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Interesting look back.
A decade ago, they were the best of the best, by all accounts, on the precipice of greatness. They’d been graded, assigned stars and sent off to college with the highest of expectations. So 10 years later, what became of the elite group of high school football players who were tabbed as the nation’s top 100 prospects?
Football offers no guarantees, even to the most promising high school seniors of 2007, as designated by the recruiting site Rivals. This Wednesday is National Signing Day, the first day recruits can commit formally to a college program. On that day every year, they’re all promising athletic stars, but a decade later, their paths have splintered in all directions. They’re celebrities, coaches, cops and convicts. They sell cars and houses, and many have had to reinvent themselves several times over.
Of the top 100 in 2007, 39 were eventually drafted into the NFL. Twenty are still in the league. Seven made the Pro Bowl. Four are dead.
Twenty-six transferred to other schools. And at least one-third obtained degrees from the school they committed to on signing day 10 years ago.
Some names are familiar, including No. 66 Aaron Hernandez (prison for murder), No. 2 Joe McKnight (killed last month in apparent road-rage incident), No. 28 Cam Newton (NFL MVP), No. 54 Dez Bryant, No. 3 Eric Berry and No. 59 Joe Haden (all Pro Bowl honorees).
Many lived briefly on the NFL fringe — practice squads, training camp rosters, midseason tryouts — but others are obscure, such as No. 46 Austin Box, who died of an overdose before his senior season and was found with five different painkillers in his system, and No. 86 Mike McNeil, who spent the past three years in prison for his role in a home invasion.
Many still feel the remnants of their football careers. No. 23 Ryan Miller suffers from post-concussion syndrome and battles sleeplessness and migraines he said feel like a war zone in his head. A handful are involved in concussion-related litigation. And then there’s No. 62 Michael Keck, who died from cardiac arrest at age 25. Researchers later were alarmed by the chronic traumatic encephalopathy they found in his brain — levels they’d never seen in someone so young.
They were all connected by football and teenaged promise. Ten years later, their paths, lives and dreams have diverged in a variety of different ways — good, bad and everything in between.
1. Jimmy Clausen, QB
Commitment: Notre Dame
Clausen left school after three years and was a second-round pick of Carolina in 2010. He started 14 games in six seasons, throwing twice as many interceptions as touchdowns.
2. Joe McKnight, RB
Commitment: USC
A fourth-round pick by the Jets in 2010, McKnight struggled to find a steady role in the NFL. He spent 2016 in the CFL and was killed in December in an apparent road-rage incident.
3. Eric Berry, DB
Commitment: Tennessee
Berry left school after three years and was picked fifth overall by the Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowler was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in Dec. 2014 but returned to action the next season.
4. Ryan Mallett, QB
Commitment: Michigan
Mallett transferred from Michigan after one season and spent two years at Arkansas. A third-round pick in 2011, he has started eight games in six NFL seasons and last season was a backup in Baltimore.
5. Carlos Dunlap, DE
Commitment: Florida
After leaving school a year early, Dunlap was drafted by the Bengals in the second round in 2010. He since has started 65 games in seven seasons.
6. Everson Griffen, DE
Commitment: USC
The Vikings' fourth-round pick in 2010, Griffen has twice made the Pro Bowl and has started 48 games in seven seasons.
7. Marvin Austin, DL
Commitment: North Carolina
The Washington native was suspended his senior year for receiving improper benefits, and the Giants drafted him in the second round in 2011. He lasted four years in the NFL but never started a game.
8. Ronald Johnson, WR
Commitment: USC
A sixth-round pick in 2011, Johnson bounced around to a few teams but never caught an NFL pass. He tried the CFL and spent last season in the American Indoor Football League.
9. Torrey Davis, DT
Commitment: Florida
After two trouble-filled seasons, Davis transferred to Jacksonville State and went undrafted in 2010. He bounced around other leagues and was most recently on the Arena League's suspended list.
Josh Oglesby was the top-rated offensive lineman coming out of high school, but he needed six knee surgeries during his collegiate career. (David Stluka/Associated Press)
10. Josh Oglesby
Offensive line, Wisconsin
Growing up in Milwaukee, Oglesby was excited to attend nearby Wisconsin as the nation’s top-rated offensive lineman.
“Football was everything for me,” he said. “At that point, you think you’re invincible. You read all the press clippings, so you think you’re a lot better than you are. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see myself playing in the NFL.”
Oglesby was a standout lineman, but one who required six knee surgeries in college to stay on the field, which left him with virtually no cartilage in either knee. At the NFL Scouting Combine, 31 of the 32 teams gave him a bad medical grade and he went undrafted. The Washington Redskins gave a short-lived audition, but Oglesby had to accept that his knees wouldn’t hold up to the rigors of professional football.
“That was a miserable plane ride back to Wisconsin,” he said.
The crossroads for Oglesby looked like this: a six-figure job in sales or a low-paying gig as a graduate assistant coach back at alma mater. Even if his bank account doesn’t have as much cushion, Oglesby said he has no regrets about his choice.
“I would’ve just hated my life every day sitting at a desk,” said Oglesby, now the offensive quality control coach at Oregon State. “I graduated with people who are making a lot more money than I am right now. But to me, it’s not about the money; it’s about the impact I’m having on these guys’ lives.
“Everything happens for a reason. I can honestly say I’m happier now in the coaching side of things than I ever was as a player.”
11. Chris Galippo, LB
Commitment: USC
His college career was slowed by injuries, and he lost his starting job as a senior. According to a LinkedIn profile, he worked at a drug and alcohol treatment center.
12. James Wilson, OL
Commitment: Florida
He underwent four knee surgeries, which extended his college career to six years. Wilson is now a physical education teacher and coach in Florida.
13. Terrance Toliver, WR
Commitment: LSU
Undrafted in 2011, he bounced between four NFL teams and never appeared in a game. He has played in the CFL since 2015.
14. Chad Jones, ATH
Commitment: LSU
A two-sport athlete, he was a third-round pick of the Giants in 2010 but was involved in a devastating car accident and never played a down. He returned to baseball, where he was drafted by the Reds in 2013.
15. Noel Devine, RB
Commitment: West Virginia
A hightly touted prospect with ties to Deion Sanders, Devine was undrafted in 2011. He played briefly in the CFL and returned to school last year to finish his degree.
16. Tray Allen, OL
Commitment: Texas
After college, Allen played briefly in the Arena League. Most recently, he has been an educator and high school coach in San Antonio.
17. Marc Tyler, RB
Commitment: USC
Tyler never heard his name called in the 2012 draft. He signed a free agent deal with the Packers but didn't last long.
18. Chris Donald, LB
Commitment: Tennessee
Donald left Tennessee after two seasons and transferred to nearby Tennessee-Chattanooga. But after just one season there, he quit football, citing a wrist injury.
19. Chris Culliver, WR
Commitment: South Carolina
The 49ers selected Culliver, as a cornerback, in the third round in 2011. He made headlines mostly because of Injuries and off-field issues and was waived by the Dolphins last November.
20. Ben Martin, DE
Commitment: Tennessee
Martin lasted four years at Tennessee but never got a sniff of the NFL. He was part of a 2013 class action lawsuit against the NCAA related to concussions.
21. Curtis Brown, DB
Commitment: Texas
Brown was a third-round pick by the Steelers in 2011 and spent three seasons as a role player. He played in the CFL last season.
22. Dwight Jones, WR
Commitment: North Carolina
Jones went undrafted in 2012 and failed to catch on with a team. He returned to his native Burlington, N.C., where in 2015 he was arrested and charged with felony killing of a dog by starvation.
Ryan Miller played in eight games as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns in 2012, but concussions forced him out of football. (John Kuntz/Associated Press)
23. Ryan Miller
Offensive line, Colorado
More than four years have passed since Ryan Miller last played in an NFL regular season game, but he is reminded about his football career daily. There are the constant migraines, difficulty sleeping, memory problems and trouble maintaining his balance.
Looking back, he said, there was no way to know all the ups and downs that a professional football career would entail. His family and friends gathered at his grandparents’ house for a party the day the Cleveland Browns called to inform the big offensive linemen they had made him their fifth-round pick.
“I was ecstatic,” he said.
The Colorado product appeared in eight games as a rookie in 2012. In the opening days of training camp the following season, Miller suffered a concussion during practice. He was carted off the field and hospitalized. He ended up missing the entire season.
He was eventually released and spent parts of the next season on the Broncos’ and Chargers’ practice squads. A week after the Chargers added him to their active roster, though, Miller suffered another concussion when he slipped on a rain-slicked path and hit his head while walking out for practice.
The symptoms lingered, and Miller — like most football players — didn’t exactly leave the game on his own terms.
“I was in some very dark places because I was still very big, very strong, very fast. But my brain — my head was no longer in position to take a hit,” he said. “It wasn’t worth it to risk something that I might not wake up from.”
He still suffers today from post-concussion syndrome and battles the symptoms on a daily basis. For two years, he was unable to work or plot a post-football life. His focus was on getting healthy. He found a community in a Denver-based non-profit called Parkers Platoon, which helps people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Today he relies on cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil, group therapy and a newly launched business venture to help navigate the daily struggles.
Last fall he started a catering business out of his garage called Iron Spoke BBQ, which he says “gave me purpose again.”
“I think it’s really helping to turn all this post-concussion stuff around,” he said. “It’s still rolling the dice. There are still some days I’m cooking and I have to call on other people to come help and step in.”
Knowing what he knows now, would Miller go back and do it again, put his head in harm’s way?
“I probably would,” he conceded. “Look, I loved it. I miss it dearly. I do think I could still physically do a lot of stuff, so it’s bittersweet.”
24. Arrelious Benn, WR
Commitment: Illinois
He decided to leave school a year early and was drafted in the second round by the Bucs in 2010. Despite injuries, Benn has made 24 career starts, most recently playing with the Jaguars.
25. Donovan Warren, DB
Commitment: Michigan
After leaving school early, he went undrafted in 2010. Warren bounced among four NFL teams but never played. He is involved in commercial real estate, according to his Twitter bio.
26. Martez Wilson, DE
Commitment: Illinois
A third-round pick of the Saints in 2011, he had one start in three NFL seasons. After a year in the CFL, Wilson is now in real estate in the Dallas area, according to his LinkedIn profile.
27. Tyrod Taylor, QB
Commitment: Virginia Tech
The Ravens' sixth-round pick in 2011, Taylor was a backup in Baltimore before signing with Buffalo, where he was the starter the past two seasons.
28. Cam Newton, QB
Commitment: Florida
After transferring to Auburn, Newton won the Heisman Trophy and was the first overall pick in 2011. He has been named rookie of the year, MVP and also earned his bachelor's degree in 2015.
Kris O’Dowd suffered shoulder and knee injuries while at Southern California, leading him on a different career path. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)
29. Kris O’Dowd
Offensive line, Southern California
Dowd suffered his share of injuries in college — shoulder, knees — but still felt he had done enough to impress NFL teams. His life always had been pointed toward a football career, and he had hoped to hear his name in the first round of the draft, maybe the second. But all seven rounds passed, and Dowd never heard his name called. The friends and television cameras left his home, and Dowd was alone.
“I remember just sitting there, my dreams totally crushed,” he recalled. “It turned out I failed an MRI at the combine.”
He had earned his bachelor’s degree in three years at USC but still had no Plan B.
“I had been focused completely on football. I put all my chips in one pile, and I busted,” he said. “I fell on my ass”
A year-long depression followed. He leaned heavily on a network of USC alumni but went through seven months of interviews before securing a job offer. He used the same ambition and work ethic from his football days to rise up the ladder. He now splits his time between Los Angeles and Dubai, is a partner with an international cryogenics company, in addition to working with a truffle farm in Italy and a telecommunications cloud company.
“It took me a while to restructure myself, physically, mentally, confidence-wise,” Dowd said.
He said his sense of self has been an evolution, and he just recently has begun to embrace his unpredictable post-football life.
“Football was something I was good at, but it wasn’t who I am,” he said. “I’m meant for something special in this world, and I’m really looking forward to figuring that out.”
30. Enrique Davis, RB
Commitment: Auburn
Davis never enrolled at Auburn and instead spent a year at prep school before signing with Mississippi. He now runs a sports performance company in Georgia.
31. John Chiles, QB/WR
Commitment: Texas
Once touted as the next Vince Young, Chiles instead moved to wide receiver at Texas. He never played in the NFL but dabbled in the Arena League and CFL.
32. Cliff Matthews, DE
Commitment: South Carolina
The Falcons drafted Matthews in the seventh round in 2011. He played in 35 NFL games, including three last season before his release.
Doug Wiggins, right, transferred from Miami to Western Michigan. He returned to South Florida after school and is now an officer in the Medley Police Department. (Michael Conroy/Associated Press)
33. Doug Wiggins
Defensive back, Miami
A decade later, Wiggins feels like he is still part of a team, the most important one of his life, in fact. An officer with the Medley Police Department outside of Miami, he always figured he would get involved in law enforcement — but not until after a long NFL career.
“It happened earlier than I expected,” Wiggins said, “but it’s one of the best decisions I ever made.”
Ten years ago, things didn’t work out at Miami, and he transferred to Western Michigan after his freshman season. Wiggins experienced some culture shock moving so far from home, but looking back, he said the unfamiliar surroundings taught him how to navigate different spaces, cultures and people, a skill that serves him well now that he carries a badge each day.
He never lived up to the potential many saw in high school, but he returned to Florida with a degree in criminal justice. “That was something my mom said I couldn’t come home without: that degree,” he said.
He considered his professional football options, but with a daughter to care for, he said, “I couldn’t play around. I had to turn the page.”
He enrolled in a police academy where he felt a familiar sense of camaraderie and discipline. He now patrols streets not too far away from where he grew up and learned to play football. And around the station, other officers know where to turn when they want to talk sports.
“I loved football, but my passion always was helping others,” he said. “I feel blessed to be in position where I am. I can help people, I’m still part of a team, and I still have a voice. I can be a role model to young people and show them that football is not everything.”
34. Duval Kamara, WR
Commitment: Notre Dame
After a disappointing college career, Kamara failed to catch on with an NFL team. He is now a fleet manager for a transportation logistics company in Omaha, according to his LinkedIn profile.
35. Rolando McClain, LB
Commitment: Alabama
After McClain left school a year early, the Raiders made him the eighth overall pick in 2010. He has spent time with three NFL teams but was suspended indefinitely in 2016 for repeated substance-abuse violations.
36. John Clay, RB
Commitment: Wisconsin
Clay left school early but was undrafted in 2011. He signed a free agent deal with the Steelers but appeared in just two games in two NFL seasons.
37. Jerimy Finch, DB
Commitment: Florida
Finch orally committed to Michigan and then Indiana before settling on Florida. He later transferred to Indiana -- and then transferred to Marian University. He was arrested in 2014 for burglary of a liquor store.
38. Aron White, TE
Commitment: Georgia
A team leader, White was the backup tight end as a senior. He had a brief stint on the Falcons' offseason roster but never played in a game.
39. Michael Huey, OL
Commitment: Texas
Undrafted in 2011, Huey spent time with four NFL teams but never made an active roster. After some success in the Arena League, he is now a car salesman in Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Dionte Allen, left, spent three seasons at Florida State and then two seasons at Ohio State. He now works with the American Football Academy and the American Football League of China. (Steve Cannon/Associated Press)
40. Dionte Allen
Cornerback, Florida State
Allen started playing football when he was 8 years old. His college career took him to two powerhouses — Florida State for three seasons and then Ohio State for two — but at no point could he have envisioned where the sport ultimately would send him.
When he graduated, he knew the NFL wasn’t in his future, but he had no idea what might be. He worked as a valet, a bartender, a bouncer. He did door-to-door sales for a cable company. Allen had a daughter who was born three months premature and learned quickly that making ends meet wasn’t easy.
“I was just trying to find myself,” he said. “And then you see guys you played with getting drafted into the NFL and living that dream, it’s tough.”
Allen finally landed a steady job as an assistant manager at a Walmart in Columbus, Ohio. It gave him stability and peace of mind but didn’t scratch every itch. A former high school teammate, Chris McLaurin, stayed in Allen’s ear about a venture he had been working on: promoting and teaching football in China.
Curiosity got the best of Allen last year, and he made a leap of faith, quitting his job at Walmart and packing two suitcases for Shanghai, where he now works with the American Football Academy and the American Football League of China.
“We don’t just want to put footballs in the kids’ hands,” he said. “We want to build a culture.”
At the academy, Allen helps train future coaches and teaches the game to people as young as 3. They start with coloring books to learn the vocabulary, watch movies such as “Little Giants” to better visualize the game and eventually hit the field. Allen has an interpreter, but he already has learned to say some important words in Chinese: “run,” “go” and “faster.”
“When I was 17, I was like, I’m going to Florida State. I knew what I wanted. Well, here I am now in China,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know where it came from, but it’s been amazing. I never in a billion years could’ve envisioned any of this.”
41. DeAngelo Benton, WR
Commitment: Auburn
Benton was suspended his senior season after admitting to using synthetic marijuana and being present at a house party where three men died of gunfire.
42. Marcus Gilchrist, DB
Commitment: Clemson
A second-round pick of the Chargers in 2011, Gilchrist has appeared in 91 NFL games and has played the past two seasons with the Jets.
43. Major Wright, DB
Commitment: Florida
Wright left school a year early and was drafted by the Bears in the third round in 2010. He was a solid contributor and signed in 2014 with the Bucs, who released him last season after just two games.
44. Aaron Corp, QB
Commitment: USC
Stuck behind Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley, Corp transferred to Richmond after three seasons. After failing to catch on in the NFL, he turned to coaching and is on the staff at Norfolk State.
45. Kendall Smith, LB
Commitment: Florida State
Following a four-year career at Florida State, Smith began to focus on the weight room. He is now an assistant strength coach for the Cowboys.
46. Austin Box, LB
Commitment: Oklahoma
WIth one season remaining, Box died in 2011 of an apparent accidental overdose. He had an injury-filled career, and according to news reports, had five prescription painkillers in his system at the time of his death.
47. John Brantley, QB
Commitment: Florida
An heir apparent to Tim Tebow, Brantley played but never shined at Florida. He failed to catch on in the NFL, and today is involved with medical sales, according to his LinkedIn profile.
48. DaJohn Harris, DT
Commitment: USC
Harris tried the Arena League after failing to stick with an NFL team. He returned to school to finish his public policy degree and was recently pursuing his master's in social work at USC, according to LinkedIn.
49. Deonte Thompson, WR
Commitment: Florida
Thompson signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and has played for three NFL teams in five seasons, last year appearing in all 16 games for the Bears.
A decade ago, they were the best of the best, by all accounts, on the precipice of greatness. They’d been graded, assigned stars and sent off to college with the highest of expectations. So 10 years later, what became of the elite group of high school football players who were tabbed as the nation’s top 100 prospects?
Football offers no guarantees, even to the most promising high school seniors of 2007, as designated by the recruiting site Rivals. This Wednesday is National Signing Day, the first day recruits can commit formally to a college program. On that day every year, they’re all promising athletic stars, but a decade later, their paths have splintered in all directions. They’re celebrities, coaches, cops and convicts. They sell cars and houses, and many have had to reinvent themselves several times over.
Of the top 100 in 2007, 39 were eventually drafted into the NFL. Twenty are still in the league. Seven made the Pro Bowl. Four are dead.
Twenty-six transferred to other schools. And at least one-third obtained degrees from the school they committed to on signing day 10 years ago.
Some names are familiar, including No. 66 Aaron Hernandez (prison for murder), No. 2 Joe McKnight (killed last month in apparent road-rage incident), No. 28 Cam Newton (NFL MVP), No. 54 Dez Bryant, No. 3 Eric Berry and No. 59 Joe Haden (all Pro Bowl honorees).
Many lived briefly on the NFL fringe — practice squads, training camp rosters, midseason tryouts — but others are obscure, such as No. 46 Austin Box, who died of an overdose before his senior season and was found with five different painkillers in his system, and No. 86 Mike McNeil, who spent the past three years in prison for his role in a home invasion.
Many still feel the remnants of their football careers. No. 23 Ryan Miller suffers from post-concussion syndrome and battles sleeplessness and migraines he said feel like a war zone in his head. A handful are involved in concussion-related litigation. And then there’s No. 62 Michael Keck, who died from cardiac arrest at age 25. Researchers later were alarmed by the chronic traumatic encephalopathy they found in his brain — levels they’d never seen in someone so young.
They were all connected by football and teenaged promise. Ten years later, their paths, lives and dreams have diverged in a variety of different ways — good, bad and everything in between.
1. Jimmy Clausen, QB
Commitment: Notre Dame
Clausen left school after three years and was a second-round pick of Carolina in 2010. He started 14 games in six seasons, throwing twice as many interceptions as touchdowns.
2. Joe McKnight, RB
Commitment: USC
A fourth-round pick by the Jets in 2010, McKnight struggled to find a steady role in the NFL. He spent 2016 in the CFL and was killed in December in an apparent road-rage incident.
3. Eric Berry, DB
Commitment: Tennessee
Berry left school after three years and was picked fifth overall by the Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowler was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in Dec. 2014 but returned to action the next season.
4. Ryan Mallett, QB
Commitment: Michigan
Mallett transferred from Michigan after one season and spent two years at Arkansas. A third-round pick in 2011, he has started eight games in six NFL seasons and last season was a backup in Baltimore.
5. Carlos Dunlap, DE
Commitment: Florida
After leaving school a year early, Dunlap was drafted by the Bengals in the second round in 2010. He since has started 65 games in seven seasons.
6. Everson Griffen, DE
Commitment: USC
The Vikings' fourth-round pick in 2010, Griffen has twice made the Pro Bowl and has started 48 games in seven seasons.
7. Marvin Austin, DL
Commitment: North Carolina
The Washington native was suspended his senior year for receiving improper benefits, and the Giants drafted him in the second round in 2011. He lasted four years in the NFL but never started a game.
8. Ronald Johnson, WR
Commitment: USC
A sixth-round pick in 2011, Johnson bounced around to a few teams but never caught an NFL pass. He tried the CFL and spent last season in the American Indoor Football League.
9. Torrey Davis, DT
Commitment: Florida
After two trouble-filled seasons, Davis transferred to Jacksonville State and went undrafted in 2010. He bounced around other leagues and was most recently on the Arena League's suspended list.
Josh Oglesby was the top-rated offensive lineman coming out of high school, but he needed six knee surgeries during his collegiate career. (David Stluka/Associated Press)
10. Josh Oglesby
Offensive line, Wisconsin
Growing up in Milwaukee, Oglesby was excited to attend nearby Wisconsin as the nation’s top-rated offensive lineman.
“Football was everything for me,” he said. “At that point, you think you’re invincible. You read all the press clippings, so you think you’re a lot better than you are. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see myself playing in the NFL.”
Oglesby was a standout lineman, but one who required six knee surgeries in college to stay on the field, which left him with virtually no cartilage in either knee. At the NFL Scouting Combine, 31 of the 32 teams gave him a bad medical grade and he went undrafted. The Washington Redskins gave a short-lived audition, but Oglesby had to accept that his knees wouldn’t hold up to the rigors of professional football.
“That was a miserable plane ride back to Wisconsin,” he said.
The crossroads for Oglesby looked like this: a six-figure job in sales or a low-paying gig as a graduate assistant coach back at alma mater. Even if his bank account doesn’t have as much cushion, Oglesby said he has no regrets about his choice.
“I would’ve just hated my life every day sitting at a desk,” said Oglesby, now the offensive quality control coach at Oregon State. “I graduated with people who are making a lot more money than I am right now. But to me, it’s not about the money; it’s about the impact I’m having on these guys’ lives.
“Everything happens for a reason. I can honestly say I’m happier now in the coaching side of things than I ever was as a player.”
11. Chris Galippo, LB
Commitment: USC
His college career was slowed by injuries, and he lost his starting job as a senior. According to a LinkedIn profile, he worked at a drug and alcohol treatment center.
12. James Wilson, OL
Commitment: Florida
He underwent four knee surgeries, which extended his college career to six years. Wilson is now a physical education teacher and coach in Florida.
13. Terrance Toliver, WR
Commitment: LSU
Undrafted in 2011, he bounced between four NFL teams and never appeared in a game. He has played in the CFL since 2015.
14. Chad Jones, ATH
Commitment: LSU
A two-sport athlete, he was a third-round pick of the Giants in 2010 but was involved in a devastating car accident and never played a down. He returned to baseball, where he was drafted by the Reds in 2013.
15. Noel Devine, RB
Commitment: West Virginia
A hightly touted prospect with ties to Deion Sanders, Devine was undrafted in 2011. He played briefly in the CFL and returned to school last year to finish his degree.
16. Tray Allen, OL
Commitment: Texas
After college, Allen played briefly in the Arena League. Most recently, he has been an educator and high school coach in San Antonio.
17. Marc Tyler, RB
Commitment: USC
Tyler never heard his name called in the 2012 draft. He signed a free agent deal with the Packers but didn't last long.
18. Chris Donald, LB
Commitment: Tennessee
Donald left Tennessee after two seasons and transferred to nearby Tennessee-Chattanooga. But after just one season there, he quit football, citing a wrist injury.
19. Chris Culliver, WR
Commitment: South Carolina
The 49ers selected Culliver, as a cornerback, in the third round in 2011. He made headlines mostly because of Injuries and off-field issues and was waived by the Dolphins last November.
20. Ben Martin, DE
Commitment: Tennessee
Martin lasted four years at Tennessee but never got a sniff of the NFL. He was part of a 2013 class action lawsuit against the NCAA related to concussions.
21. Curtis Brown, DB
Commitment: Texas
Brown was a third-round pick by the Steelers in 2011 and spent three seasons as a role player. He played in the CFL last season.
22. Dwight Jones, WR
Commitment: North Carolina
Jones went undrafted in 2012 and failed to catch on with a team. He returned to his native Burlington, N.C., where in 2015 he was arrested and charged with felony killing of a dog by starvation.
Ryan Miller played in eight games as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns in 2012, but concussions forced him out of football. (John Kuntz/Associated Press)
23. Ryan Miller
Offensive line, Colorado
More than four years have passed since Ryan Miller last played in an NFL regular season game, but he is reminded about his football career daily. There are the constant migraines, difficulty sleeping, memory problems and trouble maintaining his balance.
Looking back, he said, there was no way to know all the ups and downs that a professional football career would entail. His family and friends gathered at his grandparents’ house for a party the day the Cleveland Browns called to inform the big offensive linemen they had made him their fifth-round pick.
“I was ecstatic,” he said.
The Colorado product appeared in eight games as a rookie in 2012. In the opening days of training camp the following season, Miller suffered a concussion during practice. He was carted off the field and hospitalized. He ended up missing the entire season.
He was eventually released and spent parts of the next season on the Broncos’ and Chargers’ practice squads. A week after the Chargers added him to their active roster, though, Miller suffered another concussion when he slipped on a rain-slicked path and hit his head while walking out for practice.
The symptoms lingered, and Miller — like most football players — didn’t exactly leave the game on his own terms.
“I was in some very dark places because I was still very big, very strong, very fast. But my brain — my head was no longer in position to take a hit,” he said. “It wasn’t worth it to risk something that I might not wake up from.”
He still suffers today from post-concussion syndrome and battles the symptoms on a daily basis. For two years, he was unable to work or plot a post-football life. His focus was on getting healthy. He found a community in a Denver-based non-profit called Parkers Platoon, which helps people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Today he relies on cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil, group therapy and a newly launched business venture to help navigate the daily struggles.
Last fall he started a catering business out of his garage called Iron Spoke BBQ, which he says “gave me purpose again.”
“I think it’s really helping to turn all this post-concussion stuff around,” he said. “It’s still rolling the dice. There are still some days I’m cooking and I have to call on other people to come help and step in.”
Knowing what he knows now, would Miller go back and do it again, put his head in harm’s way?
“I probably would,” he conceded. “Look, I loved it. I miss it dearly. I do think I could still physically do a lot of stuff, so it’s bittersweet.”
24. Arrelious Benn, WR
Commitment: Illinois
He decided to leave school a year early and was drafted in the second round by the Bucs in 2010. Despite injuries, Benn has made 24 career starts, most recently playing with the Jaguars.
25. Donovan Warren, DB
Commitment: Michigan
After leaving school early, he went undrafted in 2010. Warren bounced among four NFL teams but never played. He is involved in commercial real estate, according to his Twitter bio.
26. Martez Wilson, DE
Commitment: Illinois
A third-round pick of the Saints in 2011, he had one start in three NFL seasons. After a year in the CFL, Wilson is now in real estate in the Dallas area, according to his LinkedIn profile.
27. Tyrod Taylor, QB
Commitment: Virginia Tech
The Ravens' sixth-round pick in 2011, Taylor was a backup in Baltimore before signing with Buffalo, where he was the starter the past two seasons.
28. Cam Newton, QB
Commitment: Florida
After transferring to Auburn, Newton won the Heisman Trophy and was the first overall pick in 2011. He has been named rookie of the year, MVP and also earned his bachelor's degree in 2015.
Kris O’Dowd suffered shoulder and knee injuries while at Southern California, leading him on a different career path. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)
29. Kris O’Dowd
Offensive line, Southern California
Dowd suffered his share of injuries in college — shoulder, knees — but still felt he had done enough to impress NFL teams. His life always had been pointed toward a football career, and he had hoped to hear his name in the first round of the draft, maybe the second. But all seven rounds passed, and Dowd never heard his name called. The friends and television cameras left his home, and Dowd was alone.
“I remember just sitting there, my dreams totally crushed,” he recalled. “It turned out I failed an MRI at the combine.”
He had earned his bachelor’s degree in three years at USC but still had no Plan B.
“I had been focused completely on football. I put all my chips in one pile, and I busted,” he said. “I fell on my ass”
A year-long depression followed. He leaned heavily on a network of USC alumni but went through seven months of interviews before securing a job offer. He used the same ambition and work ethic from his football days to rise up the ladder. He now splits his time between Los Angeles and Dubai, is a partner with an international cryogenics company, in addition to working with a truffle farm in Italy and a telecommunications cloud company.
“It took me a while to restructure myself, physically, mentally, confidence-wise,” Dowd said.
He said his sense of self has been an evolution, and he just recently has begun to embrace his unpredictable post-football life.
“Football was something I was good at, but it wasn’t who I am,” he said. “I’m meant for something special in this world, and I’m really looking forward to figuring that out.”
30. Enrique Davis, RB
Commitment: Auburn
Davis never enrolled at Auburn and instead spent a year at prep school before signing with Mississippi. He now runs a sports performance company in Georgia.
31. John Chiles, QB/WR
Commitment: Texas
Once touted as the next Vince Young, Chiles instead moved to wide receiver at Texas. He never played in the NFL but dabbled in the Arena League and CFL.
32. Cliff Matthews, DE
Commitment: South Carolina
The Falcons drafted Matthews in the seventh round in 2011. He played in 35 NFL games, including three last season before his release.
Doug Wiggins, right, transferred from Miami to Western Michigan. He returned to South Florida after school and is now an officer in the Medley Police Department. (Michael Conroy/Associated Press)
33. Doug Wiggins
Defensive back, Miami
A decade later, Wiggins feels like he is still part of a team, the most important one of his life, in fact. An officer with the Medley Police Department outside of Miami, he always figured he would get involved in law enforcement — but not until after a long NFL career.
“It happened earlier than I expected,” Wiggins said, “but it’s one of the best decisions I ever made.”
Ten years ago, things didn’t work out at Miami, and he transferred to Western Michigan after his freshman season. Wiggins experienced some culture shock moving so far from home, but looking back, he said the unfamiliar surroundings taught him how to navigate different spaces, cultures and people, a skill that serves him well now that he carries a badge each day.
He never lived up to the potential many saw in high school, but he returned to Florida with a degree in criminal justice. “That was something my mom said I couldn’t come home without: that degree,” he said.
He considered his professional football options, but with a daughter to care for, he said, “I couldn’t play around. I had to turn the page.”
He enrolled in a police academy where he felt a familiar sense of camaraderie and discipline. He now patrols streets not too far away from where he grew up and learned to play football. And around the station, other officers know where to turn when they want to talk sports.
“I loved football, but my passion always was helping others,” he said. “I feel blessed to be in position where I am. I can help people, I’m still part of a team, and I still have a voice. I can be a role model to young people and show them that football is not everything.”
34. Duval Kamara, WR
Commitment: Notre Dame
After a disappointing college career, Kamara failed to catch on with an NFL team. He is now a fleet manager for a transportation logistics company in Omaha, according to his LinkedIn profile.
35. Rolando McClain, LB
Commitment: Alabama
After McClain left school a year early, the Raiders made him the eighth overall pick in 2010. He has spent time with three NFL teams but was suspended indefinitely in 2016 for repeated substance-abuse violations.
36. John Clay, RB
Commitment: Wisconsin
Clay left school early but was undrafted in 2011. He signed a free agent deal with the Steelers but appeared in just two games in two NFL seasons.
37. Jerimy Finch, DB
Commitment: Florida
Finch orally committed to Michigan and then Indiana before settling on Florida. He later transferred to Indiana -- and then transferred to Marian University. He was arrested in 2014 for burglary of a liquor store.
38. Aron White, TE
Commitment: Georgia
A team leader, White was the backup tight end as a senior. He had a brief stint on the Falcons' offseason roster but never played in a game.
39. Michael Huey, OL
Commitment: Texas
Undrafted in 2011, Huey spent time with four NFL teams but never made an active roster. After some success in the Arena League, he is now a car salesman in Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Dionte Allen, left, spent three seasons at Florida State and then two seasons at Ohio State. He now works with the American Football Academy and the American Football League of China. (Steve Cannon/Associated Press)
40. Dionte Allen
Cornerback, Florida State
Allen started playing football when he was 8 years old. His college career took him to two powerhouses — Florida State for three seasons and then Ohio State for two — but at no point could he have envisioned where the sport ultimately would send him.
When he graduated, he knew the NFL wasn’t in his future, but he had no idea what might be. He worked as a valet, a bartender, a bouncer. He did door-to-door sales for a cable company. Allen had a daughter who was born three months premature and learned quickly that making ends meet wasn’t easy.
“I was just trying to find myself,” he said. “And then you see guys you played with getting drafted into the NFL and living that dream, it’s tough.”
Allen finally landed a steady job as an assistant manager at a Walmart in Columbus, Ohio. It gave him stability and peace of mind but didn’t scratch every itch. A former high school teammate, Chris McLaurin, stayed in Allen’s ear about a venture he had been working on: promoting and teaching football in China.
Curiosity got the best of Allen last year, and he made a leap of faith, quitting his job at Walmart and packing two suitcases for Shanghai, where he now works with the American Football Academy and the American Football League of China.
“We don’t just want to put footballs in the kids’ hands,” he said. “We want to build a culture.”
At the academy, Allen helps train future coaches and teaches the game to people as young as 3. They start with coloring books to learn the vocabulary, watch movies such as “Little Giants” to better visualize the game and eventually hit the field. Allen has an interpreter, but he already has learned to say some important words in Chinese: “run,” “go” and “faster.”
“When I was 17, I was like, I’m going to Florida State. I knew what I wanted. Well, here I am now in China,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know where it came from, but it’s been amazing. I never in a billion years could’ve envisioned any of this.”
41. DeAngelo Benton, WR
Commitment: Auburn
Benton was suspended his senior season after admitting to using synthetic marijuana and being present at a house party where three men died of gunfire.
42. Marcus Gilchrist, DB
Commitment: Clemson
A second-round pick of the Chargers in 2011, Gilchrist has appeared in 91 NFL games and has played the past two seasons with the Jets.
43. Major Wright, DB
Commitment: Florida
Wright left school a year early and was drafted by the Bears in the third round in 2010. He was a solid contributor and signed in 2014 with the Bucs, who released him last season after just two games.
44. Aaron Corp, QB
Commitment: USC
Stuck behind Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley, Corp transferred to Richmond after three seasons. After failing to catch on in the NFL, he turned to coaching and is on the staff at Norfolk State.
45. Kendall Smith, LB
Commitment: Florida State
Following a four-year career at Florida State, Smith began to focus on the weight room. He is now an assistant strength coach for the Cowboys.
46. Austin Box, LB
Commitment: Oklahoma
WIth one season remaining, Box died in 2011 of an apparent accidental overdose. He had an injury-filled career, and according to news reports, had five prescription painkillers in his system at the time of his death.
47. John Brantley, QB
Commitment: Florida
An heir apparent to Tim Tebow, Brantley played but never shined at Florida. He failed to catch on in the NFL, and today is involved with medical sales, according to his LinkedIn profile.
48. DaJohn Harris, DT
Commitment: USC
Harris tried the Arena League after failing to stick with an NFL team. He returned to school to finish his public policy degree and was recently pursuing his master's in social work at USC, according to LinkedIn.
49. Deonte Thompson, WR
Commitment: Florida
Thompson signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and has played for three NFL teams in five seasons, last year appearing in all 16 games for the Bears.
