Nowadays, it doesn’t take long for fans to jump on the hype train when a player starts to have success. All it takes is a few good games for fans to anoint a player as the next big star for years to come. Of course, things don’t always pan out as expected. There have been many NFL players who showcase brilliance but only end up being a flash in the pan. For one reason or another, here are 20 players who were one-season wonders. Let’s see how many of these one-hit wonders you can remember!
Robert Griffin III, Redskins (2013)
There was a brief moment in time that the most powerful man in the nation’s capital was none other than Robert Griffin III, better known by fans as “RG3.” In his rookie season, Griffin burst onto the NFL scene by winning NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his first NFL game, and NFL Rookie of the Month after his first month in the NFL. By the end of the year, he had led the Washington Redskins to an NFC East title.
But after suffering a catastrophic knee injury in the Redskins playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a combination of egotism, squabbles with head coach Mike Shanahan, and a greater focus on promoting his brand (versus playing quarterback) led to him being benched in 2014, in favor of quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Todd Pence says
1968 Bengals – Paul Robinson
1969 Bengals – Greg Cook
1974 Chargers – Don Woods
1980 Rams – Elvis Peacock
James brigham (Bigg) Bunyon says
What? No refrigerator Perry?
Bill Fuger says
David Tyree may be a One hit wonder outside of New York, but he was one of the greatest special trams player of his generation. When attending Giants games om punts and kickoffs, we would just watch Tyree. He was always where the bsll was.
udhoop says
Funny that half of them are Cleveland Browns. Too bad they couldn’t all have been one hit wonders the same year for the ol Brownies. However, Josh Gordon is hardly forgotten, he is still being drafted in most leagues this year.
Andrew Rea says
Volek would later, with San Diego, win a playoff game at Indianapolis against none other than Peyton Manning. Call him a two-hit wonder
mac t says
Marc Boerigter
John says
Timmy Smith SB 22
Mayor Adam West says
“Of course, he contributed mostly no special teams.”
Perhaps he should have and maybe his career would have been a tad longer.
ARNOLD A BREVICK says
If anyone is going to be a one hit wonder, might as well do it like Tyree did, in the Super Bowl. No one will argue he definitely had an unspectacular career, but he made a spectacular catch at the perfect time! There are so many players like Tyree who barely make an NFL team but few of those make a catch like he did in the Super Bowl. His team beat an undefeated team, they beat Tom Brady, I imagine the picture of that catch will be on one of Tyree’s walls and he’ll show the video of it to his grandchildren. Giant fans love him!