Sports are great for more than just a few reasons, including the unscripted drama and memorable moments that they leave us fans with. One thing that isn’t so great about them, though, but will always happen? Getting really excited about something or, more importantly, some one. It’s only natural for people to take notice of certain players when they’re expected to do great things, but, unfortunately, those athletes don’t always follow through by actually following through on such accomplishments. So which ones have fallen short on the expectations—even if they had success? Without further ado, here are the most overhyped athletes in the history of the world.
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20. Troy Aikman
You might be asking yourself how a guy with three Super Bowl rings and a bust in Canton is over hyped, right? Well, let me explain. While I give Aikman props for winning those titles, no one should give him all credit, as he benefitted from being protected by arguably the best offensive line in NFL history, the league’s all-time leading rusher (Emmitt Smith), throwing to a future Hall of Fame receiver (Michael Irvin) and having a defense that was stacked with Pro Bowlers.
With a career TD-INT ratio of just 165-141, no one can honestly say that Aikman was one of the top passers to ever suit up.
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19. Jeremy Lin
Literally moving from the couch to the court, current L.A. Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin was once the toast of the sporting world. In fact, it was just a couple of years ago, as “Linsanity” hit New York City like a Broadway play, with the guy leading the Knicks to quick success thanks to both his play and big plays. After getting big money from the Houston Rockets in 2013, Lin hasn’t exactly flourished since his little breakout party in 2012, struggling to find the magic he had when he first broke onto the scene and had people going nuts over him.
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18. Tim Tebow
One of the most talked about athletes ever, former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow proved to be one of the biggest pro disappointments in NFL history—given the success and hype surrounding him from his college days. Although he wasn’t expected to be a high draft pick as scouts picked apart his flaws, the Denver Broncos still selected the guy in the first-round, believing they could take the raw talent he had and turn it into gold. It didn’t work, and Tebow is currently out of football.
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17. Ryan Leaf
Seeing how their careers ended up, it’s pretty silly to think that the Indianapolis Colts even had such a difficult decision to make between selecting either Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf first overall in 1998. Thankfully, Indy chose Manning, because Leaf last less than four seasons in the NFL thanks to a TD-INT ratio of 14-36. Clashing with both media and teammates during his tenure, Leaf had some serious issues, which, unsurprisingly, led to off-the-field problems, resulting in him being sent to jail.
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16. Sebastian Telfair
Remember when LeBron James donned the cover of Sports Illustrated and was declared as, “The Chosen One”? While that worked out pretty well for Bron Bron, it didn’t go as smoothly for former prep star Sebastian Telfair a year later, as he flamed out after choosing the NBA over college back in 2004. Described as being one of the best point guards in the country, Telfair has bounced around between teams and leagues, never reaching the ceiling that seemed so apparent just a decade ago.
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15. Anna Kournikova
Like another female athlete you’ll see on this list later, former tennis player Anna Kournikova was perceived to be a bright star because of her looks, rather than her game. With her off-the-court popularity soaring, Kournikova lost focus on the sport, never able to win a grand slam singles title during her career and, ultimately, tossing her racquet in the trash to focus on modeling and a TV career—which is what she remains doing today.
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14. Alex Ovechkin
The Washington Capitals captain has over 400 career goals and three Hart Trophies as the league’s MVP, but that doesn’t tell the whole story on Alex Ovechkin. That’s because, in the moments when a superstar are supposed to step up—the postseason—Ovie wilts like a dying flower. Never even sniffing the Stanley Cup Finals, Ovechkin might get praise for being a great individual player and will one day end up in the Hall of Fame, but he hasn’t lifted his teammates the way his peers have—most-notably, his main rival, Sidney Crosby, who has one Cup title.
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13. Joe Namath
It turns out that one guarantee, a flashy personality and a Super Bowl ring makes the man, because former New York Jets signal-caller Joe Namath is revered as a legend for just that. A Hall of Famer who, for a younger generation, truly believes that this guy was nothing but a winner, Broadway Joe made his name through the media and eccentric charm, with a football career on the side. His TD-INT ratio of 173-220 is pretty pathetic, as is his 50.1 completion percentage, yet, for his bold words prior to Super Bowl III, Namath is in the hallowed halls in Canton.
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12. Darko Milicic
Here are just a few names of guys whom were drafted after former NBA player Darko Milicic in the 2003 draft—Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Yeah, those guys would have probably been a better choice for the Detroit Pistons who, sitting with the No. 2 pick, opted to choose the young Darko to help bolster their team. Seen as the next Dirk Nowitzki, Milicic only shared three things in common with the big German—they were white, tall and European. With the comparisons ending there, Milicic suffered from lack of playing time and inconsistency, falling way short of where many thought he would reach.
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11. Matt Leinart
This one personally kills me because I was a big fan of Matt Leinart while he played at Southern Cal, but, unfortunately, his NFL career never matched the hype he entered the league with. The 10th pick in the 2006 draft, the lefty thrower was erratic during his days in the league, never displaying great arm strength, either, which hampered his passes and led him to being pulled from the starter’s role. After leading his college team to a dynasty and earning a Heisman Trophy while with the Trojans, Leinart was unable to carry it over to the pros.
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10. Rick DiPietro
Drafted No. 1 overall in 2000 by the New York Islanders, that decision proved to be only the beginning of bad moves between the team and the former goaltender. That’s because, in addition to other net-minders who have enjoyed better careers still on the board in that draft, the team handed DiPietro a 15-year deal that handcuffed them before finally just biting the bullet and cutting him a few years ago. Unable to stop a nose from running, the goalie never panned out like the Isles had wished he would.
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9. Andy Roddick
While former tennis player Andy Roddick might ace it in the ladies department, landing girls like Mandy Moore and Brooklyn Decker, he wasn’t as great at doing so while on the tennis court. Expected to follow in the footsteps of other American greats the preceded him like Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, the hard-hitting Roddick only won one grand slam singles title, proving that he was nothing more than just an average player—no matter how badly fans and commentators of the sport hoped he would be much more.
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8. Lance Armstrong
Remember when former cyclist and *seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was considered to be one of the most influential and best competitors in sports? Overcoming cancer and performing at a world-class level, Armstrong tricked us all into thinking he was clean from PEDs for a long time. Well, karma bit him, as the story came out that he had doped, wiping out all of his records and, well, basically making his entire career a big lie.
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7. All Unnamed Top-5 Draft Busts
I could sit here and list more than a handful of players who were drafted in the top-five of their respected sport and flopped like a pancake on a breakfast plate. Instead, I’ll just go ahead and group guys who haven’t been mentioned in this article under the same category. So players like Kwame Brown, Greg Oden and Joey Harrington who were expected to be game-changers can all hangout under the No. 7 spot and discuss would it would have been like had they actually made it big.
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6. Brian Bosworth
An absolute sensation when coming out of the University of Oklahoma in 1987, Brian Bosworth epitomized what a great linebacker was supposed to look like during his college days. A two-time All-American with the Sooners, The Boz seemed to focus more on his alter ego than his football career, though, as he often got caught-up in his own act. While his NFL days were cut short due to injuries rather than purely flaming out on his own, one can’t defend the notion that Bosworth was one of the most overhyped athletes ever, especially with all of the antics he put on himself.
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5. Danica Patrick
Sorry, Danica Patrick, but just because you’re attractive doesn’t mean that you’re exempt from being considered overhyped. Proving she has talent whether behind the wheel of a car or standing in front of a camera lens, Danica is still trying to figure out how to put it all together, as she’s still searching for her first career victory. That hasn’t stopped media from talking about the girl as if she’s the next goddess in racing, though, making every, casual fan think she’s better than she really is.
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4. Alex Rodriguez
Sure, Alex Rodriguez has accomplished a lot during his illustrious career, but, unfortunately, for him, all of it will be forgotten about thanks to his decision to take PEDs. So while he has a ton of home runs, RBI, MVP awards and was once considered the best player in the game, A-Rod flushed it all down the toilet. Just like the aforementioned Lance Armstrong, while fans who saw what this guy did will remember him, years from now no one will think of him as a superb talent, which is why he failed to live up to expectations after being the No. 1 pick in 1993.
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3. Sergio Garcia
There was once a time when Tiger Woods’ main rival was supposed to be Sergio Garcia. Key word there? Supposed. That’s because, while the Spaniard always thought of himself as he was perceived when he first broke onto the PGA Tour, he never actually performed that way, failing to ever win a major title in his career. Seemingly choking under the tightest of circumstances, Sergio has been one of the biggest underachievers the sport has ever seen.
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2. Freddy Adu
One could make the case that Freddy Adu is actually the most disappointing player on this entire list, as he was expected to transform the sport of soccer in the U.S. like Pele once did. Signed to a professional contract at just age 14, it’s understandable that the kid couldn’t live up to the expectations and pressure that came with such a task, as he never performed at the level many thought he would. Seeing how he was still two years removed from even operating a car legally, the unfair critique was probably a little bit premature.
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1. JaMarcus Russell
With arm strength that could sail a ball through a wooden board, former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell was looked at as the savior when he was selected by the Oakland Raiders. A massive force who could make all the throws, Russell could never match his work ethic with his raw talent, costing Oakland millions of dollars and even more pain, as he flopped big-time and fell out of favor with the team. Going 18-23 in his short-lived NFL career, the guy was arrested and made a short comeback attempt, but saw no bites from any teams.
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