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15 college football players whose careers ended too soon

By Connor Muldowney

Aug 30, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Clint Trickett (9) throws the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter of the 2014 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Clint Trickett (9) throws the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter of the 2014 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 3, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Willis McGahee (26) runs against Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Daryl Smith (51) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Willis McGahee (26) runs against Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Daryl Smith (51) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

I know what you’re thinking already, “Willis McGahee had a nice NFL career, he shouldn’t be on this list, right?”

While that’s a valid point and McGahee did have a nice NFL career, his college career was ended far too early because of a leg injury he suffered in the 2003 BCS National Championship. He was making a routine catch on a screen pass, but Ohio State safety Will Allen hit him and awkwardly bent McGahee’s leg back, basically destroying his knee.

It was later revealed that he had torn his ACL, MCL and PCL, all major ligaments in his knee, which makes a running back’s life even harder. Coming back from this type of injury hadn’t happened effectively before, but McGahee decided not to collect the insurance policy he took out before the title game and entered the NFL Draft a year early.

The former sure-fire top-10 pick dropped a bit, getting selected No. 23 overall by the Buffalo Bills where he played three seasons, rushing for over 3,000 yards. He then spend four seasons with Baltimore, two with Denver and one with Cleveland, only rushing for over 1,000 yards just twice more in his career.

McGahee’s final year at Miami was highlighted by 28 touchdown runs and over 1,750 yards. Would his career have been different without the injury?

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