Top 5 Most Recent Promising Careers Wasted Because of Bad Decisions

[Amanjoy]

This list is inspired by the recent trouble for Maurice Clarrett! How rediculous is that!


1. Len Bias - This guy had a Jordan-type future ahead of him and threw it all away in one night by OD-ing on drugs.

2. Maurice Clarrett - Haisman and NFL MVP potential but took it all for granted. After outrunning All-American defenders, he can't even outrun the cops!

3. Isiah (JR) Rider - Another guy that couldn't stay out of trouble with the law, but was an All-Star calibur player when playing.

4. Lawrence Phillips - Similar to Maurice Clarrett. All the talent in the world, but no common sense to back it up!

5. Richard Dumas - Another sad tale of drug addiction. Promising young rookie in '93. Key contributor to Suns' Finals run. Never had another good season after that.

 

[Amanjoy]

I'm sure there are others worth noting. This was the best I could do off the cuff. Feel free to add more!

 

[NoBonus]

Wasn't there some younger brother of a quarterback who could not keep his nose clean? Got drafted this year anyway, but really messed up his future?Also, don't forget Roy Tarpley. Charles Barkley says he was the best player he ever played against... but drugs messed that up...

 

[RoyalDiva]

There was also some other guy, I can't remember his name right now. He was a bball player from Sacto who had a promising NBA career, but it was cut short by his cocky attitude alone. He ended up jumping off the Tower Bridge to his death in the early 90's. Anyone here remember his name??

 

[Amanjoy]

Wasn't there some younger brother of a quarterback who could not keep his nose clean? Got drafted this year anyway, but really messed up his future?Also, don't forget Roy Tarpley. Charles Barkley says he was the best player he ever played against... but drugs messed that up...

I think the younger brother you're thinking about is Marcus Vick...Michael Vick's younger brother. He had some leaga issues leading up to the draft as well as a stomping incident in the Gator Bowl last year. Tarpley made my list of honorable mentions.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

If I remember right Marcus Vick went undrafted but signed with the Miami Dolphins as a backup utility guy (he could potentially play receiver as well if he hasn't already been cut).

Len Bias 20 years ago, I'm not sure that fits under recent anymore even if it was one of the most tragic incidences.

How about that high school bball player that came out early and went insane around 98 or 99?

More hoops guys: Bobby Hurley, Bobby Phils and Jay Williams. Was Jayson Williams retired when he capped the limo driver? He could be #1 otherwise.

 

[hoopsfan]

If I remember right Marcus Vick went undrafted but signed with the Miami Dolphins as a backup utility guy (he could potentially play receiver as well if he hasn't already been cut).

Len Bias 20 years ago, I'm not sure that fits under recent anymore even if it was one of the most tragic incidences.

How about that high school bball player that came out early and went insane around 98 or 99?

More hoops guys: Bobby Hurley, Bobby Phils and Jay Williams. Was Jayson Williams retired when he capped the limo driver? He could be #1 otherwise.

Is that Todd Marinavich (sp?) you're thinking of? Raiders QB, right?

What about Rae Carruth?

 

[VF21]

Onterrio Smith comes to mind...

 

[Bricklayer]

I think Tarpley at the very least deserves in there above Dumas. Such an amazing stud at one time, and just destroyed it. Still remember his signature famous play back in the late 80's, when (and I've long since forgotten who the shooter was) some guy tried to flip a shot up over Tarpley and Roy just went up and did not BLOCK the shot, he just snatched it out of midair with one hand like a tennis ball or something. Him destroying himself would be much like if Dwight Howard got suspended by the league tommorow for cocaine use and never played another full season. Just an incredible waste.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Is that Todd Marinavich (sp?) you're thinking of? Raiders QB, right?

What about Rae Carruth?

Well I was thinking about Marinavich before I posted, but I was talking about a basketball player that came out for the draft in the wake of Garnett and Kobe's initial success. It was in the 3rd or 4th year where high schoolers started coming out every year. I'm thinking his name may have been Luther or Lionel something. Totally random guess and I'm probably wrong.

Rae Carruth belongs right up on the list. Disgusting coward. He had Sac ties, right?

 

[StevenHW]

Onterrio Smith comes to mind...

Ah yes, good ol' "Mr. Whizzinator" himself. And he was from Sacramento.

 

[slugking50]

Yep, Carruth and Smith are from Sacramento..... Valley High and Grant Union.

 

[sloter]

Dumas was one of my favorite players in the league in his rookie year. He had a few games in the finals where he outplayed Pippen (although Pippen did play better in the series as a whole). Unusually athletic, the closest player that I'v seen since is Boris Diaw.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'm thinking his name may have been Luther or Lionel something.

I've come to the conclusion that the person I'm thinking of was Leon Smith. 1999 NBA Draft.

Drafted near the bottom of the first round by the Spurs, he was then traded to the Mavericks. That’s when the problems began. At his first formal NBA work out, Smith refused assistant coach Donnie Nelson’s order to run an extra set of wind sprints, reportedly barking back at the coach: “Why don’t you run it!” Not only that, but he threw his jersey to the floor and stormed out- a classic move on your first day. To be fair, he did apologize later, but qualified his contrition with, “This is typical me. This is Leon every day. I'm not going to change."

It only gets better from there:
http://www.thephatphree.com/Features.asp?SectionID=2&StoryID=961&LayoutType=1

 

[StevenHW]

I'm sure there are others worth noting. This was the best I could do off the cuff. Feel free to add more!

Well, it's not quite as tragic as some of the others already mentioned, but I'm including Art Schlichter. He had a major gambling problem which hampered his young NFL quarterback career in the early 80's.