Washington Redskins Top Ten Draft Busts: Heath Shuler

by Ken Meringolo on Apr 5, 2011 9:00 AM EDT in Redskins 2011 Draft

As I said yesterday, we have 20 days of draft coverage coming your way. We will alternate our offerings between Draft Busts and Draft Successes. This is done as a service to our fellow Redskins fans who have suffered enough through the years. Subjecting our readers to ten straight days covering the busts would simply be cruel.

Speaking of cruel, how about Heath Shuler as your starting quarterback? We took Heath #3 overall in the 1994 draft. The only players that were off the board when we picked were Dan Wilkinson and Marshall Faulk. That's right, we made Heath the top QB chosen in that draft. Interestingly enough, we also picked the 4th-to-last QB in that draft: Gus Frerotte.

While in town, Heath managed to complete roughly 47% of his passes and toss 19 interceptions en route to a 4-9 record across 3 seasons. Even under the tutelage of veteran QB coach Norv Turner, Heath struggled. Though it is tough to say if he was actually struggling. He was very bad right away...from the second he got here. So to be fair to Heath, that 4-9 record might have been him playing at an All-Heath level.

This pick will challenge them all for the right to be called the worst.

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Comments

It's pretty bad when you go #3 in the draft

and lose your job to a guy who as far as QBs go in the same draft was practically Mr. Irrelevant. Need I mention he lost his job to a guy who concussed himself?

My only question is where in the draft did we pick up Patrick Ramsey? At least he played for a “smaller” program at Tulane, so did not have the hype of Shuler. Also a bummer we didn’t get Tennessee’s next great QB.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

by Scott E on Apr 5, 2011 9:56 AM EDT reply actions

I believe Patrick Ramsay was taken at #32, or the final pick in the 1st round.

by Ken Meringolo on Apr 5, 2011 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

I still come back to Andre Johnson

First round pick (granted at the lower end) that didn’t play a snap for the team that drafted him. I can’t think of another example of this happening.

by JefferyWGardner on Apr 5, 2011 9:59 AM EDT reply actions

one of the biggest busts ever, definitely

"By far the worst performers on the team are in the front office." – Sally Jenkins

by smutsboy1 on Apr 5, 2011 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions

I remember Riggins immediately pegged him though

Having spent a lot of time seven yards behind the line of scrimmage gave him a view of some pretty good offensive linemen. When Johnson showed up Riggins said “skinny calves” and didn’t think he had the lower body power to play the pro game. For once Riggo was dead on.

by d_c_guy on Apr 5, 2011 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Was Riggins a farm boy? The analogy might be comparing a draft horse to a smaller boned riding horse.

by Jefferson1935 on Apr 5, 2011 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

He's on our list.

Some people are like Slinkies, not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
Hogs Haven. On Twitter..

by Kevin Ewoldt on Apr 5, 2011 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions

The Giants

drafted Rivers 4th and he never played a down for them.

Elway never played a down for the Baltimore Colts who drafted him first . Bo Jackson never played a down for Tampa who drafted him in the first – the sad part for Tampa was that as he was never signed by them he could and was selected in the following year’s draft by the Raiders.

by G Fan in England on Apr 5, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Good call. I still bring his name up too.

He played DT at PSU and we were going to draft him to play OG. Yet another reason I hate PSU.

I consider myself a one man wolfpack..@Diesel__44 on twitter.

by Diesel44 on Apr 5, 2011 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

jesus.

Heath managed to complete roughly 47%

"By far the worst performers on the team are in the front office." – Sally Jenkins

by smutsboy1 on Apr 5, 2011 10:14 AM EDT reply actions

On the bright side

it’s a much higher completion percentage if you include the INTs…just sayin’

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

by Scott E on Apr 5, 2011 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

this is one of the reasons I'm so scared about drafting quarterbacks

If I remember correctly, Schuler was an absolutely can’t miss quarterback. Everybody in town went completely gaga over him as a savior. Then he held out…
then he actually played…
then the year after we drafted Westbrook…
and my hate for Norv Turner thus began…

The world looks mighty different when you're peeking out your belly button

by Skins Fan '77 on Apr 5, 2011 10:35 AM EDT reply actions

Man...that holdout was so costly

by Ken Meringolo on Apr 5, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

That was THE worst pick for us ever

Now I have to go an find a way to forget it ever happened.

by aFan4Life on Apr 5, 2011 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

my friend Jose has the remedy

may be a little early to go see him though…

SpottieOttieDopaliscious

by Rekka on Apr 5, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions

* * proud owner of a Shuler jersey from ebay * *

"By far the worst performers on the team are in the front office." – Sally Jenkins

by smutsboy1 on Apr 5, 2011 12:02 PM EDT reply actions

You should be kicked in the balls.

Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Apr 5, 2011 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions

No it pretty much sums up my thoughts about buying a new jersey while Snyder owns the team.

"By far the worst performers on the team are in the front office." – Sally Jenkins

by smutsboy1 on Apr 5, 2011 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

You're all about player safety, benefits, etc.

So why are you cheating your favorite players out of the royalties earned from jersey sales?

tisk, tisk….

Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Apr 5, 2011 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Schuler now has better healthcare than any of us for life

I don’t feel sorry for him at all-crap, I think even his haircuts are free

The world looks mighty different when you're peeking out your belly button

by Skins Fan '77 on Apr 5, 2011 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Not talking about Schuler obviously, talking about current players.

Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Apr 5, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Shoot-I have obviously overdosed on some of my meds today

If I start drooling, I’m turning off the computer

The world looks mighty different when you're peeking out your belly button

by Skins Fan '77 on Apr 5, 2011 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I want a jersey with a dollar sign for a number and Snyder on the back

The world looks mighty different when you're peeking out your belly button

by Skins Fan '77 on Apr 5, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Twitter: @RVAparks Check it out for the latest Redskins news and opinions

by Parks Smith on Apr 5, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Dang! That was supersonic quick-I'm impressed

The world looks mighty different when you're peeking out your belly button

by Skins Fan '77 on Apr 5, 2011 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions

At this point...

It’s so bad it’s great. I would wear that to a road game just to F with people.

Some people are like Slinkies, not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
Hogs Haven. On Twitter..

by Kevin Ewoldt on Apr 5, 2011 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Sadly I was sold on the hype...

But we later had Trent Green and let him go so I add that to the blunders of our QB mess. We have had a high turn over ratio at QB and Head coaches over the years and sometimes we may have been a player away and still failed to fill that need of finding the right player (s) It takes a coaching staff like we have now at least three years of searching before we can say we are finally back on our feet. Just hope they can last that long since the last 20 years the Skins do not even resemble the team I use to watch in the 80`s.

by mybluebone on Apr 5, 2011 2:49 PM EDT reply actions