Terrell Owens and the Biggest Career Trainwrecks in NFL History

The professional football career of Terrell Owens likely ended earlier this summer when the Allen Wranglers—an IFL team—released the former All-Pro receiver following a brief stint. 

Owens hasn't received a sniff—both before and after the release—from an NFL franchise. 

Now, Owens joins an unimpressive list of trainwrecks that ended NFL careers. 

In the following slides, we'll break down several others on the list.

Terrell Owens

It's difficult to call Owens' NFL career a trainwreck because his stat sheet shows a player rivaled by few others at the receiver position in NFL history. In 15 NFL seasons, Owens amassed almost 16,000 receiving yards and 153 touchdowns. 

But it was his persona off-field—a personality that wore extremely thin as Owens' NFL career progressed—that ultimately leads to his induction on this list. 

Owens either forced or was given a messy divorce from each landing spot he had in the NFL, and his latest—a release from the Allen Wranglers of the IFL—might have been his last. No NFL team has expressed an interest in Owens, who last played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010. 

It's a sad reality, but most will remember Owens as the egotistical, boneheaded personality he became rather than the elite, rare receiving talent he really was.

Ryan Leaf

The latest chapter in Ryan Leaf's sad story came last week, as a Montana judge ordered the former No. 2 overall pick to serve nine months in a drug treatment center and another six in a pre-release living area after he was caught breaking and entering and possessing painkillers for the second time.

His on-field story is just as scary. 

The San Diego Chargers took Leaf with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 draft, but he went on to become one of the biggest busts in NFL's history. In four seasons, Leaf threw 15 touchdowns and 36 interceptions for a career passer rating of 50.0 before flaming out of the league. 

After seemingly getting his life back on track after the NFL, Leaf was arrested for the first time when he broke into a player's home at West Texas A&M and stole prescription painkillers. 

Maurice Clarett

A troubled man blessed with an incredible ability to rush the football, Maurice Clarett's football career died before it ever got going. 

A year after helping lead the Ohio State University to a national championship in 2002, Clarett was dismissed from the University after a myriad of problems off-field.

He later sued the NFL in an effort to be included in the 2004 NFL draft. He lost his case, but was drafted one year later, with the Denver Broncos surprisingly taking Clarett with the last pick in the third round. 

In late August, however, Clarett was released by the Broncos before ever appearing in a regular season game (or preseason, for that matter). He cleared waivers with no team expressing any interest. 

After more legal troubles and several comeback attempts with several other football leagues, Clarett dropped out of football in 2010. 

Charles Rogers

Charles Rogers was supposed to be the next Randy Moss. Showered with acclaim after leaving Michigan State in 2003, Rogers was drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions. 

A series of collarbone injuries—in back-to-back seasons, mind you—then set Rogers' career on a dangerous path. 

Rogers was suspended for four games to start 2005 for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Eventually, Rogers was forced to pay back a large portion of his first contract with the Lions, and legal troubles have yet to escape him. 

I think Rogers could have been something in the NFL had the injuries not happened first, but Rogers tanked faster than any top pick we've seen recently.