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Tennessee football: Former Vol still considered this franchise’s biggest draft bust

By Caleb Calhoun

26 Nov 1995: Quarterback Heath Shuler #5 of the Washington Redskins sets to throw during the NFC match up against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Redskins 14-7 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger/Allspor
26 Nov 1995: Quarterback Heath Shuler #5 of the Washington Redskins sets to throw during the NFC match up against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Redskins 14-7 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger/Allspor /
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It’s ironic that quarterback Peyton Manning is considered one of the greatest NFL Draft successes of all time when you consider who directly preceded him at Tennessee football. The irony is magnified when you consider that his successor is one of the Brady Six.

Just over a week after Aaron Tallent of Athlon tabbed Manning as the greatest No. 1 pick in NFL Draft history, Heath Shuler was tabbed the biggest NFL Draft bust for the Washington Football Team by Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. He was ranked the 20th biggest bust for a franchise overall.

Shuler, who started for Tennessee football in 1992 and 1993, was taken third by Washington in the 1994 NFL Draft but only lasted three years there, playing in just 19 games with 13 starts. Here’s what Kerr wrote about Shuler.

"Washington had a few busts that deserved to be on this list, but Shuler was supposed to be the team’s next franchise quarterback. Instead, he was beaten out by seventh-round pick Gus Frerotte during two terrible seasons. Shuler completed 47.7% of his passes for 2,403 yards with 13 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in 19 games with Washington over three seasons. Washington was able to get two draft picks for Shuler, who bottomed out with the Saints after throwing two touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 1997. A foot injury ended Shuler’s career shortly after."

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Obviously, given what Washington traded up to get Robert Griffin III and the fact that RG3 was the second pick, you could definitely consider him a bust too. However, Griffin did win Rookie of the Year and take his team to the playoffs in 2012, so that probably puts Shuler ahead of him.

In a way, Shuler and Manning were character foils as college quarterbacks. Both were Heisman Trophy runner-ups and considered at the time the best passes in Tennessee football history. Simply put, they seem to both have elite merits.

However, Shuler was known as a dynamic athlete who could play quarterback, and Manning was the pure pocket passer who made all the right decisions. Also, Shuler chose to leave after his junior year for the NFL Draft, while Manning decided to stay for his senior season.

That they both saw great college success in different ways is a testament to how David Cutcliffe was able to develop quarterbacks. Such skills proved themselves after both of them as well, when Tee Martin led the Vols to the 1998 national championship with Cutcliffe as his offensive coordinator for all but one game.

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What all of these quarterbacks show is that if Cutcliffe coaches you, you’ll be successful somewhere. Martin is a champion and a respected coach. Manning’s career speaks for itself. Shuler, meanwhile, went on to become a three-term congressman from North Carolina, proving that even as a bust in Washington, he still found success in that town.

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