The 25 Biggest Fall-Offs in Sports History

From Lance Armstrong to Iron Mike.

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Complex Original

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Sometimes a moment of brilliance can set an athlete hurtling down the path to greatness, that one moment unlocking for them an entire career’s-worth of unforgettable big plays. They find within themselves the necessary tools to realize their potential, and do everything within their power to keep themselves at the top of their sport. But this list is not about those guys.

Instead, we’re going to look at the guys who certainly had the potential to be greats in their sport, but for whatever reason simply failed to live up to expectations. Whether it was the pressure, drugs, or sexting, each of these guys eventually felt the cold sting of failure and suffered a quick and painful fall from grace. From Lance Armstrong to Mike Tyson, check out the 25 Greatest Fall-Offs in Sports History.

*Careers derailed solely due to injury were not included. For those guys, peep this list.

*Draft busts were also left off the list. Sorry, JaMarcus.

25. Ronaldo

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24. Donovan McNabb

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23. Leon Spinks

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22. Chad Johnson

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21. Gilbert Arenas

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20. Isaiah Rider

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19. Mike Hampton

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18. Fernando Torres

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17. Vitor Belfort

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16. Lamar Odom

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15. Terrell Owens

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14. Ben Wallace

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13. Rashaan Salaam

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12. Maurice Clarett

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11. Shawn Kemp

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10. Alex Rodriguez

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9. Darryl Strawberry

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8. Albert Haynesworth

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7. Vin Baker

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6. Michael Vick

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5. Lance Armstrong

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4. Doc Gooden

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3. Mike Tyson

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2. Ben Johnson

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1. Tiger Woods

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