In sports, athletes can go from on top of their respective leagues, to out of the limelight in the blink of an eye. These 25 athletes found themselves out of stardom extremely fast for several reasons. Read on to see who they are.
25. Tim Tebow
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25. Tim Tebow
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Former NFL QB Tim Tebow had a short run of fame. Despite many people doubting him from the start, he led the Denver Broncos to an 8-3 record as a rookie. He also lead the team to the second round of the playoffs after the previous quarterback went 1-4 record in the first five games. Tebow was the most polarizing figure in sports, both because of on-the-field play and off-the-field beliefs, at least until his career fizzled with the Jets.
24. Nnamdi Asomugha
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24. Nnamdi Asomugha
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CB Nnamdi Asomugha was at the top of the NFL for a few years from 2006-10. Teams even debated who was better between Darrelle Revis and him at one point. Clearly Revis won that debate in hindsight. Revis is still a highly productive player and Asomugha has flamed out quickly. After leaving the Oakland Raiders, he declined rapidly with the Eagles and 49ers. He last played in 2013 and It appears now that his time in the NFL is done.
23. Brandon Roy
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23. Brandon Roy
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G Brandon Roy started his NBA career off with a bang. In his first four years, he played in the majority of his games, averaging nearly 50 percent from the floor. However, his career quickly derailed due to injury after that. He played for just two more years, a total of 52 games with 28 starts. He retired in 2011, but he gave it another shot in 2012 before calling it quits permanently in 2013.
22. Ralph Sampson
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22. Ralph Sampson
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Former NBA C/F Ralph Sampson had a promising career shortened by injury. In his first three seasons, he played nearly every game, shooting over 50 percent from the floor and rebounding with authority. Unfortunately, for the rest of his career, Sampson missed a lot of time with numerous lower extremity injuries. He would hang it up after nine seasons, declining in play after an initial surge.
21. Daunte Culpepper
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21. Daunte Culpepper
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QB Daunte Culpepper is yet another player who saw his career decline rapidly due to injury. In his first five years, he had the makings of a star. He had 129 TDs and 74 interceptions to that point with an average completion percentage of roughly 65 percent. However, a devastating knee injury derailed his career. He would only throw for 20 TDs with 32 Ints in his final five years, playing in just 31 total games.
20. Nancy Kerrigan
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20. Nancy Kerrigan
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Nancy Kerrigan is another former athlete who had her career cut short due to an injury. The figure skater was hit in the knee with a police baton as part of a planned assault orchestrated by rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband in January 1994. After starting to gain notoriety shortly before then, including winning bronze medals in both the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and 1992 Winter Olympics, she retired in 1994.
19. Peyton Hillis
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19. Peyton Hillis
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NFL RB Peyton Hillis was what you might call a one-year wonder. Although he has lasted in the NFL for seven years now, his career is defined by his 2010 season. While with the Cleveland Browns, he rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 61 catches for 477 yards and two receiving TDs to that stat line. Since then, he has rushed for roughly the same amount of yards and far less TDs in four combined seasons.
18. Robert Edwards
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18. Robert Edwards
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Former Patriots RB Robert Edwards looked to be the next big thing in Foxboro. After a rookie year in 1998 in which he rushed for 1,115 yards and nine TDs with 331 yards on three receiving TDs, he blew out his knee in the Pro Bowl that season. As a result, he didn't play again until 2002, a comeback attempt with the Dolphins. The attempt failed and he was forced to retire.
17. Lorena Ochoa
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17. Lorena Ochoa
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Former golfer Lorena Ochoa played on the LPGA tour from 2003-2010 and she was on top of the sport for three years. From 2007 to 2010, she was ranked as the No. 1 female golfer in the world. However, she decided to retire from the sport at the young age of 28 to be closer to family, among other reasons.
16. Pat Tillman
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16. Pat Tillman
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Former Arizona Cardinals S Pat Tillman did what very few people have the guts to do. He voluntary enlisted into the Military, leaving behind an NFL career that had the potential to be great. He played three years in the NFL before his enlistment, registering 238 total tackles, three interceptions, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Unfortunately, the decision to fight for his country cost him his life as he was gunned down by friendly fire in 2004.
15. Owen Hart
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15. Owen Hart
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Former wrestler Owen Hart is another athlete whose life ended in tragedy. The difference is that he died in the ring. He fell to his death at just 34 years old, wrestling at the 1999 Over-The-Edge Pay Per View during a stunt gone wrong. Hart comes from a long line of wrestlers who have died way too soon, but his career had major potential, especially given the wrestling family that he was a part of.
14. Sean Taylor
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14. Sean Taylor
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Former Washington Redskins FS Sean Taylor had all the talent and promise in the world. He made two Pro Bowls in his short 3.5 year NFL career. He registered 299 career tackles, 12 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, two sacks and two touchdowns. He was also an All-Pro in 2007. Unfortunately, his life was tragically cut short. He was shot in the leg at his Florida home, severing his femoral artery and he died from his injuries.
13. Bjorn Borg
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13. Bjorn Borg
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Former tennis player Bjorn Borg, unlike many athletes on this list, didn't tragically pass away, get hurt, or derail his career because of bad choices off the field. He was at the top of his game until the day he retired. In his short career he won 11 Grand Slam titles, six French Open singles titles and five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles. For reasons unknown, Borg walked away from the sport at just 26 years old.
12. Sarah Burke
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12. Sarah Burke
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Former skier Sarah Burke was a pioneer, partially responsible for the halfpipe event being added to the Winter Olympics. She was also an exceptional skier as well. She was a four-time X Games gold medalist among other impressive accolades on her resume. Unfortunately, she lost her life in an accident while training on a superpipe in Park City, Utah. She was just 29 and could have accomplished much more in her career had she survived.
11. Steve Prefontaine
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11. Steve Prefontaine
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Former middle and long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine was one of a kind. In his short career, he had held American records in seven different distance track events at one point. Unfortunately, his career didn't last long. He was killed in a car accident near Hendricks Park in Oregon in 1975. He was just 24 years old at the time of his death.
10. Tony Conigliaro
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10. Tony Conigliaro
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Former Red Sox RF Tony Conigliaro could have been great. Red Sox fans are still haunted by what could have been with him and attribute his situation as part of the Curse of the Bambino. After a promising start to his career, he was hit by a pitch in the cheekbone in his fourth year and was carried off on a stretcher. He ended up with multiple injuries, including retinal damage and was never the same. He retired shortly thereafter.
9. Rocky Marciano
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9. Rocky Marciano
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Rocky Marciano was and is, one of the greatest boxers of All-Time. He is the only champion to ever retire undefeated, he won his first sixteen fights by knockout before the fifth round and was only knocked down twice in his entire professional boxing career. Had he not retired at age 32, he may be considered the best boxer ever. He retired with a record of 49-0. He died in a plane crash in 1969. He was 45 years old.
8. Jerome Brown
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8. Jerome Brown
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Former Eagles DT Jerome Brown had an unbelievable start to his NFL career. In five years in the league, he registered 29.5 sacks, three interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. He was a big part of a dominant pass rush in Philly with the help of DE Reggie White. Unfortunately, he like many of the players on this list, lost his life very early on in his career in a 1992 car crash. He was only 27 years old.
7. Aaron Hernandez
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7. Aaron Hernandez
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Former TE Aaron Hernandez was another high-upside player with all the talent in the world. He showed it briefly as a member of the Patriots. In three seasons with the team, Hernandez was among the best TEs in the NFL. Hernandez's demise came swiftly however. He was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013 and was indicted on a double-murder charge in 2014. He was also indicted on armed assault and attempted murder. He is awaiting trial.
6. Gale Sayers
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6. Gale Sayers
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Former Bears RB Gale Sayers is among the best RBs of all time, or at least he would be had he stayed healthy. He set several records that still stand today, including the most touchdowns in a rookie season for a RB with 22, most touchdowns in a game with 6, highest career kickoff return average at 30.56 and the most return touchdowns in a game with 2. Unfortunately, injuries to both knees derailed his career and he only played for seven seasons.
5. Reggie Lewis
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5. Reggie Lewis
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Former Celtics SF Reggie Lewis was quickly becoming a legend in Boston and nationwide. He shot roughly 50 percent from the floor every year he played in the NBA. He also increased his free throw percentage significantly each year, shooting 87 percent from the charity stripe his final year. Lewis was just hitting his stride when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest on the basketball court at an offseason practice in 1993. He died as a result at 27.
4. Barry Sanders
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4. Barry Sanders
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Former Lions RB Barry Sanders played in the NFL for 10 seasons. As a result, his success wasn't exactly short lived. However, Sanders chose to walk away from the game after a season in which he rushed for 1,491 yards and 3 TDs. Had he chosen to play for two or three more seasons, Sanders could have held and would still hold, the NFL record for career rushing yards. Instead, NFL fans and Sanders himself is left to wonder what might have been.
3. Sandy Koufax
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3. Sandy Koufax
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Like Sanders, Koufax played for 12 seasons, but he retired very young. He called it quits at age 30 because of severe arthritis in his pitching arm. Had his fortunes been different and he played longer, Koufax might be ranked alongside the best pitchers of all-time. He was actually improving statistically the last few years prior to his retirement.
2. Jim Brown
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2. Jim Brown
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Like Sanders, Former Browns RB Jim Brown played for a while, but he retired at the top of his game. In his last year in the NFL, he rushed for 1,544 yards and 17 TDs at age 29. If Brown had kept at it for a few more years at that pace, he would have shattered the current NFL career rushing record. It's not as if Brown had showed any signs of slowing down whatsoever.
1. Bo Jackson
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1. Bo Jackson
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Dual-sport athlete Bo Jackson is considered by many to be the greatest to ever live. He is the only athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, playing both baseball and football. Despite playing eight years in professional sports, he never reached his full potential because of a serious hip injury that limited him. Still, his versatility and athleticism puts him in the upper echelon of all-time greats. He retired at age 31.
Will Gellman is a New England Patriots writer forwww.RantSports.com. Follow him onTwitter, “Like” himonFacebookor add him to your network onGoogle.
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