The 25 Biggest Fall-Offs in Sports History

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.

Sport: Soccer
Best Year: 2002
Worst Year: 2008
Best Year Achievements: Scores a goal in all but one World Cup match, leading Brazil to the title
Worst Year "Achievements": Caught with three transvestite prostitutes

One of the most prolific scorers in the history of soccer, Ronaldo had a career that many would dream of. He hoisted the World Cup trophy in 2002, leading his Brazil squad with eight goals in the tournament and failing to score in only one game. He attempted to come back for the 2006 tournament, but was ridiculed throughout the world for being overweight and slow; it clearly showed on the field, as Ronaldo lacked the burst that made him such a great player before. He hit his low in 2008, when he was caught with three transvestite prostitutes whom Ronaldo alleges wanted to extort him. Sure.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 2004
Worst Year: 2010
Best Year Achievements: Led Eagles to Super Bowl, best statistical season of career
Worst Year "Achievements": Benched by Vikings, effectively ending his career

McNabb always got a raw deal in Philadelphia, but there's no masking just how quickly he plummeted out of the ranks of effective football players. The Eagles sold high on McNabb in 2010, trading him to their division rival Washington Redskins for a second-round pick. After a year in which McNabb was demoted to third string by the end of the season, he was flipped to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick. After the Vikings got off to a 1-5 start under McNabb, he was benched in favor of mediocre rookie Christian Ponder and was eventually released mid-season. He hasn't played in the NFL since.

Sport: Boxing
Best Year: 1978
Worst Year: 1995
Best Year Achievements: Defeats Muhammed Ali for world heavyweight championship
Worst Year "Achievements": Loses to Fred Houpe, who hadn't fought in 17 years

When Spinks defeated the Muhammed Ali for the world heavyweight championship in 1978, he made history as the quickest ever to win the title; it was just his eighth professional fight. With that kind of promise, it seemed likely that Spinks would go on to secure his legacy among the greatest in the history of the sport. However, after losing the title back to Ali in the rematch, Spinks never again reached such lofty heights. His career ended when he lost a 1995 fight to a guy who hadn't been in the ring in 17 years.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 2005
Worst Year: 2012
Best Year Achievements: 97 receptions, 1432 yards, 9 TDs
Worst Year "Achievements": Released by Patriots, released by Dolphins in training camp after assaulting his wife

Even before he changed his last name back to Johnson, "Ochocinco" had ceased to be an effective or interesting football player. After he posted career-lows in 2010, he was shipped to the New England Patriots prior to the 2011 season. Johnson's effort there could be described as abysmal at best. He never truly grasped the playbook and failed to develop any chemistry with Tom Brady, and the resulting 15 reception season made him a punch line throughout New England. Oh yeah, then there was the headbutt that lost him his job and his wife in less than a week.

Sport: Basketball
Best Year: 2005
Worst Year: 2010
Best Year Achievements: Becomes a star after leading Wizards to first playoff win in 10+ years
Worst Year "Achievements": Suspended and sentenced to probation after bringing guns into locker room

By the end of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Agent Zero was one of the most beloved athletes in Washington D.C.. His heroics in the Wizards' first round match-up had given the team their first playoff series win in over 10 years, and despite knee issues signed a six-year/$111 million contract extension following the 2007-2008 season. After starting out the 2009-2010 season well, Arenas decided the best way to settle an argument with a teammate over gambling debts was to bring guns into the locker room. One police investigation later, and Arenas' image (and game) had taken a hit from which he still hasn't recovered.

Sport: Basketball
Best Year: 1994
Worst Year: 2000
Best Year Achievements: Slam Dunk contest winner, All-Rookie First Team
Worst Year "Achievements": Fined $200,000 by NBA for refusing to attend drug counseling, released by Hawks

After a promising start to his career in 1994 where he won the Slam Dunk contest and finished on the All-Rookie First Team, Rider quickly found himself in trouble with the law. After charges for an illegal cell phone and marijuana possession ended his time in Minnesota and got him traded to Portland, he was arrested for gambling in public. While his crime stats climbed, his scoring numbers continued to fall; by the time he reached his fifth stop in Denver in 2001, he was released after 10 games and never played in the NBA again.

Sport: Baseball
Best Year: 2000
Worst Year: 2002
Best Year Achievements: Earns richest contract in sports history after being named NLCS MVP for the Mets
Worst Year "Achievements": 7-15, 6.15 ERA; traded in offseason

Mike Hampton had been a good pitcher for several years before he became a star in the 2000 NLCS with the New York Mets. In exchange for the 16 shutout innings and two wins he earned, Hampton was rewarded with an eight-year/$121 million contract. At the time, it was the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history. Hampton responded with two disastrous seasons, posting a combined ERA of 5.75 and being traded for pennies on the dollar. While he did rejuvenate himself as an Atlanta Brave, his catastrophic failure in Colorado cannot be ignored.

Sport: Soccer
Best Year: 2008
Worst Year: 2012
Best Year Achievements: 24 goals in 33 games for Liverpool
Worst Year "Achievements": 24 game goal-less drought

After establishing himself as one of the world's elite players with Liverpool, Torres was transferred to Chelsea in January of 2011 for £50 million, a record for English football and the sixth highest transfer fee in history. He responded by doing—nothing. On the heals of a disappointing campaign in the 2010 World Cup, Torres had a hard time cracking the starting 11 for his new club, often appearing as a substitute (or sometimes not at all). His 24 game goal-less streak was marked by several comical misses, drawing the ire of Chelsea fans who expected more out of their pricey striker.

Sport: MMA
Best Year: 2004
Worst Year: 2011
Best Year Achievements: TKOs Randy Couture
Worst Year "Achievements": Knocked out for the first time in his career

After a promising start to his MMA career that saw Belfort go toe-to-toe with legends such as Tito Ortiz, Chuck Lidell, and Randy Couture, the Brazilian-born middleweight found himself in the middle of a steroids controversy after testing positive for testosterone. After multiple delays, he finally faced off with Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2011 at UFC 126. Unfortunately, a swift kick to the face followed by two punches knocked Belfort out cold, giving him his first career loss by knockout. Despite repeated attempts to climb back to the top, Belfort's losses have kept him out of the top spots of the middleweight and light heavyweight ladders.

Sport: Basketball
Best Year: 2011
Worst Year: 2012
Best Year Achievements: Wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year, career highs in three-point shooting percentage (.382) and overall field goal percentage (.530)
Worst Year "Achievements": Plays horribly for Mavericks and was released

Lamar Odom thought he had it all: guest spots on Entourage, a Kardashian, and pair of NBA rings. It all came crashing down in the 2011 offseason, though, when Odom was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks after bristling at being mentioned in a potential Chris Paul-to-Lakers swap. He immediately regretted that decision, however, moping around in Dallas as he showed up late to practice and was downright horrible on the court. This catastrophic marriage came to a head in April of 2012, when Odom and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got into a screaming match during halftime of a game. He was placed on the inactive list and traded in the offseason.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 2001
Worst Year: 2011
Best Year Achievements: 93 catches, 1,412 yards, 16 TDs with 49ers
Worst Year "Achievements": Released by Allen Wranglers of Indoor Football League

Drama always seemed to follow T.O., with many of those most famous incidents occurring because of the wide receiver's own incessant need for attention. When he was grabbing passes and making Pro Bowls, it was all well and good. When he ceased to be productive, though, it quickly became an unwanted distraction. Owens' bizarre and erratic behavior reached its apex in 2006, when he may or may not have tried to overdose on pain killers. He is reportedly now broke, failing at his attempts to come back with the Indoor Football League and the NFL alike.

Sport: Basketball
Best Year: 2004
Worst Year: 2008
Best Year Achievements: Won NBA Championship, All-NBA Second Team, All-NBA Defensive First Team
Worst Year "Achievements": Shoots just .372 from the field, traded for practically nothing

Wallace was the face of toughness in the mid-2000s NBA, making a name for himself as a member of the Detroit Pistons with his prolific rebounding and even more prolific biceps. In the 2006 offseason, Wallace capitalized on the Chicago Bulls' ample salary cap space as he cashed in a four-year/$60 million contract to play in the Windy City. The results were not pretty; while he continued to rebound the ball reasonably well, Wallace's already limited offensive game eroded even further. Averaging just 5.7 points per game, he was shipped to Cleveland midway through the third year of the deal. He didn't fare any better there, and ceased to be an effective player entirely.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 1994
Worst Year: 2001
Best Year Achievements: Wins Heisman Trophy
Worst Year "Achievements": Can't even lead the XFL in rushing

Beating out Steve McNair (among others) for the 1994 Heisman Trophy was not supposed to be the greatest achievement of Rashaan Salaam's career. A first-round pick who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs for the Chicago Bears, it looked like Salaam was on his way to NFL stardom heading into the 1996 season. Unfortunately, after his rookie campaign, his greatest highs came away from the field; problems with marijuana (among other substances) led him to the Browns, the XFL, and eventually out of football entirely by the early 2000s. His 528 rush yards made him the fourth-greatest running back in the history of the XFL, so at least he's got that going for him.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 2002
Worst Year: 2006
Best Year Achievements: 1,237 yards, 18 TDs, National Championship at Ohio State
Worst Year "Achievements": Imprisoned for armed robbery

Clarett was one of the greatest freshmen ever to play college football, racking up over 1,200 yards and 18 TDs in helping the Ohio State Buckeyes win the 2002 National Championship. After stirring up controversy throughout the 2002-03 offseason, Clarett was suspended for the season by the school. He then attempted to challenge the NFL's draft eligibility rules in time for the 2004 Draft, but unsurprisingly failed. Not only did he never play a down in the NFL, but in 2006 he was sent to prison for armed robbery and for leading police on a wild chase through Columbus.

Sport: Basketball
Best Year: 1996
Worst Year: 1998
Best Year Achievements: Led—along with Gary Payton—the SuperSonics to the NBA Finals, finsihed top-10 in MVP voting
Worst Year "Achievements": Gains 75+ pounds during NBA lockout

The acrobatic dunks and incredible athleticism of Shawn Kemp made him one of the NBA's brightest stars in the early and mid '90s. His Seattle SuperSonics team pushed the 1996 Bulls—widely regarded as one of the best NBA teams ever—to six games in the NBA Finals before ultimately losing. After he was traded to Cleveland prior to the 1997-98 season, the wheels came off. The once-lithe Kemp reported to training camp after the 1998 lockout weighing a robust 315 pounds, making him the poster child for the potential damage a lockout can inflict on a player's career. Although he was still a decent player after that, any Hall of Fame potential was buried in an avalanche of McDonald's, booze, and cocaine.

Sport: Baseball
Best Year: 1988
Worst Year: 1995
Best Year Achievements: NL Home Run Champion, All-Star, NL MVP Runner-up
Worst Year "Achievements": Suspended due to his cocaine use

There have not been many baseball players to hit the big leagues as talented as Darryl Strawberry. At 6' 6", Straw was one of the most intimidating hitters ever to set foot in the batter's box, and with 280 career home runs by age 29 many wondered if he was going to break the all-time record. However, after those peak years, his career careened off the road due to issues with injuries and, more importantly, cocaine. After 1991, he hit just 55 home runs total and was never again an everyday player.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 2008
Worst Year: 2010
Best Year Achievements: Pro Bowl, signs $100 million contract
Worst Year "Achievements": Fails conditioning test, benched by end of season

Few athletes will draw less sympathy for their downfall than Albert Haynesworth. Never exactly a nice guy to begin with (remember the throat stomp on Andre Gurode from 2006?), the big defensive tackle received a $100 million contract from the Washington Redskins after back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns in 2007 and 2008. Things basically fell apart from there, as Haynesworth first showed up to camp out of shape and failed a fitness test, put up poor numbers, complained about the coaching, then was suspended for the rest of the year. After failing to live up to far more modest expectations with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he is now out of the league entirely.

Sport: Basketball
Best Year: 1997
Worst Year: 2004
Best Year Achievements: All-NBA second team, All-Star
Worst Year "Achievements": Released from Celtics after showing up to practice drunk

An All-Star four consecutive years from 1995 to 1998, Vin Baker had a very promising start to his NBA career. During his time in Seattle and in Boston, though, the bruising power forward developed a troublesome drinking habit that (shockingly) severely impaired his play. He exacerbated the problem by swelling to over 300 pounds following the 1998 lockout, and while he did shed some of the weight, his play continued to suffer. Following his 2004 release from the Celtics after showing up to practice reeking of booze, Baker bounced from team to team until retiring in 2006.

Sport: Football
Best Year: 2006
Worst Year: 2007
Best Year Achievements: Rushes for 1,000 yards, throws for nearly 2,500
Worst Year "Achievements": Arrested for running an interstate dogfighting ring, sent to prison

You'd be hard pressed to find a more dramatic fall from grace than Michael Vick. One moment, he's becoming the first quarterback in history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and single-handedly leading his team to the playoffs. The next, he's in handcuffs for running a dogfighting ring out of his mansion. The 2007 arrest and subsequent conviction of Vick sent the man who had just received a $100 million contract to federal prison rather than a football field, robbing him of two years of his athletic prime in addition to all his money in salary and endorsements.

Sport: Cycling
Best Year: 2005
Worst Year: 2012
Best Year Achievements: Wins seventh consecutive Tour De France title
Worst Year "Achievements": Stripped of all titles, resigns from Livestrong foundation

By the time he won his seventh straight Tour de France in 2005, Lance Armstrong was the toast of the entire planet. He had beaten cancer, reached the top of his sport, and had started a foundation that was raising millions of dollars for cancer research. He even had a scene-stealing cameo in the classic film Dodgeball. And yet, after an ill-fated comeback attempt (he finished third in 2009 and 23rd in 2010) and having all of his titles stripped from him due to blood doping allegations, Armstrong looked like he had hit bottom by late 2012. But after resigning from his Livestrong foundation and losing all his endorsements, Armstrong reached a new low. His next move is to seek redemption in a familiar place: Oprah's couch, which, reportedly, he already did and the episode will air this Thursday on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Sport: Boxing
Best Year: 1988
Worst Year: 1992
Best Year Achievements: Wins undisputed heavyweight championship
Worst Year "Achievements": Sent to prison for rape

Mike Tyson has become more of a media-savvy personality in recent years, and it's easy to forget that this was once the person widely regarded as the "Baddest Man on the Planet." His 91-second knockout of Michael Spinks to win the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship marked the pinnacle of his career, as his fearless attitude and the incredible ferocity of his punches terrified pretty much everybody. It turns out that those demons surfaced in other ways, too, as the increasingly weird Tyson eventually was sent to prison for rape in 1992. While he continued to fight after getting out of prison (just ask Evander Holyfield's ear), he never regained the form he had in his prime and lost to Kevin McBride before fading into "Bolivion."

Sport: Track and Field
Best Year: 1988
Worst Year: 1988
Best Year Achievements: Olympic Gold Medal in 100 meter dash
Worst Year "Achievements": Stripped of medal after testing positive for steroids

The Canadian-born Johnson was a national hero in 1988 when he ran the 100-meter dash in a scintillating 9.79 seconds at the Seoul Olympics. He took home the gold medal in setting this world record, and looked like he would become an athletic immortal in his home country. However, his glory was short-lived: two days after winning gold, Johnson was stripped of his medal due to testing positive the anabolic steroid, stanozolol. He attempted to make a comeback at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, but failed to qualify for the final round of the 100-meters. In 1993, he was found guilty of doping again and was banned for life from the sport.

Sport: Golf
Best Year: 2000
Worst Year: 2010
Best Year Achievements: Wins three major championships and nine tournaments overall
Worst Year "Achievements": Winless on PGA tour, gets divorced after public cheating scandal

Tiger Woods will still go down as one of the greatest golfers of all time, but just five years ago he seemed destined to pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major tournament wins. Then on Thanksgiving 2009, one bizarre incident involving an SUV, a golf club, and a whole lot of sexting brought his entire world crashing down. In 2010 and 2011, Woods did not log a single victory on tour and looked like a shell of the man who was going to break every PGA record in existence.

While he rebounded slightly with three wins in 2012, Woods is clearly no longer the force of nature who intimidated every other player he faced. Some may blame it on his nagging injuries, but Tiger has bounced back from multiple knee injuries to majors before. We're still waiting.