Top 4 NFL One-Hit Wonders in the Last 10 Years and Which 4 Are Next

When looking back at NFL history, there are numerous potential one-hit wonders.

The term one-hit wonders is often used in the context of musicians who produce one popular song, then disappear from the radio waves.

This article was written in that sense, to bring to light four of the NFL’s players that had that one great season, then disappeared from the ESPN highlights and the fantasy football rosters.

While sifting through the decades of NFL stardom, this list pertains to my recollection of players that shined for their collective “15 minutes of fame.”

Click through to see if you agree with my list of the top four NFL one-hit wonders and four players who could be next.

The Top Four: Jerome Harrison

Jerome Harrison starts off the list at No. 4.

The fifth-round pick from Washington State in the 2006 NFL draft wasn’t expected to be the standout performer he turned into.

Harrison’s first three years in the league were lackluster at best, with a combined 448 yards rushing and one touchdown.

In 2009, Harrison broke out of his shell for a monster season, rushing for 862 yards and five touchdowns. The fourth-year power-back broke the single-game rushing record for a Cleveland Brown running back with 286 yards and three touchdowns that season as well.

That single-game performance would put him third on the all-time single-game rushing performance list, behind Adrian Peterson and Jamal Lewis.

The following season, Harrison rushed for 330 yards between two teams. He started the season with 91 yards rushing through the first four games with Cleveland and was later traded to Philadelphia, where he accrued 239 yards on the ground in eight games.

Harrison was recently signed by the Detroit Lions and will compete for playing time with running back Mike Bell, behind second-year standout Jahvid Best.

Adam "Pacman" Jones

Coming in at second is the oft-troubled cornerback selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft, Adam “Pacman” Jones.

Pacman was drafted by and played for the Tennessee Titans for the first two years of his professional career.

In his rookie season, Pacman started 13 games with 53 tackles and 10 passes deflected. The athletic corner from West Virginia specialized as a return man and returned a punt for a touchdown in his first year in the league.

The following season, Jones had 63 tackles, with one sack and four interceptions. In Pacman’s breakout season, he took one interception back for a touchdown, while taking back three punt returns for scores on 440 return yards during the season.

What looked like a bright future, quickly turned into a sour ending for Tennessee’s defensive back.

Jones was involved in multiple altercations which ended with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspending him for one year. Jones became a professional wrestler in the meantime before returning to the NFL as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Jones would only play in nine games for the Cowboys, securing 31 tackles, before disappearing once again. After yet another year off, Pacman shipped off to Cincinnati, where he only recorded 14 tackles in five games played.

Derek Anderson

Next on the list is another former Cleveland Brown, Derek Anderson.

Anderson was drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2005 NFL draft.

After being waived by the Ravens in 2005, Anderson was picked up by the Browns to back up Charlie Frye and Trent Dilfer.

After posting an 0-3 record in 2006, Anderson earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2007 by leading the hapless Browns to a 10-5 record. Anderson threw for almost 4,000 yards with 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Anderson hasn’t won more than three games since his breakout year and currently is signed to back up the Panthers first-round pick Cam Newton for the upcoming 2011 season.

Quincy Carter

Once thought to be the future of “America’s Team,” Quincy Carter quickly fell off the map after being thrust into the spotlight.

The 2001 second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys had a combined record of 6-9 after two seasons and a total of 2,537 yards passing. Carter came out firing in his third season as a pro.

Under new head coach Bill Parcells, Carter led the team to a 10-6 record, 3,302 yards passing and the first playoff appearance since Troy Aikman’s retirement.

2003 would be his last season with the Cowboys, after Carter failed a drug test and had a poor attitude over the team’s personnel decisions.

Carter would play his final season as a member of the New York Jets, leading the team to a 2-1 record in three games started.

The Next Four: Peyton Hillis

The seventh-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos was a solid back in his rookie year due to lack of depth.

Peyton Hillis rushed for 343 yards in 12 games as a rookie and started six games as a fullback-turned-running-back.

The following year was a down year for the power-back from Arkansas, rushing for 54 yards over 14 games.

In 2010, Hillis broke out for 1,177 yards, starting 14 of the 16 games he appeared in. He had 73 yards a game and even piled up 477 yards receiving.

Don’t expect Hillis to rack up the same type of numbers he had last season in Cleveland behind Colt McCoy and an offense few on explosive players.

Brandon Lloyd

Another player not expected to have as impressive of a year as he had last season is Brandon Lloyd.

Lloyd was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and played two years before breaking out with a solid 733 yard season. He started 13 games that season before disappearing for the next four seasons.

In his second season with the Broncos, Lloyd caught 77 balls for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 18 yards per reception and was statistically the No. 1 receiver in the league last year.

Don’t expect Lloyd to produce the way he did last season in a new system with John Fox and whatever happens with the quarterback shuffle in Denver.

Steve Johnson

The seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2008 NFL draft was the dynamic receiver, Steve Johnson.

In 16 games total through his first two years in the league, Johnson snagged 112 yards total and two touchdowns.

Johnson jumped out to a hot start in the 2010 season, catching balls for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns, easily the best season of his young career.

The fourth-year receiver out of Kentucky will step back in as the No. 1 receiver in Buffalo throughout the upcoming season, but without much of a run game or a solid quarterback at the helm it will be difficult to duplicate another 1,000-yard receiving season.

Darren McFadden

The product of Arkansas, Darren McFadden was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft.

McFadden’s first two seasons in the NFL involved him in a dual-back system with the Oakland Raiders. He played in 25 games over the first two seasons, running for 856 yards combined.

In 2010, the slashing power-back burst out for 1,157 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 89 yards a game and caught 47 passes for 507 yards.

Questions on how sturdy the offensive line is, if Jason Campbell can hold up in the passing game and if he can stay healthy will hinder his chances of repeating the type of performance he had this past season.

Agree on my list? Disagree? Share your comments.