Great Athletes You Should Know About: Part 1
The media tend to forget about certain individuals. Blame that on the oversaturation of stars or what have you, but great athletes go unnoticed and it's not fair.
Being the upright citizens we tend to be, this slideshow is a great way to honor 10 of the very best athletes around. You know, guys who don't quite get the love they deserve despite being constant impact players.
Sure we could have picked more names, but the 10 people we slotted into this list are ones that define the title of this slideshow. They are performers who contribute on a daily basis with their skill, grit and determination.
Let's find out which athletes made the cut.
Paul Goldschmidt
1 of 10
Major League Baseball has been blessed with a group of talented young players to carry the sport for the next decade. Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and more have evolved into tremendous assets for each of their respective clubs.
With the media spotlight shining mostly on Harper and Trout, it's easy to forget about Paul Goldschmidt. The Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman has been around since 2011. He's batted over .300 twice already and in 2013 he cracked 36 home runs to go along with 125 RBI.
Despite being one of baseball's best hitters, Goldschmidt doesn't get nearly as much love as some of his peers. The 27-year-old has taken his powerful antics and turned them up a notch so far this season. His staggering .340 average, 60 runs and 72 RBI proves he is only getting better with age.
Learn, appreciate and respect Paul Goldschmidt. He's one of the baseball's grandest treasures.
Lewis Hamilton
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At 30 years old, Lewis Hamilton has already achieved a lot in Formula One.
He's been named the Formula One World Champion twice. His first title came in 2008, and he followed that up in 2014 with a second crown.
Besides hoisting those trophies, Hamilton has also set numerous records since he joined the sport in 2007. Those records include—but are not limited to—most points in a debut season and most consecutive seasons with a win dating back to a rookie season.
Racing fans have to understand he's one of the most prolific names in the sport. He may have gained a ton of notoriety in Europe, but he's criminally underrated in the United States.
YouTube Lewis Hamilton and you'll quickly understand why he deserves to be on this list.
Jamie Collins
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New England Patriots defender Jamie Collins represents the future of NFL linebackers. He's a 6'3", 250-pound beast who can cover a ton of ground with his blazing speed and natural instincts.
The year that was 2014 saw Collins tackle an advanced role in Bill Belichick's defense. By Pro Football Focus' count, Collins was on the field for 942 snaps at the inside linebacker position. His overall grade of positive-22.1 was also good enough to nab third place among all active players at the position.
In order to properly understand how fantastic of an athlete Collins really is, you have to see him off the field as well. We're all fortunate that Katie Richcreek of Bleacher Report was able to showcase Collins at his best.
Now you tell me: What other 250-pounder can do stuff that?
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Gennady Golovkin
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Boxing fans love a good puncher. They fawn over a guy who can venture out into the ring in front of a capacity crowd and shred people with fists of iron.
Gennady Golovkin is exactly that type of fighter. According to BoxRec.com's data, Triple G has won 30 out of his 33 fights by knockout. That's a 91 percent KO rate.
Golovkin has showcased rare power and a taste for combination punching. He isn't merely a bruiser—he's also a very efficient and creative fighter, as you can see on his HBO highlight reel.
In a Floyd Mayweather-induced world, Golovkin is a refreshing change of brutality. He's becoming a household name, but because of his lack of mainstream media coverage, the general public still doesn't fully recognize his talent.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
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When you have a 6'11", 217-pound forward who's 20 years old, you know you may have stumbled onto something special.
The Milwaukee Bucks selection of Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013 was one that came with developmental expectations. Dubbed by pundits as The Greek Freak, Antetokounmpo was a raw basketball talent with freakish size, speed and athletic ability.
He soared into the league with a few "wow, is this guy for real?" moments before being thrown back into Earth's gravitational pull. Since he's began working on his game, Antetokounmpo has started to turn the corner. He averaged 12.7 points, 2.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game in 31.4 minutes of play.
The evolution of Antetokounmpo is taking place and that's a scary proposition. Watch out for the things he may do during the 2015-16 NBA season.
Prince Puma
6 of 10Professional wrestling has seen a ton of wild cards come through the door over the course of time. Recently, the upstart promotion Lucha Underground has packed its roster with some of the very best.
Prince Puma is a name that most people don't know about. He's an independent star with immense talent and some of the most innovative moves we've seen in the business.
A high-flyer by trade, Puma has soared to the top of the promotion thanks to his frenzied work pace and treasure trove of aerial assault techniques.
You can bash wrestling and say it's nothing more than a form of entertainment, that's fine. But watching an individual like Prince Puma get after it makes you appreciate the skills involved. He's one of the most slept-on athletes in the world right now.
DeAndre Hopkins
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The NFL is packed with a cluster of really accomplished wide receivers. A pass-friendly environment has given these freakish athletes a chance to show off on a weekly basis.
Buried somewhere in the heat and beauty of Houston, DeAndre Hopkins has emerged as one of the best. Hopkins spent his first two seasons playing alongside Andre Johnson. With Johnson's shadow looming over him, Hopkins' production went unnoticed in a bunch of circles.
Forget the fact that even with a shaky quarterback situation in 2014, he still caught 76 passes for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns. Bigger names still received all of the attention.
That's going to change in 2015. The young man called Nuk is set to explode as the team's No. 1 receiving option. His 6'1", 218-pound frame, combined with his ability to create swaths of separation, makes him a frightening downfield threat.
Fantasy football owners: Stake your claim now. Hopkins is ready to inflict pain on opposing defensive backs.
Cesaro
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The WWE is known for being the premier destination for wrestling talent in the world. So it wasn't surprising when the company nabbed former independent talent Cesaro in 2012.
Since his WWE debut, many would argue that Cesaro hasn't gotten the push he so clearly deserves. The superb athletic ability and brute strength he shows inside the ring is a rare feat in today's WWE.
Thanks to two incredible matches with the company's golden boy, John Cena, Cesaro's push may finally be on the way. And for those interested in wrestling or simply looking for a reason to watch the sport once again, Cesaro is your man.
He's one athlete everyone should know about.
Tyson Barrie
9 of 10
Tyson Barrie doesn't get a ton of credit for being one of the top offensive defenders in hockey. The 23-year-old Colorado Avalanche star has quickly risen to the top of the ranks and did it by putting up points.
Barrie's 53-point 2014-15 season looks like the start of something revolutionary. And yet besides intense hockey pundits, he's managed to dip under the radar in an upsetting way.
This upcoming season, do yourself a favor and watch Barrie get after it. He's become an invaluable addition to the Avalanche and a supremely underrated asset in terms of the NHL.
Desmond Trufant
10 of 10
Exceptional cornerbacks are hard to come by in today's NFL thanks to rule changes and offensive favoritism. You have Richard Sherman, Darrelle Revis and a few others floating around out there.
But one of the game's best wears No. 21 and happens to play for the Atlanta Falcons. In two seasons, Desmond Trufant has made quite the name for himself. He's starred on a porous defense, flying under the scope with his tremendous coverage skills and poise.
Trufant has been a VIP in the advanced metrics community. In 2014 alone, his positive-13.5 overall Pro Football Focus grade ranked him as the sixth-best corner in the game.
Delve a bit deeper into his coverage skills and you'll see why. On 94 targets, he gave up 54 receptions for 649 yards and only two touchdowns.
We're about to enter an era where Desmond Trufant becomes a perennial, household cornerback. Now's the time you learn about how great of an athlete he really is before that takes place.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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