Yep, Detroit picking Andre Ware 8th in the draft when they already had Rodney Peete for example. Ware got paid but was barely given a chance…he got just 6 starts.
Unfortunately, Ware didn’t distinguish himself in the NFL. The NFL, like other pro sports, is the most democratic form of equal employment and opportunity, but you have to prove yourself. The bottom line was that Ware was fortunate enough to play in the run & shoot at UH. Defenses struggled against it and he put up amazing stats. He earned the Heisman Trophy and no one can take that achievement away from him. In hindsight, he would have benefitted by staying in college one more year for seasoning, but when you are considered a first round pick, the money is compelling. As a long time UH fan, I’m proud that Andre Ware has earned his NFL professional credentials as a television color commentator.
Was it a case of drafting Ware and forcing him to be a different type of quarterback that he was? Square peg in a round hole as it were.
Go Coogs.
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Detroit ran the Run&Shoot and the GM drafted Ware, even though they had Peete, because of his success in the system at UH. Coach Wayne Fontes liked Peete, and didn’t want Ware, and the two never got along. At one point, ownership forced Fontes to play Ware at the end of one season, he played relatively well, and Fontes still benched him the next year.
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