remembered regretably, as he literally let a Super Bowl appearance slip through his hands.
Coryatt dropped a would-be Neil O’Donnell 50-yard interception return for a touchdown that likely would have sent Jim Harbaugh, Ted Marchibroda and the Colts to the Super Bowl instead of the Steelers (who themselves botched the AFC title game the previous year at home to the Chargers).
After collecting a big contract the following year, a pectoral injury prematurely ended his 1996 season. Coryatt never was never able to fulfill the hope of his draft status.
There are a few other famous names from the 1992 draft that never lived-up to the hype.
Heisman Trophy winner, Desmond Howard, was selected fourth overall by Washington, adding another log to the Heisman Hellfire of eternal waste.(Another Heisman House resident, Ty Detmer was taken that year by the Packers in the NINTH round.) Of course, Howard was selected right after DT Sean Gilbert, who had a solid eleven-year career with four teams, and enjoyed rookie honors and a Pro Bowl appearance.
The “best” player from 1992? Former Bills safety and current NFL “disciplinarian” Troy Vincent, whose career spanned 15 seasons in Miami, Philly, Buffalo and Washington. He was taken seventh from Wisconsin.
Some other notables who found success from the ‘92 draft include tackle Leon Searcy (11th overall, Steelers) former DE Alonzo Spellman (21st, Bears) DE Robert Porcher (26th, Lions, where he spent all 13 of his seasons), WR Jimmy Smith (36th, Cowboys, but enjoyed most of his success with the Jags, finishing his career seventh on the NFL’s reception list) DB Darren Woodson (one pick later by Jimmy Johnson at 37th overall; even Jimmy wiffed in the first round on LB Robert Jones), and LB Levon Kirkland (following Smith and Woodson at 38 with Pittsburgh).
As for the Bills? Notables include Tackle John Fina (27th), DB Matt Darby (if only because of confusion with Ray Bentley’s Darby the Dinosaur children’s book character–139th), seventh round find, Kurt Schulz, (the DB who broke Herschel Walker’s ribs at the Buffalo one-yard line in the 1996 “revenge game” against the Dallas Cowboys), and preseason favorite, WR Chris Walsh, who ended-up starting for the Vikings and helped end the Bills Super Bowl streak in a 1994 Minnesota win at Buffalo (251st, ninth round).
Other former Bills who turned-in lengthy careers are LB Eddie Robinson (remembered best in Buffalo for getting faked by Jets QB Chad Pennington on a touchdown–Oilers, 50th) and fan favorite, and fullback Sam Gash, who spent two tours in Buffalo, earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 1999 as the game’s first back to have never registered a carry in a season, and won a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2000 (selected 205th overall–an 8th round selection).
Other notables from 1992 include DE Marco Coleman (12th, Dolphins), who spent 14 years with six different teams including four disappointing seasons in Miami as their “answer to Bruce Smith.”
Tight End Johnny Mitchell became the first Nebraska Cornhusker to leave school early, taken by the Jets (15th), and came back to the Jets in 1999 after asking Bill Parcells for an opportunity to resurrect his career.
He lasted one day of training camp before leaving in the middle of the night.
The QBs? The Vikings took a flier on some guy named Brad Johnson (227th), who backed-up Casey Weldon at Florida State (Eagles, 102nd). Johnson enjoyed a solid stops in Minnesota and Washington before winning Super Bowl 37 with Tampa Bay, and is arguably that draft’s second-best player.The Giants tripped over Kent Graham in the 8th round, and selected his competition, Dave Brown, in the supplemental draft. The Bills took Matt Rodgers in the 12th (yes, there was a TWELFTH round), the son of former Boston Celtics head coach and NBA player, Jimmy Rodgers.
The top quarterback selected was Andre Ware’s successor at Houston–another run-and-shoot flop, David Klingler (6th), by the Bengals, during their drought between Sam Wyche and Marvin Lewis when almost every Cincy selection was a bust.
Sound familiar? The Bengals, believe it or not, actually drafted worse than the Bills have the last two decades.
Speaking of successors, no quarterback had the bizarre career of Tommy Maddox, who followed-up Troy Aikman at UCLA and was selected by Dan Reeves’ Denver Broncos to eventually succeed John Elway.
There’s a famous draft scene where ESPN’s Joe Theisman wishes Maddox “good luck in the (then) World League” of American Football as the brash draftee laughed the analyst’s suggestion off as a joke.
The joke ended-up on Maddox, whose biggest distinction is being the XFL’s lone MVP after leading the LA Xtreme to the league’s only title after bouncing around the NFL, the Arena League, and a stint selling insurance. However, Maddox would briefly catch-on with the Pittsburgh Steelers to win 2002 Comeback Player of the Year honors before an injury in 2004 paved the way for a rookie named Roethlisberger to take his job in 2004.
Big Ben would pay Maddox back by earning his back-up his only Super Bowl ring a year later.
So if you have your hopes up after this year’s draft, even after the Bills have turned in some annual doozies, remember 1992.
The ONLY year in NFL history with Hall-eligible players that didn’t produce one sure-fire Hall of Famer.
Not one.
Don’t worry, ‘92. 2006 might be the next.
Just goes to show on this annual weekend of hope not to get too excited. Anybody can have a bad draft.
Or in some cases, EVERYBODY can.
The post A Silver Anniversary, but no Bronke appeared first on Times of Wayne County.