20 Most Hated College Football Players of All Time

20 Most Hated College Football Players of All Time

Jameis Winston Florida State
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There’s a lot of animosity surrounding college football these days as Florida State's Jameis Winston has become the biggest villain not only in college football, but in all of American sports. This comes just one year after Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel fulfilled that role with Texas A&M. With these two in mind, here are the 20 most hated college football players of all time.

20. Marcus Vick

Marcus Vick Virginia Tech
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20. Marcus Vick

Marcus Vick Virginia Tech
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The younger brother of Michael Vick, Marcus, was nothing like his famous (or infamous) brother in terms of on-the-field production. An ultra-talented runner, Marcus never handled the spotlight well while with the Hokies. Off the field, Marcus was constantly in trouble, and on the field, he taunted opposing fanbases, and even stomped on former Louisville Cardinal Elvis Dumervil in the Gator Bowl, getting him kicked off the team.

19. LeGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Blount Oregon
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19. LeGarrette Blount

LeGarrette Blount Oregon
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While at Oregon, LeGarrette Blount was involved in one of the ugliest postgame brawls of all time. After being shut down by the Boise State Broncos in Boise, Blount took out his frustrations on Boise State defensive lineman Byron Hout, whom he suckered punched during the postgame handshake. Blount then proceeded to go after the Boise fans while being restrained by Oregon players and officials.

18. Vontaze Burfict

Vontaze Burfict Arizona State
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18. Vontaze Burfict

Vontaze Burfict Arizona State
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In the NFL, Vontaze Burfict recently made headlines for trying to twist Cam Newton’s ankles, but that kind of dirty play is no surprise to people who followed him at Arizona State. Burfict’s mean streak and off-field issues made him not only hated in the Pac-12, but an undrafted player. In his final 26 games, Burfict committed 16 personal fouls and was often benched for his undisciplined play.

17. Tony Mandarich

Tony Mandarich Packers
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17. Tony Mandarich

Tony Mandarich Packers
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Mandarich was one of the greatest, most fearsome offensive lineman in the history of college football, and had a mean streak to match. Like many disliked players, the Michigan State great had a questionable off-the-field persona, and once said to an Ohio State player that he "going to die today.” He also angered Spartan fans when he skipped his entire senior season to go work out in Florida.

16. Jimmy Clausen

Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame
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16. Jimmy Clausen

Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame
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Before graduating high school, Sports Illustrated dubbed Jimmy Clausen as the “The Kid With the Golden Arm.” Upon announcing his commitment to Notre Dame, Clausen showed up in a stretch Hummer limo, and talked about winning four national titles. During his time in South Bend, his mouth never matched his production as the Fighting Irish went a mediocre 16-21 with him as a starter.

15. Kellen Winslow Jr.

Kellen Winslow Jr. Miami
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15. Kellen Winslow Jr.

Kellen Winslow Jr. Miami
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After a game in which he took out two Tennessee defenders on a block, Kellen Winslow Jr. went on a bizarre rant and referred to himself as a "(expletive) soldier." Playing for a great Miami team makes you unlikable already, but comparing yourself to a real soldier really crossed the line.

14. Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders Falcons
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14. Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders Falcons
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The reason people hated Sanders at Florida State is no different from why people hated him in the NFL. The Seminoles' defensive back was one of the cockiest, showiest players to ever play the game. That didn’t necessarily make him a bad person, but with all the high-stepping and trash-talking, “Primetime” earned a great deal of haters.

13. Michael Irvin

Michael Irvin Cowboys
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13. Michael Irvin

Michael Irvin Cowboys
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Perhaps no other player in Miami history (aside from Randal “Thrill” Hill), epitomized the “Swagger” of the Miami Hurricanes better than “The Playmaker" Michael Irvin. Long before he was a showboat in the NFL, Irvin was one of the biggest hot dogs in college football history. In the 1980s, Irvin was the perfect example of someone who many thought disgraced the game with excessive showmanship.

12. Todd Marinovich

Todd Marinovich USC
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12. Todd Marinovich

Todd Marinovich USC
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Before he even took a snap in college, Todd Marinovich was labeled “Robo QB: The Making of the Perfect Athlete.” That label was brought on by his father Marv who controlled every aspect of his life. Once released from his father, Marinovich's career went south and he went on to become a draft bust with the Oakland Raiders.

11. Terrelle Pryor

Terrelle Pryor Ohio State
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11. Terrelle Pryor

Terrelle Pryor Ohio State
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Sports Illustrated called Terrelle Pryor’s signing announcement “the most anticipated signing day announcement in history.” Pryor became notorious in Columbus for his role in “TattooGate,” his general cockiness and reports that he used up to eight cars as improper benefits made him a natural college football villain. The scandal also cost Jim Tressel, one of the winningest coaches at the time, his job.

10. Maurice Clarett

Maurice Clarett Ohio State
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10. Maurice Clarett

Maurice Clarett Ohio State
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On the field, he was the key player on the Buckeyes' team that won the national title. It's the off-field stuff that caused a lot of angst, to Buckeyes fans and non-Buckeyes fans. Maurice Clarett yelled at assistants, lied to school officials, got into legal trouble, and was eventually booted from school. Clarett then tried and failed to leave early for the NFL and never played a single down in the big leagues.

9. Peter Warrick

Peter Warrick Florida State
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9. Peter Warrick

Peter Warrick Florida State
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Peter Warrick became the poster boy for the “Criminoles” Era under Bobby Bowden when he was arrested for grand theft after receiving an unlawful discount at a Dillard’s department store in the midst of a Heisman-worthy 1999 season. Instead of being booted from the team like Laveranues Coles had, Warrick received a two-game suspension, and was later named MVP of the 2000 Sugar Bowl.

8. Cam Newton

Cam Newton Auburn
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8. Cam Newton

Cam Newton Auburn
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Newton won a national championship with Auburn and is now a star in the NFL, but Newton had a rocky and unlikeable past. At Florida, he allegedly stole a student’s laptop and threw it out a window to hide it from police. At Auburn, he was the subject of infamous eligibility issues, in which his father was accused of soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars for his son’s services. Although Newton was never charged, he was hated everywhere.

7. Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart USC
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7. Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart USC
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It’s easy to hate the face of a dynasty at its peak, and Matt Leinart became that for Pete Carroll's USC Trojans of the mid-2000s. Leinart was seen as a golden boy on and off the field, and his decision to return for his senior season ruined that.

6. Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Phillips Nebraska
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6. Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Phillips Nebraska
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Lawrence Phillips was a bad guy in college and in the NFL. After dealing with assault, vandalism and eligibility issues, the Nebraska running back was arrested in 1995 for assaulting his ex-girlfriend after throwing her down a flight of stairs. Phillips was not kicked off the team, and starred for the Cornhuskers in their 1996 Fiesta Bowl win over Florida. Phillips will forever be an example for star players getting favorable treatment.

5. Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush USC
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5. Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush USC
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Reggie Bush was one of the most electrifying players in college football history, but single-handedly disgraced himself and his university. On the field, Bush was the winner of the 2005 Heisman Trophy, but off the field, his acceptance of illegal benefits cost him his Heisman Trophy. His scandal led to the downfall of USC as Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL following major sanctions which were coming for the university.

4. Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow Florida
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4. Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow Florida
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Tim Tebow was a golden boy at Florida and could do no wrong. A genuinely nice guy who also happened to be one of the best college football players ever, Tebow was despised by everyone outside of Gainesville. Many were turned off by his too-perfect demeanor and candor when it came to religion. And what fans really hated Tebow for was the ESPN hype machine that constantly lauded him on and off the field.

3. Jameis Winston

Jameis Winston Florida State
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3. Jameis Winston

Jameis Winston Florida State
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A BB gun shoot-out. A sexual assault accusation. Crab leg shoplifting. Yelling lewd obscenities in public. Possibly selling autographs for money. It seems like every day Jameis Winston is adding something new to his embarrassing ledger. While Florida State fans have turned on the national media for a proclaimed “witch hunt,” most fans see Winston as someone who views himself above the rules and the law and is indifferent to all his mistakes.

2. Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel Texas A&M
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2. Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel Texas A&M
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“Johnny Football” can best be described by his many haters as a cocky punk. Texas A&M’s quarterback burst onto the scene in 2012 and all he did was upset No. 1 Alabama and become the first freshman ever to win the Heisman. But between the “cashing in” gesture, preening for the cameras, constant partying splashed across social media and an autograph scandal, Manziel was Public Enemy No. 1 outside of College Station.

1. Brian Bosworth

Brian Bosworth Oklahoma
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1. Brian Bosworth

Brian Bosworth Oklahoma
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As much hate as there’s been directed toward Manziel and Winston, Brian Bosworth still smashes the cake when it comes to hated college football players. “The Boz” angered everyone, including fans in Norman with his crazy hairdos, red bandana, bulging biceps and incessant trash talking. Bosworth was even kicked off his own team following steroid suspicions and and wearing a “National Communists Against Athletes” shirt on the sideline.

Brian Kalchik is a Detroit Lions writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

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