Biggest NFL Draft busts in Oregon football history
By Sam Fariss
Joey Harrington
You won’t see jaw-dropping numbers like Bo Nix’s or Justin Herbert’s when you look at Joey Harrington’s stat sheet. Harrington was with the Ducks at the turn of the century when the Oregon football program was still solidifying its place as a top contender in the Pac-12.
This isn’t to say Harrington was a scrub in Eugene. Harrington had 52 touchdowns during his college career and 6,057 total yards in his three years with the Ducks.
In 2001, he was the then-Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He was a Heisman finalist as a matter of fact, even though he finished 4th in voting.
As a Heisman finalist, most football fans expected him to rock the house in Detroit after the Lions drafted him 3rd overall in 2002.
Ultimately, Harrington started in 76 games in the NFL and went 26-50… pretty abysmal. He completed only 56.1 percent of his pass attempts and threw 85 interceptions.
For context, he only had 79 career touchdown passes in the league.
While he will always be a hero in Eugene, Harrington was a huge NFL Draft bust for the Lions.