10. Charles Rogers — Out of the NFL at 24 years old in 2005
It’s an incredible pity that we never got to see what Charles Rogers could’ve become in the NFL. At Michigan State University, Rogers was absolutely spectacular, setting records like most touchdowns by a wide receiver (27) and most receiving yards in a single game (270). He even broke Randy Moss’ NCAA record of catching a touchdown pass in 13 consecutive games.
In 2002, he became the #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. But late in his rookie season, Rogers broke his collarbone, and in a cruel twist of irony, he broke his other collarbone on the third play of the following season. Eventually, Rogers’ time away from the team led to him hanging around a crowd of folks who didn’t really help him build any good habits. Between said habits and his injury history, he was out of the NFL only three seasons after he was drafted.