49ers NFL Draft: 10 high-profile picks who never panned out

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Glen Coffee of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by NFL Photos) /

829. . Running Back. Crimson Tide . Glen Coffee. 8. player

49ers Running Back Glen Coffee, Alabama

Selected No. 74 Overall in the 2009 NFL Draft

The Niners seemed to be on the rise entering 2009, and the third-round addition of Alabama running back Glen Coffee appeared to be an absolute steal. Coffee, who rushed for a whopping 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding another 118 receiving yards in 2008, was going to be the dynamic complementary player to San Francisco’s already established running back, Frank Gore, making then-head coach Mike Singletary’s offense so much more potent.

Well, yeah. That didn’t happen.

Coffee managed to actually start two games his rookie season, appearing in 14 total where he rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown while averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.

A follow-up campaign for Coffee could have been far more impressive. But he called it quits for his NFL career, electing to pursue another passion with US special forces.

While that part is certainly admirable, Coffee’s efforts with the 49ers didn’t endear him to the fanbase, and he ended up being a third-round pick the Niners would certainly like to have back.