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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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Chuck Long #10, Quarterback for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes prepares to throw the ball during the NCAA Big-10 Conference college football game against the University of Michigan Wolverines on 19 October 1985 at the Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Iowa Hawkeyes won the game 12 – 10. (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images)
Chuck Long #10, Quarterback for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes prepares to throw the ball during the NCAA Big-10 Conference college football game against the University of Michigan Wolverines on 19 October 1985 at the Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Iowa Hawkeyes won the game 12 – 10. (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images) /

Chuck Long

The most famous guy on this list in general and one of our four Iowa football players to make up our Iowa football Mount Rushmore, Long’s NFL career was nothing short of a failure. The only quarterback from the Iowa football team to be drafted in the first round in the modern era, Long flamed out quickly with an atrocious Detroit Lions team constantly searching for an answer at their own personal revolving door of quarterbacks.

To Long’s credit, I firmly believe his success had as much to do with the environment and situation as it did with Long himself.

Regardless, Long’s production was absolutely abysmal. He started just 21 games in 6 seasons and managed to win just 4 of those games. Furthermore, he couldn’t keep the ball in the Lion’s hands as he tossed 28 interceptions to just 19 touchdowns.

Long lasted just four seasons in Detroit before being traded to Los Angeles for one season. After a season there, he spent one more season in Detroit and his career was over.

As the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft, you expect a franchise quarterback who can lead your team to a Super Bowl. For Detroit, however, drafting Iowa football great Chuck Long led them down a deeper rabbit hole of despair.

Another Detroit Lions website even went as far as to list Long one of the top seven draft busts of all-time in Detroit Lions history. They even mentioned that he was worse than flameout Joey Harrington. That’s not good company to keep.

Next. Which four Hawks make up Iowa's Mount Rushmore?. dark

What’s important to remember about these guys though, is that they had fantastic Iowa football careers. Although their NFL careers didn’t quite live up to expectations, their Hawkeyes careers always will.