AFC South one-hit wonders

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jun 19, 2023 12:52 PM ET

While some players turn outstanding seasons into lengthy and impressive careers, others simply fade into obscurity. Here are the most notable one-hit wonders for each AFC South team.

Houston Texans: Steve Slayton, RB

A third-round pick in 2008, Slayton quickly cemented himself as Houston’s No. 1 tailback. Against Tennessee in Week 2, he had his first 100-yard rushing game and scored his first touchdown. He finished his first season with 1,282 rushing yards (tops among rookies) and nine rushing touchdowns, which rank third and fifth, respectively, among the franchise’s season rushing marks.

Despite his breakout success, Slayton started just 10 games the following season, finishing with 437 rushing yards and three touchdowns while splitting time with Ryan Moats and Chris Brown. In 2010, undrafted free agent Adrian Foster unseated Slayton, who finished the season with only 19 carries for 93 yards.

After the 2011 season, he never played again in the NFL.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Allen Hurns, WR

Hurns spent four seasons in Jacksonville, but Jaguars fans likely only remember one, the 2015 season in which he had 64 catches for 1,031 yards and 10 TD catches. That season he played Robin to the Batman of Allen Robinson, who had 1,400 yards receiving. They were the first 1,000-yard receivers for Jacksonville since Jimmy Smith in 2005.

Many NFL pundits predicted Hurns could be Jacksonville’s next Smith, but he had just 35 and 39 receptions, respectively, over the next two seasons. He didn't surpass 484 yards receiving or three touchdown catches in either season.

Hurns spent one year with the Cowboys and one with the Dolphins after that. He was out of the league for good after the 2019 season.

Indianapolis Colts: Dominic Rhodes, RB

After signing with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001, Rhodes had a breakout rookie season as a fill-in for the injured Edgerrin James. In 15 games, including 10 starts, Rhodes rushed for 1,104 yards (an NFL record for an undrafted rookie) and nine touchdowns and finished fifth in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

James returned the next season and reclaimed his starting spot, and Rhodes’s production took a serious hit. He rushed for 529 yards and five touchdowns over the next three seasons before a solid 2006 (641 yards rushing). He spent one year with the Raiders in 2007 before ending his career with two more years in Indy. Rhodes, however, never found the same success he had as a rookie.

Tennessee Titans: Drew Bennett, WR

For the first three seasons of his NFL career, Bennett was a solid and dependable No. 3 receiving option for the Titans. That's why his 80-reception, 1,247-yard, 11-touchdown catch season in 2004 seemingly came out of nowhere. He finished that season ranked in the top 10 among WRs in yards and touchdowns and scored an NFL-record eight touchdowns in a three-game span.

With his star seemingly on the rise, Bennett had modest seasons with the Titans the next two years, never surpassing 750 receiving yards or four touchdown catches. In 2007, Bennett signed a $30 million contract with the Rams. However, he flamed out after two seasons in St. Louis, catching only 34 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns.

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