A one-hit wonder is usually synonymous with bands who had one hit song and were never heard from again. But, that term can be used for any profession. I’m sure there are one-hit-wonder plumbers who had a good year but never reached those heights again.
In the NFL this term describes a player who has an incredible season, usually a pro-bowl caliber season. After this, every pundit calls them the next so-and-so . Then, whether due to injury or off-field issues or whatever the reason might be, their subsequent seasons don't measure up and everyone realizes they were just a flash in the pan.
Here are 10 such instances for the Cincinnati Bengals franchise.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
Paul Robinson, RB (1968)
Paul Robinson was drafted by the Bengals in their expansion year in 1968. He made an immediate impact on offense, as at the end of the 1968 season, he tallied over 1,000 yards rushing. He is still the only player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a team’s first year.
He also holds the honor of being the first Bengal to rush for over 100 yards in a game. He ran all over the Oakland Raiders and was unfortunately the one bright spot in that game as Cincy lost 31-10. Robinson had 159 yards rushing and one touchdown.
A story that will be all too common with many of the players on this list, the brilliance in their rookie season is never matched again. Though Paul Robinson had better seasons than others that will appear, he never came close to 1,000 yards rushing again.
He was traded in the 1972 season to the Oilers and that was all she wrote for Robinson. He will always have his name in the Cincinnati record books for what it is worth.