B-Level Guys Who Went Beast Mode for 1 Game

Sports has a weird way of living by the mantra "superstar or bust," with fans and teams' hopes falling on the shoulders of the most talented players.

Yet, in some cases, a few of the B-level guys on the roster show that they, too, have some ability, breaking out in a way that was completely unforeseen.

This article is for them.

No matter the stage, here are some athletes who shocked us all with a performance no one could have expected.

Kerry Wood

I'm not trying to make a dig toward former MLB pitcher Kerry Wood—who happened to win the NL Rookie of the Year back in 1998—because he was probably a little bit more than a B-level guy.

While Wood showed great promise in his first season in the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs, due to arm troubles and inconsistency, he floated around to a number of different teams, going from the rotation to the bullpen.

And, yes, Wood is more well-known than others on this list, but it's still surprising to me that the guy is just one of two in major league history with 20 strikeouts in a game.

Think about that for a second. In all of the years and games played in pro ball, only Wood and Roger Clemens (twice) hold the feat.

Sam Gagner

Want to know what Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky and a variety of other Hall of Fame names have in common with NHL journeyman Sam Gagner? He's one of just 13 players in the history of the league to record eight or more points in a single game.

That's right, Gagner—who currently plays for the Arizona Coyotes—joins a list of all-timers that even the most casual hockey fans know.

To put into perspective just how unpredictable Gagner's performance was back in 2012, the guy has never recorded more than 49 total points in an entire season in all of his eight years in the NHL, making the historic game an aberration—and there are some cool facts to support the claim.

Nick Anderson

Although former NBA player Nick Anderson had some good years, proving to be a key contributor on solid teams, he never made an All-Star Game in his 13 seasons in the league.

While that's not the barometer of measurement for success, seeing Anderson's name on the list of 50-point displays from a single game is probably a bit surprising.

Not because he wasn't a solid shooter, but because of the way he accomplished it.

Coming off the bench in a game against the then-New Jersey Nets during a game in 1993, Anderson dropped the 50 in just 33 minutes of play—or, in other words, less than three quarters.

Shooting an insane 68 percent from the field, hitting four triples and all 12 of his free-throw attempts, he was in a zone that few ballers could ever imagine finding themselves in.

Bobby Jones

Stand up if you remember former MLB pitcher Bobby Jones.

OK, now that maybe a handful of you are out of your seats, continue standing if you remember the performance he delivered during Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants.

Going up against big bats like Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds—who finished first and second in the NL MVP voting that year, respectively—Jones delivered a performance that no one had probably seen on the horizon.

While the righty did go 11-6 during the regular season, his ERA was an insane 5.06, which no doubt made Mets fans a little nervous when he took the bump in a potential, series-clinching game.

The angst subsided by the time the game was over, though, as Jones finished off the Giants with a complete game, one-hit shutout.

Making this performance even more unreal is the fact that Jones led the NL in losses the following year with 19, which showed he was incapable of carrying any momentum from this gem.

Timmy Smith

BOB GALBRAITH/Associated Press

With the Super Bowl coming up next weekend, former running back Timmy Smith's name is often found floating around this time of year thanks to his performance during Super Bowl XXII.

That's because, during his rookie season with the Washington Redskins, Smith rushed for a Super Bowl record 204 yards against the Denver Broncos, guiding his team to a 42-10 victory and putting him in the annals of Super Sunday.

After totaling just 126 rushing yards during his first regular season and 476 yards in his remaining two years in the league, Smith is generally associated with being one of the biggest one-hit wonders in NFL history.

Willie Burton

NBA Photos/Getty Images

Prior to dropping 53 points on the Miami Heat in 1993, former NBA player Willie Burton's previous career high in points for a single game was 33.

That's not too shabby, but not exactly a sign of things to come.

And while Burton scored 53 on a measly 19 shots, he went 24-of-28 from the free-throw line, making his career night even more unbelievable because he wasn't known for getting to the charity stripe all that often.

Finishing with a career average of 10.3 points per game in his eight seasons, Burton might be the least prolific scorer in NBA history to join the 50-point club.

Corey Brewer

What makes Corey Brewer's 51-point outburst against the Houston Rockets in 2014 so unbelievable is that scoring isn't a part of his game.

Known more for his defense, Brewer has never averaged more than 13 points per game in any of the eight seasons he has played in the NBA.

Still, that didn't stop him from putting on a Gladiator-like performance by going 19-of-30 from the field and sinking 11-of-15 from the charity stripe.

A former lottery pick and best known as a solid role player on a good team, Brewer showed that, at least for one night, he had skills comparable to names like Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Rick Barry.

Travis Ishikawa

In one of the more recent examples of a guy who wasn't expected to have a star-studded performance, San Francisco Giants outfielder Travis Ishikawa picked the perfect time for his career-defining moment.

After playing for five teams in his seven MLB seasons, Ishikawa returned to his original team prior to the 2014 season and provided decent numbers when he did play, hitting .274 and driving in 15 runs in his 81 plate appearances.

But it was in Game 5 of the 2014 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals that he proved to be at his best.

With the score tied at three in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ishikawa belted a three-run, walk-off, series-clinching home run to secure the National League pennant for the Giants.

Jonas Gray

"Jonas Gray...Because of course Jonas Gray."

That's what the cover of Sports Illustrated read following Gray's ridiculously unexpected four-touchdown, 201-yard performance against the Indianapolis Colts during a Sunday night game earlier this season.

Forget the bright lights and big stage and consider this—Gray had carried the ball just 32 times in 2014 prior to the 37 he had in the game against Indy. Even more surprising, he performed the way he did just a month after being on the Pats' practice squad.

And just when you thought that the game might be a steppingstone for the kid to get more playing time, Gray has just 24 carries for 84 yards since the Colts game.

Mo Williams

Like a few other players on this list, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mo Williams has had some success in his sport, earning one trip to an All-Star Game and carrying a career scoring average of 13.3 per game.

Still, had you asked 100 people prior to Williams' 52-point game last week against the Indiana Pacers if he would drop 50-plus, I guarantee you that no one would have said yes.

That's no disrespect to the guy, but with the T-Wolves in the midst of a 15-game losing streak and rookie Andrew Wiggins coming on as of late, Williams would have been an afterthought.

As it stands, though, the shooting guard helped end the Wolves' drought and added his name to the list of guys who have dropped at least half-a-hundred on an opposing squad.

Mark Whiten

I specifically remember sitting upstairs at my parents' house in third grade watching this game—which makes me feel really old—but it's one that I'll never forget.

Known as Hard Hittin' Mark Whiten, the switch-hitting slugger had a game unlike any other against the Cincinnati Reds back in 1993.

Going deep four times and driving in 12, Whiten set or tied a major league record in both categories, etching his name in MLB records that few, if any, players will ever duplicate or surpass.

Hitting just 105 career homers in his 11 MLB seasons, Whiten's outburst was about as unexpected as any of us guys landing Irina Shayk as our next girlfriend—but there's always a chance, as Whiten proved.

Tony Delk

As unlikely as any 50-point outburst in league history, former NBA baller Tony Delk had never shown the kind of shooting touch that he did during a 2001 game against the Sacramento Kings.

That's when the former University of Kentucky star went for 53, shooting a scorching 20-of-27 from the field on mostly jumpers, showing just how hot the guy was with the ball in his hands that night.

Averaging 9.1 points per game during his 10-year NBA career, Delk never again came close to the production he had against the Kings, yet he put himself in some excellent company with some of the all-time greats.

David Tyree

Much like the aforementioned Timmy Smith, former NFL wideout David Tyree is remembered for a remarkable performance during the Super Bowl, helping the New York Giants upset the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

In fact, the pinned ball-to-helmet catch that he had against the Pats in Super Bowl XLII may just be the best play in the history of the Big Game.

More than just that catch, though, Tyree had a career game, hauling in three balls for 43 yards and a touchdown.

That may not seem like much, but in a game that ended with a final score of 17-14, along with the pedestrian numbers that Tyree had during the 2007 regular season, it was greatly unexpected.

Maybe even more random is that the incredible grab ended up being his last catch in his NFL career.

Terrence Ross

Many believed that the Toronto Raptors were reaching when they took Terrence Ross at No. 8 overall in the 2012 NBA draft.

And he still hasn't proved to, necessarily, justify the selection.

But, at the very least, Ross did something that many would have never expected him to do—score 50-plus points—as he dropped a cool 51 on the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2014.

The point total tied a single-game record for the Raptors franchise and came after three straight games of him putting up one, three and 10 points.

With a 9.3 points-per-game average in his first two-plus seasons in the league—it was just 7.4 heading into his career game—there might not be a more surprising player in the league to have scored more than 50.

Frank Reich

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Known as "The Comeback," the Buffalo Bills' overcoming a 32-point deficit to beat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in a 1993 divisional playoff game is considered one of the most epic in NFL history.

What some may forget, though, is that the Bills weren't led by Jim Kelly at quarterback, but their backup, Frank Reich.

Seeing how the Bills were down so many points, they needed to rely on the arm of Reich to try to help cut into, and eventually overcome, the deficit.

The guy proved to be up to the task.

Tossing four touchdown passes and throwing for 289 yards, the 13-year player never again enjoyed such success before or after the performance, making this one mind-boggling even today.