Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Big 12 Football: 50 best players of all-time

By Randy Gurzi

COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 1: Vince Young #10 of the Texas Longhorns in action against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field on October 1, 2005 in Columbia, Missouri. Texas defeated Missouri 51-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 1: Vince Young #10 of the Texas Longhorns in action against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field on October 1, 2005 in Columbia, Missouri. Texas defeated Missouri 51-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
26 of 50
Next
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma Sooners
Ryan Broyles #85 of the Oklahoma Sooners (Photo by Jackson Laizure/Getty Images) /

. WR. Sooners . Ryan Broyles. 25. player. 815

Big 12 Football best players of all-time: 25. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma football

Ryan Broyles career at Oklahoma got off to a rocky start. He was redshirted as a freshman by Bob Stoops after being arrested for trying to steal gas from a closed gas station. He was allowed to return in 2008 and started to show off his talent as a redshirt freshman. He recorded 46 receptions for 687 yards and six touchdowns.

His next season was even better with him recording 89 catches for 1,120 yards and 15 touchdowns, but that was still an appetizer for what Broyles had on tap for his junior season. That year, Broyles had 131 catches with 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns. He earned Consensus All-American honors that season after leading the nation and breaking his own record for the most team receptions in a single season.

He returned for his senior season but suffered a torn ACL after nine games. He was still playing well for the Sooners, with 83 catches for 1,157 yards and 10 more touchdowns. He again earned All-American Honors and was also named to the All-Big 12 First-Team for the second time.

Broyles was unstoppable in the NCAA but lasted until the second round in the 2012 NFL Draft. This might have been due in part to him finishing his career with the torn ACL. Broyles spent three seasons with the Detroit Lions and then popped up in 2019 with the Dallas Renegades of the XFL.

The league didn’t make it through the first season but Broyles wasn’t affected by that since he decided to retire before the season began.

Home/Big 12