Dear Old Gold
Fansided

Iowa football: Four biggest draft busts in Hawkeyes history

By Andrew Wade

Nick Bell #43, Running Back for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball during the NCAA 77th Rose Bowl college football game against the University of Washington Huskies on 1 January 1991 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, United States. The Washington Huskies won the game 46 - 34. (Photo by Stephen Wade/Allsport/Getty Images)
Nick Bell #43, Running Back for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball during the NCAA 77th Rose Bowl college football game against the University of Washington Huskies on 1 January 1991 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, United States. The Washington Huskies won the game 46 - 34. (Photo by Stephen Wade/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz congratulates Robert “The Mountain” Gallery (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz congratulates Robert “The Mountain” Gallery (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /

Robert Gallery

Robert Gallery is probably the freshest in Iowa football fans minds, and it’s because he was the most “recent”. Unfortunately for Gallery, he was a victim of being placed with a bad Oakland Raiders team with the highest pick in Hawkeyes history, the number 2 overall selection.

The second overall pick is expected to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. Gallery was certainly not that. He lasted eight seasons in the NFL with seven of those in Oakland, but he had next to no success at his originally drafted position of left tackle.

The Manchester, Iowa native did have a bit more success at the guard position, but not enough to warrant the number two overall pick. After seven seasons with the Raiders, he was signed by the Seahawks but lasted just one season before being released. Robert Gallery decided to retire after signing with the Patriots effectively ending his career.

On the surface, his career doesn’t look bad. He did make 103 starts and played in all 16 games 4 out of 8 seasons, but that type of production would have made much more sense coming from a second-round draft pick, not the second overall pick.