20 Athletes Who Went From Backup To Star

By Jacob Kornhauser

20 Athletes Who Went From Backup To Star

Dolphins v Patriots X — There are some athletes who are instant stars. Some are destined to ride the bench for their entire career. In rare cases, those bench-warmers actually become stars. These 20 players began their careers as understudies but ended up making a name for themselves.

20. Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin Attends Fan Meeting In Guangzhou

20. Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin Attends Fan Meeting In Guangzhou — Lin isn't exactly a superstar, but he was a star for the tail end of the 2012 season. He was a relatively unknown player who burst onto the scene and became an instant success. Even though he isn't a great player, he's now a household name.

19. Mark Brunell

Mark Brunell scrambles

19. Mark Brunell

Mark Brunell scrambles — Brunell was a fifth-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Packers, but he never played significant time for them. He served as a backup to the iron man, Brett Favre, and was then dealt to the Jaguars. By 1996, Brunell had Jacksonville playing in the AFC Championship game and went on to a very successful career.

18. Jamal Crawford

Oklahoma City Thunder v Los Angeles Clippers - Game Six

18. Jamal Crawford

Oklahoma City Thunder v Los Angeles Clippers - Game Six — Crawford has technically always been a backup, because he's traditionally the sixth man on whatever team he's playing for. As an absolute sharpshooter and volume shooter, he's one of the best at that role in the game's history.

17. Darren Sproles

Philadelphia Eagles v Indianapolis Colts

17. Darren Sproles

Philadelphia Eagles v Indianapolis Colts — Sproles has always been an explosive player, but he's also been the backup most places he's been. Since he's not an every down back, it's hard to remember he's not getting the majority of snaps. But when he does get touches, he usually makes a big play.

16. Jason Terry

Golden State Warriors v Brooklyn Nets

16. Jason Terry

Golden State Warriors v Brooklyn Nets — Like Crawford, Terry has made a career out of being a sixth man. Every now and then he will crack the starting lineup, but his proficiency to hit from outside has set him apart. Even as he ages, he's still a valuable asset.

15. Tiki Barber

2014 Fresh Air Fund Honoring Our American Hero

15. Tiki Barber

2014 Fresh Air Fund Honoring Our American Hero — Barber was taken in the second round by the Giants, but he was initially just a change of pace back to veteran Rodney Hampton. However, following Hampton's 1997 retirement, Barber took over the starting role and never looked back. He is now the career leader in most major rushing categories for the Giants.

14. Matt Hasselbeck

Wild Card Playoffs - New Orleans Saints v Seattle Seahawks

14. Matt Hasselbeck

Wild Card Playoffs - New Orleans Saints v Seattle Seahawks — Hasselbeck was taken in the sixth round by the Packers, and in 1998 he was signed to the practice squad. When he showed promise, he was made the backup to Brett Favre. He was then traded to the Seahawks in 2001, where he still didn't become the full-time starter until 2003. All he did was go on to become one of the best quarterbacks in team history.

13. Jose Bautista

Toronto Blue Jays v Pittsburgh Pirates

13. Jose Bautista

Toronto Blue Jays v Pittsburgh Pirates — In 2004, Bautista played for four different teams and didn't play particularly well anywhere. Then between 2005 and 2009, he was a very average role player. However, in 2010, he emerged as a star in the major leagues. He's reached five straight All-Star games and has hit at least 27 homers during every year of that stretch.

12. Colin Kaepernick

NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers v Seattle Seahawks

12. Colin Kaepernick

NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers v Seattle Seahawks — After sitting behind former No. 1 pick Alex Smith, Kaepernick became the most recent example of a backup turned star. Smith suffered a concussion, and a week later, Kaepernick lit up the feared Bears defense and has been on a tear ever since.

11. Chris Osgood

Philadelphia Flyers v Detroit Red Wings

11. Chris Osgood

Philadelphia Flyers v Detroit Red Wings — Osgood began as the Red Wings' fourth goalie in 1993-94 season, but he emerged as their top option by the middle of the year. After that, he became one of the best goalies in Detroit history. He then went on to continued success with the Islanders and Blues before returning to the Red Wings for a second stint starting in 2005.

10. Manu Ginobili

San Antonio Spurs v Golden State Warriors

10. Manu Ginobili

San Antonio Spurs v Golden State Warriors — Ginobili might be the best all-around sixth man ever. Even if he comes off the bench relatively early in games, he still a bench player and has been a part of several Spurs championship teams. There may be no other bench player who has been so central to so many NBA championships.

9. Tony Romo

New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys

9. Tony Romo

New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys — After backing up an old Drew Bledsoe in Dallas, Romo got his chance to start for the Cowboys. Ever since then, all he's done is go on to break most Cowboys passing records that were previously set by Hall of Famers.

8. Josh Hamilton

Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game One

8. Josh Hamilton

Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game One — Even though he was supposed to be a star upon entering the major leagues, substance abuse problems kept Hamilton from blossoming. He jumped around in the minor leagues and then got limited playing time for the Reds in 2007. However, when he left for the Rangers in 2008, his career took off. He's now had three seasons with at least 32 homers and 100 RBIs.

7. Steve Young

Steve Young #8

7. Steve Young

Steve Young #8 — After sitting behind the best quarterback of all time, Joe Montana, Steve Young took the reins for the 49ers and didn't skip a beat. There's a reason the 49ers had a dynasty: they had back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

6. Bo Jackson

BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn

6. Bo Jackson

BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn — Since he was such a star athlete, it's hard to remember that Bo Jackson was actually a backup running back for the Raiders. While waiting behind Marcus Allen, he still managed to become a superstar on the gridiron during his brief four-year NFL career.

5. Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings v Detroit Lions

5. Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings v Detroit Lions — When he was with the Falcons, Favre barely got any playing time. In fact, his Falcons career consisted of going 0-4 with two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). However, the Packers saw something in him. They surprisingly gave up a 1992 first-round pick for him and the rest, as they say, is history.

4. Kurt Warner

Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle Seahawks v Denver Broncos

4. Kurt Warner

Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle Seahawks v Denver Broncos — Warner is one of the cooler stories in NFL history. He was so written off by pro football that he was playing in the Arena League before giving the NFL a real shot. When he did, he became the quarterback for the Greatest Show on Turf with the St. Louis Rams. That team appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them.

3. Lou Gehrig

Chicago White Sox v New York Yankees

3. Lou Gehrig

Chicago White Sox v New York Yankees — Gehrig is probably the most famous case of a backup becoming a star. He was sitting behind Wally Pipp on the Yankees when Pipp got injured, opening the door for Gehrig to play. He went on to play over 2,000 games in a row and Pipp never was the same. From there on out, people will call it getting "Wally Pipped" if someone gets injured and replaced in sports.

2. Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears

2. Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears — After being underestimated in high school, Rodgers received no D-1 football scholarship offers. He went to junior college before attending Cal and starting for three years. The Packers drafted him to sit behind legend Brett Favre and after three years, the job was his. Now, Rodgers is generally considered the best quarterback in the league.

1. Tom Brady

AFC Championship - New England Patriots v Denver Broncos

1. Tom Brady

AFC Championship - New England Patriots v Denver Broncos — Brady is an incredible case of a backup becoming a starter. He sat behind Drew Bledsoe as his Patriots' career wound to a close. He got his chance in 2001 and was a stud from the get-go. New England won the Super Bowl that season and went on to win two out of the next three Super Bowls as well. One of the greatest legends in the sport, Brady has played in the big game five times.

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