Whereas some gamers flip excellent seasons into prolonged and spectacular careers, others merely fade into obscurity. Listed below are notable one-hit wonders for every NFC South workforce.
Atlanta Falcons: Erric Pegram, operating again
In his breakout 1993 season, the sixth-round decide rushed for 1,185 yards and three touchdowns. However he solely performed yet one more 12 months for the Falcons earlier than leaving for Pittsburgh in free company in 1995 and by no means once more got here near 1,000 yards dashing.
Pegram was the Steelers main rusher once they reached Tremendous Bowl XXX on the finish of the 1995 season. He performed two extra seasons, ending his profession with the Giants in 1997.
Carolina Panthers: Rocket Ismail, huge receiver
After three middling seasons with the Raiders, Ismail — a former Notre Dame star — obtained off to a quiet begin in Carolina with 48 receptions, 633 yards and two touchdowns mixed in 1996 and 1997. He blew previous these numbers with ease in his third season with the Panthers (69 receptions, 1,024 yards, career-high eight TDs).
Then … poof!
As a substitute of constructing on his robust season in Carolina, Ismail left in free company for Dallas on a seven-year, $21.5M contract. He recorded 1,097 receiving yards in his first 12 months with the Cowboys however was launched after three seasons, falling properly wanting dwelling as much as his contract.
New Orleans Saints: Junior Galette, exterior linebacker
Throughout his first three seasons in New Orleans (2010-12), Galette performed in 32 video games (two begins) and had 9.5 sacks. He turned the nook in 2013 (12 sacks), enjoying in each sport that season and the subsequent. However cracks began to show after Galette was named workforce captain in 2014, per ESPN’s Mike Triplett.
He rubbed veteran teammates the fallacious manner when he asserted that the workforce’s 2014 protection was higher than the one which received Tremendous Bowl XLIV (it wasn’t), obtained right into a combat with a teammate and — worst of all — a video surfaced in July 2015 of Galette placing a girl with a belt in 2013.
The Saints released him in the course of the 2015 offseason, one 12 months right into a four-year, $41.5M contract extension he signed in September 2014.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Shaun King, quarterback
Throughout his rookie season in Tampa Bay, King went 4-1 after changing injured starter Trent Dilfer and led the Bucs to the NFC Championship Sport for the primary time in franchise historical past. Tampa Bay made a significant funding in King in the course of the 2000 offseason by trading two first-round picks for star huge receiver Keyshawn Johnson, however the transfer did not assist King take his sport to the subsequent stage.
Positive, Tampa Bay went 10-6 with King because the full-time starter, however he took a step again by finishing simply 54.4% of his makes an attempt for two,769 yards after finishing 61% of his passes as a rookie. The Bucs signed Brad Johnson in free company in 2001 and King solely began yet one more sport for the franchise.
Johnson, in the meantime, led the Bucs to their first Tremendous Bowl victory the subsequent season.
