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The 10 biggest Notre Dame football NFL Draft busts of all time

By Andrew Hughes

Slap the Sign takes a look at the 10 biggest Fighting Irish NFL draft busts in the history of the Notre Dame football program Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2007 Marvin Gentry
Slap the Sign takes a look at the 10 biggest Fighting Irish NFL draft busts in the history of the Notre Dame football program Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2007 Marvin Gentry /
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Notre Dame football QB Angelo Bertelli (Sports Studio Photos/Getty Images) /

No. 2 biggest Notre Dame football NFL Draft bust of all time: Angelo Bertelli

1944 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 1

Los Angeles Dons, 1946
Chicago Rockets, 1947-1948

One of the many great college football players in the 1940s who enlisted to fight for his country, Angelo Bertelli didn’t begin his pro football career until two years after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dons. Getting to the game late cost Bertelli, who seemingly lost all his momentum from his days in South Bend leading the Fighting Irish to the 1943 National Championship.

Bertelli won that year’s Heisman trophy, not to mention the Sporting News Player of the Year as well, but the time away from the gridiron led to him having double the number of interceptions (14) as touchdown passes (seven) in his rookie season in 1946.

With the Chicago Rockets, Bertelli completed just nine of his 39 pass attempts, proving essentially unplayable. The fall from grace for Bertelli was notable, but so were the reasons why — ultimately making him an NFL draft bust but a proud patriot as well.

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