10 Completely Random Athletes You Forgot About

10 Completely Random Athletes You Forgot About

By: Josh Herring

The three major sports leagues in the United States - National Basketball Association, National Football League, and Major League Baseball - house thousands of players, some taking the leagues by storm, others flying under the radar, creating massive chunks of revenue through ticket and jersey sales, streaming deals, and advertisements. While superstars have their moments, some of the best sports memories come from the player’s name you couldn’t remember. Nostalgia reigns at the mention of their name - their mediocrity in professional leagues is both admirable and laughable. They are not season savers or fantasy winners, but they are often the most fun to reminisce on. Here is an ode to the players not named Lebron James or Tom Brady.

Tony Snell - NBA: Seven teams (Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Pelicans)

Graphic via The Hoop Central

Truly one of the most average players to ever play in the NBA, Tony Snell has been simultaneously the best free throw shooter in the league and, statistically, the least impactful player on the floor at any given moment. He has, somehow, failed to contribute a single stat in multiple games with 20+ minutes played - truly unmatched. Additionally, Snell has been the NBA's best free throw shooter over the course of two seasons in 2021 and 2022. He occasionally has games where he shoots lights out scoring more than twenty points some nights. His ability to fluctuate between the perfect role player and a benchwarmer is astonishing.

Michael Turner - NFL: Two teams (San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons)

Credit - Curtis Compton, AJC.com

Though coming into the league as a Charger, Atlanta is where Turner spent most of his career as a thumper at RB. Coming in the same year as Matt Ryan in 2008, his prime was short-lived in three impressive years of 1300+ yards on a Falcons team that did not quite have the talent to turn a good team into a dynasty. They lost in the NFC conference title game in his last year before retiring at the age of 30 in 2012.

Dan Uggla - MLB: 4 teams (Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals)

Credit - Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

Known for his years in Miami and Atlanta, Uggla accumulated a few All-Star honors while playing for playoff Braves and bad Marlins teams. Uggla was pretty average with only a .240 career average but occasionally brought the spark a team would need, especially for Atlanta in their playoff runs before rebuilding. More than anything, he brought average defense, a strikeout heavy bat, and veteran leadership for that young Braves team. He was let go in 2014, right before the Braves rebuild, and played only a handful of games for the Giants and Nationals before retiring in 2015.

Shabazz Muhammed - NBA: 2 teams (Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, overseas)

Credit - Jim Mone, AP Photo

Shabazz Muhammed, a pretty successful player before the NBA, with an eccentric name, was considered the total package coming out of high school and one year at college. The former Mr. Basketball and Naismith Prep Player of the Year, came out of college with All-American honors and was considered one of the best players in the PAC-12 in his one year at UCLA. Despite this, nothing really solidified in the NBA when he was drafted at the age of 18. He is still playing basketball, making teams overseas in various leagues, and is surprisingly, not even 30 yet. He was a part of one of those lackluster drafts that happened in the early 2010's where a large number of picks are out of the NBA.

Jahvid Best - NFL: 1 teams (Detroit Lions)

Credit - Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

Jahvid Best’s career was very short-lived in the NFL, a mere two years, but they were electric. The most memorable game came on a Monday night game against the Bears in 2011 where he erupted for 163 yards and a touchdown. Considered one of the fastest players to ever play in the NFL, Best is now an Olympic athlete after retiring from football due to a plethora of concussions. Best has quietly settled down as a runner for St. Lucia Olympic team and a coach for several high school teams.

Tyler Ulis - NBA: 2 teams (Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, G-League)

Credit - Orlando Ramirez, USA TODAY Sports

Largely known as a sidekick to Devin Booker on both the Kentucky Wildcats and Phoenix Suns, Ulis has been successful as an undersized guard. Standing at 5’8, Ulis was part of the Kentucky team that nearly went undefeated before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. He also won SEC Defensive Player of the Year, along with conference player of the year the following year. Ulis was part of those bad Suns teams, before their current coach in Monty Williams, and after not much play time and an injury, was traded. After a stint with the Chicago Bulls and the Kings G-League team, Ulis is currently a free agent.

Bartolo Colon - MLB: 10 teams (Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers)

Credit - Adam Hunger, USA TODAY Sports

One of the more entertaining pitchers of the MLB, Bartolo Colon is beloved by most fans for his care-free attitude, his humorous approach to baseball, and mostly his gelatinous form. His antics of swinging out of his helmet, falling as he runs, and reliable nature as a journeyman pitcher saw many fans appreciating Colon. He played for over 20 seasons and, perhaps, dons the best nickname in baseball, “Big Sexy”. He won the Cy Young Award in 2005 for being one of the best pitchers in the league with 21 wins and a 3.4 earned run average. Colon amazingly hit exactly one homerun in his 20 year career.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis - NFL: 2 teams (New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals)

Credit - Mike Ehrmann via cincyjungle.com

Nicknamed “The Law Firm” for never losing a fumble while playing for the Patriots, Green-Ellis was just that, reliable. He was not particularly flashy nor have gaudy numbers, but much like the Belichick way of innate seriousness, the running back went about his business. He had good enough success in his years with New England, playing in a Superbowl with two touchdowns but ultimately losing. He got the short end of the stick in his time with Cincinnati who added running backs in the draft two years in a row. He retired thereafter in 2013.

Mark Bellhorn - MLB: 7 teams (Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds)

Credit - https://twitter.com/nbcsboston/status/1256024008371437569

Bellhorn was an average player by all means posting only a .230 career batting average and only a 8.0 wins above replacement over his entire career. His claim to recognition lies within Boston’s 2004 World Series win. Despite striking out a laughable league-high 177 times, his role as an everyday shortstop and .300 average plus plethora of walks in the World Series series helped the team claim the championship.

Steve Blake - NBA: 8 teams (Washington Wizards, Portland Trailblazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, overseas)

Credit - Presswire via Talkbasket.net

Blake was always your average veteran point guard a team would sign if they needed depth. Think late 30’s Steve Nash, he wasn’t particularly helpful but had a commanding presence and knowledge of basketball. When teams were in a transition period and needed a serviceable point guard, Blake was the guy. His most notable time in the NBA came alongside Kobe in his twilight years, a few years in Portland in the birth of Damian Lilliard’s career, and the 2014 Warriors team that won a championship and began their dynasty. He retired the same year he won the championship as he served more as an on-court coach than as a player. After his playing days, Blake has served as an assistant coach to the Trailblazers and the Suns.