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NFL history is loaded with great running backs who were dominant over an extended period of time. There have also been a number of running backs who were simply just a flash in the pan.
Here are five NFL running backs who were excellent for one season before falling off completely, never again returning to an elite level.
One-season wonder running backs from NFL history
#5 - Nick Goings, Carolina Panthers
Nick Goings is more of a half-season wonder than a full one-season wonder. He spent all eight seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers, but only provided solid production in one of them.
He received an opportunity to become the starting running back during the 2004 NFL season due to injuries to other players, and he made the most of it.
Goings started just eight games that season, but turned his opportunity into a massive performance.
He recorded 1,215 total yards and seven touchdowns that year. He failed to eclipse 300 total yards in any other season and only scored two more total touchdowns in his career.
#4 - Rashaan Salaam, Chicago Bears
After winning the Heisman Trophy in his final season of college football at Colorado, Rashaan Salaam was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 21st overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft.
The Bears believed they were getting a stud running back to build their team around. Unfortunately, his career didn't last long.
Salaam got off to an excellent start by putting together a promising rookie season.
He carried the ball 296 times for 1,074 rushing yards and ten touchdowns. He basically became irrelevant after that, combining for just 175 carries for 610 yards and three touchdowns over the next three years before retiring.
NFL running backs who were one-season wonders
#3 - Olandis Gary, Denver Broncos
Olandis Gary was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos as a back-up running back and provided depth in the position. After injuries to other players, Gary got the opportunity to start 12 games during his rookie season and he made the most of it.
Gary recorded 276 carries for 1,159 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year, showing a ton of promise for his future.
Unfortunately, he never again came close to matching that kind of production. He accumulated just 220 carries for 839 yards and four touchdowns over the next four years combined before retiring.
#2 - Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns
Peyton Hillis had a relatively solid career as a role player, recording 3,882 total yards and 26 touchdowns across seven seasons. Nearly half of his total production all came in one-season for the Cleveland Browns.
Hillis put together a massive year in 2010, totaling 1,654 yards and 13 touchdowns. He more than doubled his career highs in both categories, with his second-best performances being 717 yards and six touchdowns.
#1 - Ickey Woods, Cincinnati Bengals
Ickey Woods burst onto the scene in his rookie year during the 1988 NFL season.
He recorded an impressive 1,265 total yards and 15 touchdowns while finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting and also being selected as a second-team All-Pro running back.
The Cincinnati Bengals thought they had a workhorse running back moving forward, but Woods didn't do much at all for the rest of his career. He combined for just 657 yards and touchdowns over the next three years before retiring early.
