Let’s quickly go through the arc of Mitch Mustain’s football career:

High school star, went to Arkansas and started as a freshman. Went 8-0 before his parents had beef with coach Houston Nutt, at which point Mustain decided to QB-rich USC, where he barely got on the field. Earlier this year, he was arrested for selling prescription drugs to an undercover officer.

(About that: “It’s been taken care of and I did the community service. It was a lesson to learn from and I’m glad it’s behind me.”

Now, Mustain’s in Canada, trying to win the starting job for the Hamilton Ticats. Mustain, for being so highly-touted in high school, wasn’t even drafted. That’s shocking, since if you simply attend USC, you get drafted (see Matt Cassel). Heck, UNC’s TJ Yates was drafted in April. A QB from Idaho was drafted. The Jets took the Alabama QB, simply because he’s smart.

Mustain’s post-high school career has been a 5-year dumpster fire.

By the way, how many kids who have been named the ‘Gatorade high school Player of the Year’ have been busts?

2000 Brock Berlin Shreveport, LA Florida / Miami (FL)
2001 Joe Mauer St. Paul, MN signed by Minnesota Twins
2002 Lorenzo Booker Oxnard, CA Florida State
2003 Kyle Wright Danville, CA Miami (FL)
2004 Jeff Byers Fort Collins, CO USC
2005 Greg Paulus Syracuse, NY Duke (basketball)
2006 Mitch Mustain Springdale, AR Arkansas / USC
2007 John Brantley Ocala, FL Florida
2008 Matt Barkley Santa Ana, CA USC
2009 Garrett Gilbert Austin, TX Texas

Just looking at the last decade … other than Brock Berlin (perennial 3rd string NFL QB) and Lorenzo Booker (extremely modest NFL stats, but from this group, they’re excellent), what a motley crew. Mauer picked baseball, Paulus played hoops and then had fun with football for a year. Wright was terrible, Byers was nothing special at USC and went undrafted, and so far, Brantley and Gilbert have been unimpressive. Matt Barkley will probably wind up being the biggest Gatorade POY star since Peyton Manning (1994).