Sometimes a player puts together a season that has fans believing it is the start of big things for that athlete. They never reach those heights again, though.
Previously, we looked at examples of one-year wonders in MLB. Here are ten running backs and ten wide receivers that can be considered one-year wonders in the NFL.
Only players who debuted in 1990 or later were considered. The player must have gone over 1,000 yards in his best season and never over 800 in any other year (except for the last player whose highest yardage total is more than double his second-highest).
Running backs
- 1. Reggie Cobb
Best season (1992 - Buccaneers): 1,171 rushing yards
Second best (1991 - Buccaneers): 752
Cobb was a workhorse in 1992 as his 310 carries were the fifth-most that year. He went on to average just 3.3 yards per attempt after that season.
- 2. Harold Green
Best season (1992 - Bengals): 1,170
Second best (1991 - Bengals): 731
Named to the Pro Bowl in 1992, Green had over 100 yards on the ground five times that year. Much like Cobb, his ensuing seasons in the league saw him average only 3.3 yards per rush.
- 3. Reggie Brooks
Best season (1993 - Redskins): 1,063
Second best (1996 - Buccaneers): 368
It was a superb rookie season for Brooks as he rushed for 1,063 yards averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
It went downhill after that as he totaled just 663 rushing yards for the rest of his career.
- 4. Anthony Johnson
Best season (1996 - Panthers): 1,120
Second best (1992 - Colts): 592
After receiving 35 carries in 1994 and 1995 combined, Johnson had 300 in 2016. He would get just 186 more in the four years after.
- 5. Olandis Gary
Best season (1999 - Broncos): 1,159
Second best (2003 - Lions): 384
Despite missing four games in his rookie season of 1999, Gary still ran for 1,159 yards.
He would go on to rush for only 839 more yards for the rest of his career.
- 6. Kevin Jones
Best season (2004 - Lions): 1,133
Second best (2006 - Lions): 689
A first-round pick in 2004, Jones lived up to his draft position during his rookie year, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. His rushing average dipped to 3.7 over the following four seasons, and he was out of the league after 2008,
- 7. Steve Slaton
Best season (2008 - Texans): 1,282
Second best (2009 - Texans): 437
It was a superb rookie season for Slaton, who not only ran for 1,282 yards but also caught 50 passes.
He played just three more seasons accumulating 614 yards on the ground.
- 8. Peyton Hillis
Best season (2010 - Browns): 1,177
Second best (2011 - Browns): 587
Likely the most nondescript player to ever grace the cover of Madden, Hillis came out of nowhere in 2010 with 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He barely surpassed that yardage total over his next four seasons (1,258).
- 9. Stevan Ridley
Best season (2012 - Patriots): 1,263
Second best (2013 - Patriots): 773
Strictly a runner (only 30 career receptions), Ridley had four games with at least 100 rushing yards and 10 with at least one rushing score in 2012. In other three other games in his career other than that season did he surpass the 100-yard mark.
- 10. Justin Forsett
Best season (2014 - Ravens): 1,266
Second best (2015 - Ravens): 641
Forsett had already turned 29 when he put together his career-best starter, making him a very late-bloomer for his position. He would play just two more seasons.
Wide receivers
- 1. Marcus Robinson
Best season (1999 - Bears): 1,400 receiving yards
Second best (2000 - Bears): 738
While he did have other productive years, none was close to Robinson’s 84 catch, 1,400-yard season in 1999. In his nine-year career, he ended up with 325 receptions for 4,699 yards.
- 2. Germane Crowell
Best season (1999 - Lions): 1,338
Second best (1998 - Lions): 464
Crowell was just unable to stay healthy after his spectacular second year in the league.
He went on to play just 24 games over three seasons for the rest of his career.
- 3. Michael Westbrook
Best season (1999 - Redskins): 1,191
Second best (1998 - Redskins): 736
The 1999 season was just one of the two seasons out of 18 in which Westbrook played all 16 games. What also didn’t help is he had a reception on less than half of his targets (49.5 percent).
- 4. Patrick Jeffers
Best season (1999 - Panthers): 1,082
Second best (1998 - Cowboys): 330
Amazingly, Jeffers only started one game in his career when taking away his 1999 season. He totaled just 35 catches for 481 yards, not counting his breakout year.
- 5. Drew Bennett
Best season (2004 - Titans): 1,247
Second best (2005 - Titans): 738
In Week 14 of 2004, Bennett’s 233 receiving yards are tied for the 49th-most ever in a game according to Pro Football Reference.
He had 11 touchdowns in 2004 but totaled just 10 for the rest of his career over four seasons.
- 6. Michael Clayton
Best season (2004 - Buccaneers): 1,193
Second best (2008 - Buccaneers): 484
Drafted 15th overall in 2004, Clayton put together one of the best rookie seasons ever by a receiver with 80 catches for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. After that year, he went on to average less than two catches per game for the remainder of his career.
- 7. Brandon Stokley
Best season (2004 - Colts): 1,077
Second best (2007 - Broncos): 635
Stokley went on to have a 15-year career in the NFL and was a three-time Super Bowl winner. He started just 44 games at that time, though, including only three in the 2004 season that was easily his best.
- 8. Sidney Rice
Best season (2009 - Vikings): 1,312
Second best (2012 - Seahawks): 748
Named to the Pro Bowl in 2009, Rice caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns. Just one of his four leagues in the league after that did he appear in all 16 games.
- 9. Steve Smith
Best season (2009 - Giants): 1,220
Second best (2008 - Giants): 574
The 2009 season brought Smith to the top of the Giants’ record book as his 107 receptions are the most in a single-season in franchise history. He caught just 73 more passes for the rest of his career.
- 10. Josh Gordon
Best season (2013 - Browns): 1,646
Second best (2012 - Browns): 805
Gordon looked like a superstar in 2013 as he was a First-Team All-Pro and led the league with his 1,646 receiving yards. Unfortunately, suspensions have kept him off the field way more frequently than he’s been on since then.