Top 5 Michigan State football NFL Draft busts
![Tony Mandarich Tony Mandarich](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3072,h_1728,x_0,y_106/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/137/01hqp4hmky5pgdmg8fk7.jpg)
No. 2: OT Tony Mandarich
Maybe the most famous NFL Draft bust this side of Ryan Leaf is former Michigan State offensive tackle Tony Mandarich. Once hailed as the next big thing and a once-in-a-lifetime prospect, his self-destructive behavior ultimately led to his downfall and prevented him from being a legendary player.
A 1988 unanimous All-American and the two-time Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1989 draft by the Green Bay Packers.
However, a long holdout would spoil his rookie season. He also had attitude problems and he struggled to pass protect in the NFL after playing in a run-heavy offense in East Lansing. Even more than that, though, substance abuse played a role in his downfall as he admitted, "I wasn't sober one day in Green Bay".
After four years with the Packers, he was cut. Fortunately, he would enter rehab and resurface in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts in 1996 where he would play three seasons as a middling lineman.
But being just an ordinary lineman isn't what Mandarich was billed to be coming out of college. Rather, he was supposed to be the best offensive line prospect the game had ever seen. Unfortunately, that didn't turn out to be the case and he squandered an opportunity to make history. As a result, he's considered by some to be the biggest bust in NFL history.