25 Of The Greatest One-Hit Wonders Of The NFL In All Of History – Do You Remember Him?
Of all the professional sports leagues, the NFL tops the list as one of the most difficult for athletes aiming for a long and successful career. Consistency, as well as staying healthy, and injury-free, are only a few stress factors for professional football players. They constantly look over their shoulder to make sure a younger, aspiring star doesn't come up and swoop their spot. But it happens, and many football players are done before they even got started. We've compiled a list of NFL players who left the game before you even got to know them. Some of these names should ring a bell.
Larry Brown The Super Bowl MVP
Larry Brown is a name that some have forgotten in football. Brown played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1991-1995. The defensive back had an amazing performance in Super Bowl XXX and wrapped up the year with MVP honors.
Brown also had a pretty good season that year in 1995: making six interceptions, two touchdowns, and 124 return yards. The following season, the Raiders took him from Dallas and he only started one game for Oakland in a span of three years. They cut him from his contract after just 12 games.
The Ickey Shuffle
Do the Ickey Shuffle! As a rookie, Ickey Woods had a sensational season. A season that some veterans can't even duplicate. He rushed for 1,005 yards and added 15 touchdowns on the year. The Bengals ended up going to the Super Bowl behind his stellar play. Sadly, injuries would not allow for Woods to reach the same heights.
After he tore his ACL, things were never the same. A season consists of 16 games minus the playoffs. He only played 19 more games total the rest of his career. Woods currently coaches the Cincinnati Sizzle in the Women's Football Alliance.
The Titan That Never Was
Vince Young led his Texas Longhorns to a National Championship over the highly favored USC Trojans. It seemed that he would be poised to be a great NFL quarterback as well when he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans. He struggled his rookie season but showed flashes of greatness so fans were still on his side.
Once he got to the NFL, he essentially became nothing more than a scrambling quarterback. He had an unheard of seven rushing touchdowns in his rookie year. Young just couldn't figure out the NFL game as well as he did in college and as a result, he was out.
The Best Cleveland Quarterback In Recent Memory
One thing that is really sad about the Cleveland Brown organization is the constant dish of mediocracy they keep serving their fans. Year after year the fans have to endure a terrible season. Then one year, Derek Anderson showed up and things started to look up.
Anderson led the Browns to a 10-6 record. He threw for 29 touchdowns and people thought the Browns were going to turn the corner. The very next year, Anderson fell apart. He only played nine games and ended up being benched. He is now nothing more than a backup.
The Magic Man
Imagine finishing second in MVP voting and leading your team to the playoffs. And the only reason you finished second was thanks to Joe Montana. For Don Majkowski, this is a reality. In 1989, he threw for 27 touchdowns during the regular season. Then a couple injury-riddled seasons sucked the magic right out of the 'Magic Man'.
This made Green Bay realize they had to move forward. So they substituted Majkowski with Brett Farve. Farve would go on to become a legend and Majkowski spent the rest of his career as a backup.
Washington's Future Down The Drain
What can we say about Robert Griffin III? Someone that had so much potential had it all snatched away, thanks to a knee issue. In college, Griffin was also an Olympic caliber track and field athlete in the hurdles. During his rookie season, he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award after passing for 3,200 yards and running 815 yards.
There was some skepticism surrounding his first playoff game because his knee wasn't fully healed. Many thought he should have sat the game out but Griffin still played. As a result, he tore his ACL. After that, his running prowess was limited and he was reduced to just a pocket passer. He was never the same again.
Michael Clayton Falls Right Off
When Michael Clayton was drafted in 2004 by the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay had no clue what they were about to witness. As a rookie, he turned in 1,193 yards paired with seven touchdowns. But it looks like that season was fool's gold. He would never have another successful year.
Clayton's next best season had him at 484 yards and only one touchdown. From stud to bust, Clayton is the definition of a one-hit wonder. He would go on to play for the Giants as well but nothing came of it. He was out of the league quick.
Don't Say Beuerlein In Carolina
The people of Carolina are still haunted by the name of Steve Beuerlein. They thought he was the quarterback of the future, but he let them down. Maybe fans should wait and see what happens before jumping to grandiose predictions. However, in 1999, he did give them a reason to believe he would perform. Beuerlein put up monstrous numbers: 4,436 passing yards and 36 touchdowns.
Like many of the other players on this list, the following season was not the same. He left Carolina for the Denver Broncos for two seasons but only started five games during that time. Beuerlein ended up retiring and becoming an NFL analyst.
From Covers To Retired: Peyton Hillis
Maybe this fall from grace is the result of the notorious "Madden cover curse". The curse states that any player that is on the cover of the EA Sports Game will have a terrible year the following season. For Peyton Hillis, he had to retire. In 2010, Hillis pulled a fast one on the Browns' fan base and fantasy football owners.
He gathered 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. These stats are what led to his Madden cover and him holding out from training camp so he could get more money. He ended up never running for more than 600 yards in a season following that great year. He also had to retire several years later due to concussion fears.
No Salsa For Cruz
Victor Cruz was once the pride and joy of the G-Men in New York. Before Odell Beckham burst onto the scene there was the salsa dancing receiver. Cruz had three amazing seasons consecutively from 2011-2013. Then the 2014 season came around and an injury limited Cruz to six games.
He would also go on to miss the entire 2015 season (enter Beckham) and seemingly fell right off the map. In 2016, he played all but one game but only caught for half of the yards he caught during his time as the leading receiver on the Giants.
Mr. Tebow
Much like Vince Young and Reggie Bush before him, Tim Tebow had a fantastic college career. That is how he attained so much fame but scouts didn't see his game translating to the professional level. His rookie season started out slow, but he turned that around quickly as he led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs.
In a remarkable turn of events, he mounted a comeback against the Steelers and won in the first round. That would be Tebow's greatest moment as a professional athlete. He ended up becoming a backup for many teams before giving up the NFL. As of January 2018, he is trying to make it in the MLB.
The Little Train
There are only a few players in NFL history who have been able to sustain being an all-purpose player. Lionel "Little Train" James was an all-purpose beast in 1985. He returned the ball, he rushed for over 500 yards and caught for over 1,000 yards. James would lead the NFL in all-purpose yards with over 2,500.
Eight of his 14 career touchdowns came from scrimmage that season. He also had as many yards that season as he would for the next three years combined. 'One-hit wonder' should have been his nickname.
The Other Steve Smith
We're sure you've heard of the great receiver Steve Smith who spent the majority of his career with the Carolina Panthers before going to the Baltimore Ravens. That Smith had a Hall of Fame-caliber career. This Steve Smith would have had a career as such if he kept up what he did when he was 24.
Smith caught for 1,200 yards and had over 100 receptions. Those are amazing numbers. But as the theme goes, he would never duplicate that again and now, people only remember one Smith.
Just Where Did Barnidge Go?
The year that Gary Barnidge had a great season, fantasy football owners thought they hit the lotto. There aren't that many tight ends in the NFL that consistently perform at a high leve, with the exception of Gronk. The Cleveland Browns also thought they had a great player and threw a lot of money Barnidge's way.
In 2015, out of the blue, he caught for 1,000 yards. He would end that season with 79 catches and nine touchdowns. The following season Barnidge caught 55 passes and only scored twice. He is now a free agent.
The Great Mystery
Nick Foles had one of the best seasons a quarterback could have in 2013. Everyone was tricked into thinking he was the next big thing- not just the fans in Philadelphia. His first year under Chip Kelly, Foles threw for 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
They would go on to the playoffs behind his play but the following seasons were not the same. His touchdown-to-interception stat was 20 to 20. A huge difference from what we saw during his accurate season. The Eagles gave up on him and so did the Rams during that time frame. But it looks like he turned his fortune around with his Super Bowl victory. Will history repeat itself?
Timmy Smith Shows Up Then Goes Away
Here we have another player who showed up when it mattered most. Timmy Smith of the Redskins had himself a game in Super Bowl XXII. The Redskins starting running back was often injured during the '87 season so Smith got the start. How did he thank them? He set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards and two touchdowns.
The Redskins won 42-10. Naturally, Smith held out on offseason duties in hopes of securing a bigger contract after his huge game. When he finally showed up, he was overweight. By week nine of that season, he had lost the starting job.
The Iconic Catch
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This player pulled off a play that ruined the Patriots chances of completing a perfect season. And just like a few others on this list, his wonder came while he was in the Super Bowl. David Tyree had 35 yards and no touchdowns but that's not what matters. The Giants were down by 4 with 1:15 left on the clock.
Eli Manning threw the ball almost blindly about 30 yards to Tyree. When he jumped up for it, he pinned it against his helmet as he came down to the ground. This catch is what led to the Giants game-winning drive. The "helmet catch" will go down as one of the greatest plays in NFL history. But it also happened to be the last catch for Tyree.
Gets Paid For Nothing
It wasn't that that Shane Olivea had one great season that led him here to this list. No, Olivea was a consistent player for the San Diego Chargers playing the right tackle position. He only missed one game his first two seasons. For being such a pivotal player, the Chargers gave him a six-year, $20 million contract extension.
He went on to play two more seasons for the Chargers but got benched the year after his contract. He then got cut for missing a drug test after failing for painkillers. That contract was for not.
Injured And Depressed
Shawn Andrews was drafted by the Eagles and was immediately put into the starting guard role. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in the first game. He came back the next season ready to play and became the anchor for the offensive line. He got Pro Bowl honors in 2006 and 2007.
Sadly, before the start of 2008, he didn't show up to the start of training camp. He came out and said he was dealing with depression and that he was seeking professional help. When he came back he suffered a back injury that knocked him out for the year. That ended up being his last game.
Stay Off The Drugs
The second-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2005 played better than a second-round pick. Odell Thurman would end the season with 10 forced turnovers and that propelled him to be a finalist for the Defensive Rookie of the Year. This set up high expectations for his following season.
One thing after another would happen next. Thurman ended up failing various drug tests and being suspended by the NFL. Once he came back from his first suspension he was cut and ended up failing another test. The NFL never would see him play again.
The Injury Bug Got Him
Bob Sanders was great at defense. He was a Pro Bowler, All-Pro athlete and a Defensive Player of the Year. In only his third season he was winning Super Bowls and making interceptions in the Super Bowl. But he only got better after that. In the 2007 season, he won the Defensive Player of the Year.
He ended up signing a $37.5 million contract that year making him the highest paid safety in NFL history at the time. but injuries would hit him because of his aggressive style of play that made him the player he is. He ended up only playing 11 more games in the next four years.
An Infection To End It All
LeCharles Bentley found success right from the start once he was drafted by the Saints. He came in playing the right guard and would make NFL All-Rookie honors. His second season he would make the Pro Bowl. After 2005, he would leave the Saints and head to the Browns (probably his biggest mistake).
He ended up tearing his patellar tendon and he was forced to miss the whole season. He also suffered from a staph infection in the knee. Two years in Cleveland and he didn't see the field once. He ended up retiring in 2009 but not without suing the Browns.
Back To Regular for Hatcher
For his first five years as a Dallas Cowboy, Jason Hatcher was just a backup defensive lineman. The third-round pick of the '06 draft would see a new day after the Cowboys hired Rob Ryan as their defensive coordinator. Hatcher would shift into the starting role and have a breakout season in 2013.
He was named to the Pro Bowl and got a huge contract of $27.5 million with the Redskins. He had to battle through knee injuries for the following two seasons and that brought him back to mediocre. He ended up retiring in 2016.
No More Johnny Manziel
Say hello to Johnny Manziel. The Texas A&M product was a sensational college athlete. At his size, it was amazing to see the 6' 0"209-pound quarterback turn the field into his canvas. He broke countless records while in college and was primed to excel in the NFL after winning the Heisman.
The Browns traded up to pick Manziel hoping to have their quarterback of the future. That was not the case. Manziel got to the pros and didn't start. Whispers of him complaining were circulating around the league. Then one day, the starting quarterback got hurt and it was Manziel's time to shine. He blew it. He had some good plays but nothing worthwhile like everyone envisioned. He is now out of the league.
The Butt Fumbler - Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez never had standout numbers. He couldn't compare to Tom Brady or even Eli Manning. However, early in his football career, Sanchez found some success. When Rex Ryan took over for the New York Jets, he became the quarterback. All of sudden, the Jets were in the AFC Championship game for two straight years. They would lose both times to the Steelers and Colts.
The air was full of optimism for Jets fans, something they haven't felt in a while. Everyone was ready for him to become the franchise quarterback they had wished for. Interestingly enough, he became one of the worst and gave us the infamous "butt fumble" on Thanksgiving Day 2012 when he ran into his teammate's rear end, and led to another touchdown for the Patriots.
Burtland Dixon
