The Biggest Individual Turnarounds in Sports Since 2000
Just as we've seen with sports teams turning things around over the years, going from obscurity to a playoff contender, some athletes have followed the same path, too, finding a next level after a poor start to their careers.
While it's not the trend that a lot of players would prefer to take, when a person does turn things around, it speaks volumes to hard work, luck and talent, making for a good story for fans to follow.
No matter what the circumstances were, these are the biggest individual turnarounds in sports since 2000.
Cardale Jones
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He's no longer the starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes after inconsistent play this season, but there's no denying what Cardale Jones did during the final three games of last season for the Bucks as he led the team to a national title.
First blowing out Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game and then beating Alabama and Oregon in the College Football Playoff, Jones made a complete 180 from where he was at the start of 2014, when he was third string and buried on the bench.
Following injuries, though, Jones went from being remembered for an ill-advised tweet in 2012 to a hero in the state of Ohio forever.
Nelson Cruz
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Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz might be known as one of the best power hitters in the big leagues now, but when he first came up with the Texas Rangers organization, he was anything but.
Combining for just 22 homers in his first four years in the bigs, Cruz looked like he was nothing more than an average player who might not stick around.
Of course, he did get busted for using performance-enhancing drugs and was suspended in 2013 for doing so. But, even after that embarrassment, Cruz's power numbers have been even higher, as he's combined to blast 84 round-trippers over the past two seasons.
That's a far cry from who the four-time All-Star was in 2009, when he first hit over 30 homers in a season.
Danny Granger
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The 17th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, Danny Granger was thought to always have potential, but it took him a couple of years to actually fulfill it.
After averaging just 10.7 points per game in his first two years in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Granger made an enormous leap, averaging 21.6 points per game over the next five years and becoming a one-time All-Star and a lethal scorer.
Unfortunately, age, injuries and lack of playing time hit Granger hard over the past few NBA campaigns, but there's no denying that from 2007-12, he was one of the best at dropping the ball through the basket.
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Cliff Lee
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Trust me, as a Cleveland Indians fan, I would have never guessed that former Tribe pitcher Cliff Lee would end up being one of the most consistent hurlers in the game.
That's because, quite frankly, the lefty wasn't very good, as he was incapable of staying consistent from season to season, going from 18 wins and a 3.79 ERA in 2005 to 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 2007, even being left off the Indians postseason roster that year.
In 2008, though, everything seemed to come together for Lee, as he won the Cy Young Award and became the dominant pitcher that many of us remember him as ever since, adding four All-Star Game appearances and multiple postseason performances to his resume.
Jimmy Butler
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Like the aforementioned Danny Granger, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler was a former first-round pick whom the team hoped they could develop into a second or third option behind Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah when they first selected him in 2011.
Little did they know that, by happenstance, Butler would become the new face of the franchise after becoming an absolute superstar.
After averaging just 6.6 points per game in his first two NBA years, Butler leaped to 13.1 in 2013-14 and then transformed himself into an All-Star the following season, becoming one of the best two-way players in the league.
When Rose is healthy and paired with Butler in the backcourt, Chicago has a dynamic duo that's capable of making a title run—and that's credit to how far Butler has come since entering the league.
Jose Bautista
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It's pretty damn amazing how far Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista has come in his major league career, as his story is one of the best I've ever heard.
Selected in the 20th round of the 2000 MLB draft, Joey Bats 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.
After finally getting a chance with the Pirates for the next three-and-a-half seasons, Bautista was traded to the Jays in 2008 and hasn't looked back, transforming himself into the pre-emptive power hitter in the game over the past few seasons, averaging 38 jacks per season in the past six years.
It took him about five seasons to reach his potential, but the journey has been well worth it for Jose Bautista.
Tony Parker
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In all honesty, San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker never really went through the same struggles as some of the other athletes on this list, but going from a scrawny player out of France into a Hall of Famer when all is said and done is why he makes the cut here.
Taken with the 28th overall pick in 2001 at the age of 19 by the Spurs, Parker walked into a situation where San Antonio was competing for NBA titles, not just trying to reach the playoffs, meaning expectations were heavy on the guy.
His rookie year was tough, too, averaging just 9.2 points and 4.3 assists per game and struggling to adapt to the NBA game.
Since then, all Parker has done is go to six All-Star Games, win an NBA Finals MVP and earn himself four rings, so things turned out OK.
Carey Price
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Always having potential after being taken No. 5 overall in 2005, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price was always sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place, either finding himself as the team's backup or never showing enough to be a dominant netminder.
While he led the league in wins with 38 in 2010-11, Price dipped under .500 the following year, leaving questions about his long-term potential.
That's when he kicked things into high gear, though, winning 109 games in three-plus seasons since, which was capped with a league MVP award last season as he helped guide the Canadiens to the playoffs with a minuscule goals-against average of just 1.96.
Now arguably the best goalie in the NHL, Price's turnaround has been remarkable.
Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel
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If you're anything like me, you were probably floored when you heard the two names that won this season's NL and AL Cy Young Awards: Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel.
No offense to either pitcher, but, well, have you checked their career stats?
A testament to their hard work and perseverance, both pitchers overcame inconsistencies in their first few years to become the pitchers they are today—which are two of the best in the game—as Arrieta went from an average pitcher at best in his first five years, while Keuchel had a similar rise after a difficult first three MLB seasons.
Combing to win 42 games with a 2.13 ERA in 2015, it's safe to say both Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel are no longer the pitchers many thought they were just a few seasons ago.
Carson Palmer
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It's hard to think that a guy taken No. 1 overall with a Heisman Trophy on his mantle would find himself on this list, but after the adversity that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has endured over his career, he deserves to be mentioned here.
Once a two-time Pro Bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2004-10, Palmer wanted out of Cincy bad, so they shipped him to the Oakland Raiders and he fell deep into the Black Hole, becoming a forgotten man.
Moving to the Cards in 2013, Palmer re-emerged as one of the top signal-callers in the league when healthy, as he's guided the team to an unbelievable 2015 season that has them thinking Super Bowl in the desert.
Palmer has bounced back from injury and the proverbial write-off from everyone yet has put together a season at the age of 36 that is remarkable.
David Ortiz
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If you know how Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz's career began, you'd be amazed that he reached the 500-home run plateau this past season, because Big Papi didn't show he had the skills to become a future Hall of Famer.
Combining to hit just 58 home runs and driving in 238 runs in his first six years with the Minnesota Twins, all it took for Ortiz to become the dominant player he is today was a change of scenery, as he's blasted 445 homers since moving to Boston in 2003, winning three World Series titles in the process.
One of the most clutch players in the history of sports, Papi is a legend in Beantown for his theatrics and outgoing personality—although you would be hard-pressed to find someone who believed that would've been the case back in 2002.
Drew Brees
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees might be a surefire Hall of Famer who has helped rewrite the passing record books, but when his NFL career began, no one would have predicted that.
Selected 32nd overall 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 at 6'0" to make it in the next level—and he struggled to prove them wrong.
After a lackluster first three seasons when he tossed just 29 touchdowns to 31 interceptions and going just 10-17 as a starter, San Diego felt it necessary to select Eli Manning No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft—who was eventually traded for Philip Rivers.
Holding down the starting gig for two seasons as Rivers loomed on the sidelines, when Brees injured his throwing shoulder late in 2005, the Chargers didn't even have to think about turning to their young gun under center, moving on from Brees with ease.
Taking a huge gamble, the Saints gave Brees a six-year, $60 million deal, with the reward coming in the form of a Super Bowl title in 2009 and the quarterback averaging 35 touchdowns and over 4,800 passing yards per season since making the move to the Big Easy.
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