The 10 biggest Notre Dame football NFL Draft busts of all time
Joe Heap. 8. player. 31. . RB. New York Giants
No. 7 biggest Notre Dame football NFL Draft bust of all time: Joe Heap
1955 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 8
New York Giants, 1955
Going way back to the days of non-color television and photography, we have Joe Heap — a man who had an impeccable career in South Bend but whose NFL career was more forgettable than the reason he left (to serve his country).
Per BlueandGold.com, Heap was one of two Fighting Irish players to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards (1,447 with 14 touchdowns) and 1,000 receiving yards (1,137 with two scores) during a three-year varsity career and saw all three of his Irish teams finish no lower than No. 4 in the final AP poll. With such a distinguished collegiate career, one would think he would go on to dominate in the NFL.
Instead, Heap had eight carries for 29 yards, a fumble, and 7.9 yards per return on special teams before leaving the NFL for good. Of course, it was for a good cause, but doing so little in the NFL undoubtedly makes Heap a Notre Dame football draft bust.