Sports Figures Everyone Gave Up on Too Soon

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like fans, media and teams are always a little nonchalant with tossing out the word "bust" when describing an athlete or coach.

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly sports figures who deserve the label, but more often than not, it seems that sports enthusiasts turn the page too quickly, giving up on a guy before he actually figures it all out on his own.

Whether it's a late-bloomer who, for any number of reasons, didn't excel early on in his career, or a player who fought back to prove the critics wrong after injury or inconsistency, here are the sports figures who figured it out to become stars—albeit a little later than most would've imagined.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning

After 14 seasons and one Super Bowl victory with the Indianapolis Colts, former No. 1 overall pick Peyton Manning was released by the team following a putrid 2-14 2011 season in which Manning sat with an injury, leaving Indy in the precarious position of choosing his heir apparent, Andrew Luck.

While the Colts have a franchise signal-caller in Luck who has proven to be arguably the best young passer in the game, seeing what Manning has done since leaving for the Denver Broncos has to make a few Colts fans wonder.

Following neck surgery and question marks about his health, Manning has played like a madman since moving to the Mile High City, tossing a total of 131 touchdown passes and throwing for 14,863 yards in his three seasons. Oh, he also collected a league MVP in 2013 and led Denver to a Super Bowl appearance that same year.

Maybe we were all wrong about how much gas this future Hall of Famer had left in the tank, huh?

Jamal Crawford

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

Taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, shooting guard Jamal Crawford was hoped to be the next star when he came out of the the University of Michigan after his frosh campaign.

Unfortunately, like other young ballers do, he took some time to develop a knack for the NBA game.

After starting in just 45 total games his first three seasons combined, Crawford didn't show what made him a top-10 pick early in his career, showing inconsistency and a penchant for bad shots.

Since then, though, he has made great strides, putting together a 15-year career that has included two NBA Sixth Man of the Year Awards and a reputation as a clutch shooter, proving that he has had a more-than-solid career—even if it has been difficult to define as it continues to go on.

Patrick Sharp

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Chicago Blackhawks left winger Patrick Sharp might not have entered the NHL with acclaim as high as some of his other teammates, but he has been a key cog in the team's efforts to solidify its third Stanley Cup title since 2010 this season.

After being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers at No. 95 overall in the 2001 draft, Sharp was acquired by Chicago in a ho-hum deal between the clubs in 2005, where he flourished during his time in the Windy City, racking up 23 points in his 50 games.

Propelling that success in the years since, Sharp has been the alternate captain of the Hawks since the 2008-09 season, showing that his leadership and skill is something the Flyers may have given up on a bit too soon.

Pete Carroll

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Sure, a lot of us remember the success that Pete Carroll had while coaching the USC Trojans football team from 2001-09. Prior to that, though, Carroll wasn't exactly a hot commodity.

After succeeding Bill Parcells with the New England Patriots before the 1997 season, Carroll had varying success in Foxborough, but he was difficult to understand because of his laid-back, SoCal attitude.

Fired by Pats owner Bob Kraft after a 27-21 record in three seasons, Carroll resurrected his coaching career at USC and is now one of the top leaders on any sideline in the NFL, appearing in the past two Super Bowls with one victory in the Big Game.

Adam Wainwright

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

In some cases, it’s not a good thing to just toss a former first-round pick into a trade.

While a few teams have found this out the hard way, the Atlanta Braves are probably kicking themselves for shipping pitcher Adam Wainwright to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003 to acquire a couple of top-notch players at the time.

Still just a prospect at the time of the deal, Wainwright has gone on to become one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the game, compiling a 121-67 record with a 2.98 ERA in his decade in St. Louis, while finishing in the top three in the NL Cy Young Award voting four times.

Toss in a few epic postseason performances, and Wainwright's a guy the Braves would love to have leading their rotation—even if he is currently out with an injury.

Marshawn Lynch

While I mentioned his head coach, Pete Carroll, earlier, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch's journey toward the top of the NFL was a little bit unexpected after his first few years with the Buffalo Bills.

One of the most misunderstood players in sports, the man known as "Beast Mode" had decent success with the Bills—who drafted him 12th overall out of Cal in 2007—but he wasn't nearly the dominant force he is now.

Shipped to the Seahawks for a few draft picks at the beginning of the 2010 season following a few off-field incidents, the only thing Lynch has done since donning a Seattle uniform is bulldoze oncoming tacklers, running with passion and strength rarely seen by a man of his size.

Andre Agassi

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He might now be remembered as one of the greatest American-born tennis players ever, but following a short hiatus in the middle of his playing days, Andre Agassi almost derailed a promising career.

Following some early success in the mid-‘80s to early-‘90s, Agassi had endured a roller-coaster ride that no athlete would want to experience.

Going from world No. 1 in April 1995 to No. 141 by November 1997, Agassi worked harder and smarter to regain the top ranking just 19 months later, winning five of his eight career Grand Slam singles titles following his re-emergence.

It wasn’t easy, nor short on drama, but the tennis Hall of Famer resurrected himself in a way that other athletes could only hope they could when given a second opportunity.

Jose Bautista

Phil Long/Associated Press

Whether you're a fan of the guy or not, the Jose Bautista story is a pretty darn good one.

Not selected until the 20th round of the 2000 MLB draft, the Toronto Blue Jays slugger didn't even get his first crack at the big leagues until the 2004 season, when he split time between four teams—the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Finding a regular home in Pittsburgh for the next three-and-a-half seasons, the best thing that could have happened to Joey Bats did: He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the 2008 season.

By 2010, Bautista led the AL in homers with 54 and started a stretch of five straight All-Star appearances, proving that he always had the talent, but it didn't blossom until he actually got his chance.

Chauncey Billups

I remember when the Boston Celtics selected former point guard Chauncey Billups No. 3 overall in the 1997 NBA draft and wondering why they did it.

While he was a good player in college, Billups never amazed my middle school self while playing for the Colorado Buffaloes, leaving me, along with many Celts fans, pondering the selection.

Unfortunately, early in Chauncey's career, he didn't do much to squash the perception of being a bust.

Averaging just 11.3 points, 4.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds in his first five NBA years, it wasn't until Billups landed with the Detroit Pistons before the 2002 season that he showed what type of player he could be.

Leading the team to the 2004 NBA title and earning seven All-Star selections afterwards, "Mr. Big Shot" had icewater in his veins and no regard for the consequences of having the ball in his hands as time ticked down.

He might not be a Hall of Famer, but seeing what he achieved after so many teams gave up on him early in his NBA career, what Chauncey Billups achieved is amazing.

Tyler Seguin

LM Otero/Associated Press

Just 23 years old, it might feel like Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin has been around forever.

Selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft by the Boston Bruins, Seguin helped that franchise mightily in his time in Beantown, winning a Stanley Cup title in 2011 as a rookie.

Falling out of favor due to a few off-the-ice issues, the B's found Seguin expendable and shipped him off to the Stars prior to the 2013 season, where he has immediately become more comfortable and a hell of a lot more mature.

Seeing as how, generally speaking, many regret giving such a young talent away for cheap, I'm sure the Bruins wouldn't have been so quick to pull the trigger on the kid if they could do it all over again.

I mean, Seguin did finish seventh in the league in total points this year, so that would have been a nice addition to their roster this year, right?

Miguel Cabrera

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

It might be insane to think about now, but Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was actually given up on by the Florida (Miami) Marlins.

Blessed with all the talent in the world on a baseball field, Miggy could hit for average and power while in the batter's box, helping his Marlins earn a World Series victory during the 2003 season, when he was still just 20 years old.

Like others on this list, though, Cabrera had a few question marks when he was younger—like battling weight issues—that made him expendable. The Marlins traded him to the Tigers before the 2008 season in what was then somewhat of a big-time deal.

Seeing as how Cabrera has developed into a multiple-league MVP and one of the best hitters in the game, I'm sure the Marlins franchise wishes they would have just stuck it out just a little bit longer and kept him around—who knows how the fortunes of that team might be different if they had?

James Harden

By now, there probably aren't too many of us who don't know the story about Houston Rockets superstar James Harden.

After being chosen with the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, "The Beard" found himself hunting for playing time on a young, deep Oklahoma City Thunder roster that believed he was best utilized coming off of the bench.

Winning the league's Sixth Man of the Year Award during the 2011-12 season as OKC made a Finals run—which they lost to the Miami Heat—the Thunder believed Harden had outplayed his contract and, planning ahead, needed to disband their young trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and himself.

Sent to the Rockets before the start of the 2012-13 season, the smooth lefty has gone to town on the rest of the league, putting up numbers that prove he is just as much of a star as his former Thunder teammates.

As good as the three players were during their three years together, it's scary to think about what might have been had Harden remained with his former squad—that is, had they not panicked and traded him, of course.

Drew Brees

A future Hall of Famer who has won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Drew Brees had some serious question marks not just once, but twice, during his NFL career.

Selected as the 32nd overall selection by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 draft, Brees had a superb college career at Purdue, but many believed he lacked the ideal size to make it in the next level.

After a lackluster first three seasons when he was unable to prove himself as a franchise player, San Diego felt it necessary to select Eli Manning No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft—who was eventually traded for Philip Rivers.

While Brees held down the starting gig for two years as Rivers loomed on the sideline, when the incumbent sustained an injury to his passing shoulder late in the 2005 season, the writing was on the wall to get rid of him as free agency came.

Taking a risk and offering Brees a six-year, $60 million deal, the Saints were happy with the reward, as the player has maintained a high level of play ever since, setting multiple passing records and getting the team that first Lombardi Trophy I mentioned earlier.

Frank Robinson

Associated Press

With former Cincinnati Reds general manger Bill DeWitt believing that outfielder Frank Robinson was "an old 30," the team traded away the 1961 NL MVP to the Baltimore Orioles for three players before the 1966 season.

All the future Hall of Famer did was go out and enjoy one of the best seasons in MLB history, accomplishing the rare feat of hitting for the Triple Crown and winning the World Series in his first season in Baltimore—where he eventually led the team to three more Fall Classics in his next five years with the Orioles.

Seems like DeWitt was unaware that 30 years old isn't exactly time to break out the cane, because Robinson had plenty of solid years left.

Bill Belichick

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

If there's one head coach in NFL history who might knock the legendary Vince Lombardi from the top of the coaching mountain, it would be Bill Belichick.

I guarantee no one was saying that 20 years ago.

After gaining recognition as a great defensive mind under the tutelage of Bill Parcells with the New York Giants in the late-'80s, Belichick landed his first head-coaching position with the Cleveland Browns in 1991, where he went 36-44 with one playoff appearance in his time in Northeastern Ohio.

When the team relocated to Baltimore to become the Ravens before the 1996 season, the franchise cut ties with the now-four-time Super Bowl-winning coach.

With the Ravens and Belichick's current team, the New England Patriots, having one of the fiercest rivalries in the league, it's interesting to think how things might have changed had Baltimore opted to keep the sweatshirt-wearing bandit for a few more years.