What Happened to the NCAA Football Cover Athletes-Part 1
So recently, the cover for College Football 25 was announced to the public. It features Texas QB Quinn Ewers, Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, and Michigan RB Donovan Edwards. While all of them have had great college careers so far, and their status in the NFL is TBD after next season, it’s given me the idea of wondering how every person in the NCAA Football game franchise plays in the NFL. Did they go on to dominate there as they did in college, or were they unable to handle the pressure of the NFL? Here’s a look at what happened to all the NCAA college football games that covered athletes after release.
College Football USA 97 – Tommie Frazier
In the early to late 90’s, Nebraska was one of the top schools in the college football world. The Cornhuskers won national championships in back-to-back years in 1994 and 1995, and their QB Tommie Frazier was perhaps their most significant piece to those titles. Frazier was probably one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of the time and is considered one of the best players in Nebraska’s history. In his senior season, he put up 1,467 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 806 yards and 16 touchdowns. With those numbers, he could’ve won the Heisman that year, but unfortunately, the Heisman that year went to Ohio State senior RB Eddie George, as Fraizer came in 2nd. While you would think he would make the NFL after all those stats, due to health problems, he went undrafted. He would go on to try and play for the CFL in the Montreal Alloutes; however, in September of 1996, his football career ended due to pneumonia. It’s also a shame because he was considered one of the best college football players of the 90s, but he’ll always have his memories of Nebraska to look back on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsUuXkReqmQ
NCAA Football 98- Danny Wuerffel
Ironically, the 3rd place vote after Frazier would become the cover athlete of NCAA Football 98. Danny Wuerfell spent four seasons in Flordia, becoming one of the top quarterbacks in school history. From 1993-95, he put up some good numbers, including 3,266 yards in 1995. However, in his senior year in 1996, he earned one of the best Heisman seasons, with 3,625 yards and 39 touchdowns. Due to these stats, Florida would be the national champion of 1996. Despite all these great stats, he wasn’t considered a first-round pick of the 1996 draft, as the New Orleans Saints took him in the 4th round. Wurffel would play in 25 games and get a few starts but was the prominent role as a QB to build around, but he did throw for 2,123 yards in his career with 12 touchdowns with the Saints, Packers, and Commanders.
Heisman Highlights - Danny Wuerffel (youtube.com)
NCAA Football 99-Charles Woodson
Now we get to arguably the most outstanding player on this cover list. Charles Woodson is considered one of the best defensive players in college football history. His style of defense is something we have never seen since then. Woodson played as a DB, and while his stats may seem low, the way he performed when Michigan needed him to was part of his game. Woodson had seven interceptions that season, and thanks in large parts to his versatility and defense, he won the Heisman in 1997 and became a national champion with Michigan in 1997. Because of his stellar defense, he was selected by the Raiders with the 4th overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft. He became one of the best defensive players in Oakland, as he would have 17 interceptions for 328 yards. Woodson would go to his Super Bowl in 2002 but lost that Super Bowl to the Buccaneers. Due to injuries, he was elected to the FA. In 2006, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, where he would bounce back hugely, as he would be a pivotal key to the Packers’ defense. He had 38 interceptions in 100 games as a Packer, and in 2009, he was awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. In 2011, he would win his only Super Bowl as the Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers that year. While returning to Oakland for a few seasons, he would retire in 2016.
Charles Woodson |The College Legend| Highlights (youtube.com)
NCAA Football 2000-Ricky Willams
When you think of Texas Longhorns' memorable players, one of the answers you'll hear is Ricky Williams. Williams was not only one of the best running backs in the country but one of the best running backs in college football history. Due to his size and body, he could rush for many yards and in his way. In his Heisman-winning season in 1998, he ran for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns, which was the best in his career at Texas. Saints coach Mike Ditka loved Ricky Williams so much that he traded his whole draft class to trade up to get Ricky Williams at 5th overall in the 1998 Draft. This trade, however, had backfired, and while Ricky would put up some good numbers for the Saints, he was far from the person he was at Texas. This trade caused Mike Ditka to lose his job as coach of the Saints. Due to the trade going awry, it was nicknamed “The Ricky Williams trade.” As for what happened after the Saints, Ricky would try to bounce back with the Miami Dolphins and had two terrific seasons, but due to drug problems, he retired early in 2004. However, he would unretire a year later. However, things would get worse for him as he would miss the 2006 season thanks to violating the league’s substitute abuse policy. Williams would play four more seasons with the Dolphins, and in 2011, he would play for the Ravens before retiring in 2011.
Classic Tailback - Ricky Williams Texas Highlights (youtube.com)
NCAA Football 2001- Shaun Alexander
While never a Heisman winner, Shaun Alexander was considered a solid running back at Alabama. Alexander played three seasons there and put up great numbers. In his final season in 1999, he rushed for 1,383 yards and 19 touchdowns. Considered the best running back in the draft, the Seattle Seahawks took him 19th overall in the 2000 draft, and he didn’t disappoint. In his second season, he ran for 19 touchdowns and was over a 1,100+ yard rusher every season, with his best being in 2005, where he ran for over 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns. In his final season with the Seahawks, he would suffer a wrist injury that affected him majorly. Due to this injury, he had to retire in his prime at age 31 in 2008, finishing his career off with the Redskins.
NCAA Football 2002- Chris Weinke
After the days of Charlie Ward, Florida State had a good enough set at QBs, but in the late 90s, Chris Weinke brought them a Heisman trophy, their second one since Ward in 1993. Weinke passed for over 4,167 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2000 and currently holds the most passing yards in Florida State history. However, he was 28 years old when he won the Heisman. Despite that, he could never replicate the same play in the NFL. When selected by the Carolina Panthers in the 4th round in the 2001 draft, he would play only 30 games in the NFL. He would only win one game, the week one win against the Vikings in his rookie year, as he would go on to lose every game after that until he was replaced by Randy Fasani next year. Weinke would see only three more starts, with his only after that against the Falcons in 2006. After, he was signed by the 49ers in 2007, but he only played two games for them, and then he finally retired.