College football: Ranking the NFL careers of Heisman Trophy winners

College football: Ranking the NFL careers of Heisman Trophy winners 1975-2005

Sep 1, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Tim Brown the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner poses with the Heisman Trophy at the Heisman House located outside Notre Dame Stadium before the Michigan Wolverines play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

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Charles White (Getty Images) /

Ranking NFL careers of Heisman winners: 18. Charles White, RB, USC

Charles White was a star in college football, putting together one of the best careers coming a decade after another Heisman Trophy winner in O.J. Simpson. He got better every year, hitting his peak in his senior season where he ran for 2,050 yards and 19 touchdowns while the Trojans went to back-to-back Rose Bowls and White was named the MVP both times.

He was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, but it put him in Cleveland. The Browns got most of nothing out of White, where he rushed for under 1,000 yards total in four years. He finally found his stride when he was reunited with his former coach John Robsinson. In 1987, he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,375. He ended up scoring 11 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl. He was given the Comeback Player of the Year Award for his efforts.

White struggled with drug use during his career, and that likely hampered his development. He started using it in college, and he even had a stint in rehab during his NFL career. It is sad that it put him behind, but at least he ended his career on a high note. That one season gets him a little higher on this list, or he’d be way down.

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