Sports

40 Sports Stars Who Went From Heroes To Villains Overnight

Darren Ryding - May 21, 2024

Sports

40 Sports Stars Who Went From Heroes To Villains Overnight

Darren Ryding - May 21, 2024

Sports heroes come in many shapes and forms. Some of them are brilliant athletes who achieved phenomenal success while others are fantastic human beings. But what happens when those heroes become villains?

It’s usually not a pretty sight. So today, we looked at 40 sports heroes who became villains overnight. Check them out via The Sportster.

40. Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott is one of the best running backs in the NFL over recent years. But he’s also allegedly a domestic abuser, and that’s why he’s on this list. A suspension for an alleged domestic violence incident tarnished his image.

He was never convicted but the NFL still suspended him for six games. This says a lot because they’re notoriously lax about such cases. In the end, a court intervened and suspended the suspension (via Bleacher Report).

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39. Matthew Stafford

Stafford joined the ranks of Rams’ heroes when he helped them to win the Super Bowl in 2022. It was a great story. But he became a villain during the post-game celebration. The quarterback guzzled tequila and beer.

Then a photographer fell in front of him and landed on her back. The drop was about six feet but Stafford failed to check if she was alright. He turned away as she lay in agony after fracturing her spine. It was a bad look for the star (via Nine.com).

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38. Tyson Fury

Fury was always a controversial figure because of his sexism and homophobia. He somewhat redeemed himself after his battle with mental health issues. Suddenly, he was a role model for men who struggled to express their emotions.

Then he tarnished that by openly affiliating himself with Daniel Kinahan. Kinahan is a notorious drug cartel leader and is responsible for over 20 murders in Dublin (via The Times).

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37. Brett Favre

Fave was once one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and a Packers’ star before he departed in an acrimonious fashion. There’s no denying his brilliance for the franchise, but sadly, that’s not why he’s on this list.

Nobody likes to see their heroes descend into darkness. But that’s exactly what Favre did as he became involved in a notorious sexual harassment scandal. He allegedly sent unsolicited pictures of his genitals to a pair of Jets masseuses (via ABC).

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36. T.J. Dillashaw

Dillashaw was on track to become the greatest UFC bantamweight fighter ever. However, he tarnished his record when he tested positive for EPO in 2019 after fighting Henry Cejudo (via The Athletic).

His former teammate Cody Garbrandt accused him of doping throughout his career. Unfortunately, Dillashaw’s entire career received an asterisk after this. It was his fault because PED use is unforgivable in combat sports.

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35. Pete Rose

Few people achieved as much in the sport of baseball as Rose. He had a Hall of Fame-worthy career befor enjoying some success as a manager. But then a gambling scandal tarnished his legacy.

MLB has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to gambling and this costs Rose dearly. It also ended his dream of entering the Hall of Fame. Some fans believe that they should allow him in but others think he made his bed (via History).

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34. Albert Haynesworth

There was a time when Haynesworth was one of the top defensive players in the league. Fans saw his dark side when he brutally stomped on Andre Gurode in 2007. Then, he joined the Redskins.

Haynesworth became one of the highest-paid players ever but immediately checked out after receiving the lucrative contract. He failed to earn his money by delivering on the field and he ballooned in weight (via The Athletic).

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33. Ben Johnson

U.S. athletes constantly overshadow Canada’s sporting heroes. That’s why Johnson’s Olympic success meant so much to the nation. They finally had a true sporting icon after his exploits in Los Angeles, but then he tested positive for PEDs.

Johnson immediately became a pariah in his country after breaking their hearts. This wasn’t even the final time that he violated drug policies. He never learned his lesson and is now one of the most notorious athletes ever (via The Guardian).

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32. Kyrie Irving

Irving is one of basketball’s most polarizing figures. He has amazing talent, but also a personality that rubs fans up the wrong way. He became one of Boston’s sports heroes before he suddenly quit.

This rocked the fanbase because they thought he’d turn them back into a contender. Then he moved to Brooklyn and became a villain there because he refused to accept New York State’s health policies (via FOX News).

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31. Jose Mourinho

Mourinho instantly became Europe’s hottest young coach after he won the Champion’s League with Porto in 2004. Then the self-professed “Special One” moved to Chelsea and achieved even more success as one of Portugal’s heroes.

The coach’s teams favor the dark arts and aren’t afraid to win with dubious methods. Mourinho once poked Tito Vilanova in the eye. He also encouraged players to receive yellow cards before unimportant fixtures (via Sportskeeda).

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30. Bill Belichick

Belichick is the most successful coach in NFL history, but that doesn’t mean people like him. In the beginning, he won respect because he brought the Patriots to the top and maintained dominance.

But Belichick is also a notorious cheater. He infamously videotaped the Jets’ practice facility to film their defensive signals. Belichick puts winning above anything else no matter the cost. Spygate was a stain on the sport (via SBJ).

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29. Michael Owen

Owen was one of the top young strikers in Europe during his time with Liverpool. He famously scored a mesmerizing goal against Argentina when he was 18. Then he moved to Real Madrid but it didn’t work out (via Sky Sports).

Liverpool adores its sporting heroes and fans hoped that he would return. But there was outrage when he joined their fierce rivals, Manchester United. This cost him his relationship with the club because fans no longer respected him.

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28. Spanish Paralympians

It’s scandalous that they thought that they could get away with this. Spain competed in basketball at the 2000 Paralympics. They claimed that their team members had intellectual disabilities. But a whistleblower revealed the truth.

None of their players had any disabilities at all. The Spanish federation wanted their team to receive more sponsorships so they lied to the world. It became a massive scandal because this was a disgraceful thing to do (via InsideTheGames).

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27. Bob Baffert

Baffert is one of the most successful trainers in American horse racing. His horse, Medina Spirit, won the Kentucky Derby in 2022 but then a controversy emerged. The horse tested positive for a banned substance and they received suspensions.

It wasn’t the first time that this happened to one of his animals either. Baffert began life as one of racing’s heroes but now he’s one of the biggest villains in the industry. He doesn’t seem to care what happens to his horses as long as he wins (via FOX News).

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26. Tom Brady

Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He entered America’s pantheon of sporting heroes when he won his first Super Bowl as a sixth-round selection.

But Brady discovered that success creates resentment. The Patriots and their QB incited this with several cheating incidents and by just being too good. They also had some freakish results like their Super Bowl win over the Falcons in 2017 (via Toronto Sun).

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25. Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham appeared to be a perfect fit for the Giants. He brought clear box office appeal with his skill and personality. This was ideal for one of the nation’s biggest and most lucrative franchises. But it all went downhill.

He was one of his team’s heroes but his attitude and diminishing returns turned fans against him. Eventually, he left for the Browns before moving to the Rams and winning a Super Bowl ring (via CBS Sports).

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24. Luis Suarez

Liverpool loves their heroes but Suarez is one of the most polarizing in their recent history. He’s arguably their most talented player ever but opposing fans hated him. That’s because of multiple incidents of biting and even racism.

Suarez possessed an incredible technical ability and was very tenacious on the field. However, an incident of racial abuse involving Patrice Evra turned many neutrals against him. Many of them never looked at him the same way (via Sporting News).

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23. Kobe Bryant

Bryant was one of the greatest players of his generation. But he’s also a polarizing figure because of his sexual assault case. Eventually, he settled out of court but admitted regret for the situation. This turned many women away.

Sporting heroes shouldn’t treat people in an abusive way and it’s clear that Bryant crossed a line. It’s remarkable that he rehabilitated his image and retained his popularity. Nonetheless, he had a dark side that many people remember (via ABC).

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22. Houston Astros

We’ve mostly avoided putting teams on this list but it’s difficult to single out an individual here. The Astros won the World Series in 2017 and became heroes. But they brought their city into disrepute with a major sign-stealing scandal.

They cheated regularly through the year on their way to glory. In the end, MLB sanctioned their coach and G.M. but the players escaped without penalties. This was a shambles because the athletes led the cheating, not the coaches (via NPR).

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21. Barry Bonds

Who better to include from baseball’s infamous Steroid Era than Bonds because he broke the home run record? When the dust settled, he was no longer one of baseball’s biggest heroes.

The Steroid Era is complex because it was one of the most exciting times in the sport. But the level of cheating was ludicrous. Meanwhile, Bonds may never make the Hall of Fame because everyone knows he took PEDs (via The Ringer).

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20. Marion Jones

Women and young girls want sporting heroes that they can relate to. It appeared that Jones was perfect because she won gold against the odds in the Olympics in 2000. But she became a key part of the BALCO scandal and lost her medals.

It was a shambles because she lied to a court in the process. In hindsight, fans shouldn’t have felt surprised because she resembled the She-Hulk on the track. Sadly, athletes continue to cheat because of the financial gains (via N.Y. Times).

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19. Mike Tyson

Few people injected fear into the hearts of their opponents like “Iron Mike.” The heavyweight champion knocked out everybody that stood in his way before a shock loss to Buster Douglas. He became one of America’s sporting heroes.

Then, Tyson went to jail after a court found him guilty of rape. It’s impossible to support a convicted rapist so he lost many fans immediately. However, he returned to boxing after his release from prison and rehabilitated his image (via Chicago Tribune).

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18. Neymar

Many people believed that Neymar was a future world player of the year after his success for Brazil. The country has many soccer heroes and he became one of them. However, he lost the respect of everybody else when he joined PSG (via GiveMeSport).

It appeared as though he gave up on his legacy and wanted to make as much money as possible. Meanwhile, Neymar enjoyed partying and socializing more than playing soccer. It’s a shame because so much talent went to waste.

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17. Michael Vick

Vick redefined the quarterback role during his time with the Falcons. It appeared as though he was a future Hall of Famer. But then he served two years in jail after a federal investigation into a dogfighting ring. Vick was the ringleader.

It rocked the NFL because it was such a horrible crime. Furthermore, the details disgusted animal lovers across the world. Vick joined the Eagles after he left prison and still had some productive seasons. But he was never at the same level (via MARCA).

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16. Greg Norman

In recent years, Saudi Arabia made a massive push to host sports events. That’s because it wants to sports wash its image and change how people perceive the country. One of these events is their breakaway golf league (via The Guardian).

Several high-profile players attended including Norman who defended his participation. It would be reasonable if he admitted that the money was too good to turn down. But then he downplayed their killing of journalists and tarnished his own image.

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15. Tiger Woods

Woods enjoyed phenomenal success in the 2000s before his sordid sex scandal. The golfer was one of the most clean-cut sports heroes but it instantly changed. After a drunken crash, dozens of women accused him of extramarital affairs.

This ruined Woods’ marriage and his career. He entered rehab and had several years in the wilderness because of injury. There was a time when he was clearly on track to be the greatest ever (via People).

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14. Jon Jones

The UFC doesn’t have many heroes in the clearest definition of the term. But Jones began his career in style as he became the youngest champion ever. It was an incredible achievement and he became a superstar.

But Jones is a disaster of a human being and this cost him dearly. His most notorious incident saw him crash into a pregnant woman’s vehicle. This hit-and-run incident caused the UFC to strip him of the title, and he is battling his demons to this day (via N.Y. Post).

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13. Tonya Harding

Harding was once America’s golden girl. The figure skater became the first U.S. woman to pull off the triple-axle in competition. Meanwhile, her background made her a relatable figure to many people across the nation.

But one fateful moment ruined her career and changed the direction of her life. Her ex-husband hired a thug to attack her rival, Nancy Kerrigan. She descended into darkness and endured further legal problems (via Screenrant).

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12. Ray Rice

Rice became a villain in an instant. Video footage captured the Ravens star as he dragged his unconscious fiancee out of an elevator. It was horrendous and a high-profile domestic assault case began (via CNN).

Eventually, the NFL cleared him to play football again but he was damaged goods. Nobody wanted to associate with him because of his stained reputation. The fan backlash would be massive because fans hate abusers.

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11. Lance Armstrong

There was a time when Armstrong was one of the most inspirational sporting heroes on the planet. He won seven consecutive Tour De France titles at the turn of the century. Armstrong catapulted cycling into the spotlight. He also survived a bout with cancer.

But Armstrong ruined everything when news of his doping emerged. This occurred on a grand scale and World Cycling scrubbed his biggest wins from the record books. Meanwhile, Armstrong lost millions of dollars in endorsements (via Reuters).

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10. Kyle Larson

Larson is one of NASCAR’s top drivers but also a controversial figure because of an odd incident. He was participating in an online racing game when he dropped a racial slur. Larson didn’t realize that his microphone was live.

He apologized for his words but the damage was done. First, his racing team fired him, and then NASCAR suspended him. However, he received a second chance and continues to perform well. But it was a bad look for the sport (via NBC).

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9. Gervonta Davis

Davis is a brilliant boxer, but he’s also a thug. The Baltimore native burst onto the scene as Floyd Mayweather’s protege. However, he tarnished his image with multiple legal issues. First, there was a public display of domestic violence (via TMZ).

Then his Lamborghini was involved in a hit and run in 2021. Meanwhile, “Tank” had several street fights and can’t stay out of trouble. Some sports stars are heroes but Davis simply isn’t a good role model.

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8. Zinedine Zidane

One of France’s greatest-ever players, Zidane was a true superstar. He decided that the World Cup in 2006 would be his final tournament. They made it to the Final against Italy but it ended in tears for Zizou. This was a notorious moment.

He head-butted Marco Materazzi after the Italian insulted his sister. This moment cost his team dearly. Italy had an inferior squad but dragged France to the penalty shootout. Then they won the game as Zidane sat and watched (via NZHerald).

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7. DeShaun Watson

Watson was one of the few good things that the Texans had going for them. The quarterback was a star but things came to a head in 2021 when he demanded to leave. Then a sexual harassment scandal rocked the NFL.

22 masseuses accused of him touching them inappropriately. They also claimed that he forced them to perform sex acts on him. This didn’t stop the Browns from signing him but he is no longer one of the NFL’s heroes (via CNN).

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6. Kevin Durant

Durant became one of the Thunders’ heroes after leading them to the NBA Finals. They hoped that he’d lead them to glory the following season against the Warriors. But then he crushed everybody’s dreams when he joined their conquerors (via The Ringer).

This was a bitter pill for fans to swallow because he joined the team that beat them. In the end, Durant won a pair of rings so he made the right decision for his career. But he also became one of the most hated players in basketball.

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5. John Terry

Terry captained Chelsea and the England national team. He was also one of the best defenders of his generation. But then the news broke that he had an affair with a teammate’s girlfriend. It was humiliating for everybody involved.

Things became worse for Terry after a racism scandal. He was unable to play for his country again because of the image. It was shameful but showed the type of person that Terry is (via Sky Sports).

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4. Henry Ruggs III

Ruggs is one of the biggest wastes of talent in NFL history. The wide receiver had a tough rookie season but started to show his real potential in his second year. He established rapport with Derek Carr and became one of the team’s heroes.

Sadly, his downfall occurred in the blink of an eye after a fatal car crash. Ruggs drank too much and drove his vehicle into another car. He killed the driver instantly and ruined his own life in the process (via AL.com).

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3. LeBron James

James was once one of Cleveland’s biggest heroes. But he rocked the NBA when he announced “The Decision.” Fans hoped that he’d bring an elusive first championship. Instead, he abandoned them for the Miami Heat and broke their hearts.

He won two rings with the Heat before he returned to the Cavaliers. But those titles had a hollow feel because he didn’t have the same connection to the team. Later, he helped Cleveland win a championship and redeemed his image (via SB Nation).

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2. Conor McGregor

McGregor was arguably the UFC’s first mainstream superstar. The Irishman was a two-weight champion and had incredible charisma. But he went from hero to villain with his antics outside of the cage when punched an old man in a bar (via Daily Mail).

Meanwhile, he became involved in multiple unsavory legal issues. These included sexual assault allegations and multiple speeding offenses. A woman also accused him of impregnating her at a party in Liverpool.

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1. Aaron Hernandez

Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski struck fear into the hearts of opposition teams. The Patriots duo were two of the best tight ends in the sport. However, Hernandez never achieved his full potential because he was a murderer.

On paper, Hernandez was a phenomenal athlete, who combined wideout speed with tight end strength. However, his struggles evolved into something much more toxic. He should have been one of the Pats’ biggest heroes (via Fansided).

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40 Sports Stars Who Went From Heroes To Villains Overnight

40 Sports Stars Who Went From Heroes To Villains Overnight

40. Ezekiel Elliott

39. Matthew Stafford

38. Tyson Fury

37. Brett Favre

36. T.J. Dillashaw

35. Pete Rose

34. Albert Haynesworth

33. Ben Johnson

32. Kyrie Irving

31. Jose Mourinho

30. Bill Belichick

29. Michael Owen

28. Spanish Paralympians

27. Bob Baffert

26. Tom Brady

25. Odell Beckham Jr.

24. Luis Suarez

23. Kobe Bryant

22. Houston Astros

21. Barry Bonds

20. Marion Jones

19. Mike Tyson

18. Neymar

17. Michael Vick

16. Greg Norman

15. Tiger Woods

14. Jon Jones

13. Tonya Harding

12. Ray Rice

11. Lance Armstrong

10. Kyle Larson

9. Gervonta Davis

8. Zinedine Zidane

7. DeShaun Watson

6. Kevin Durant

5. John Terry

4. Henry Ruggs III

3. LeBron James

2. Conor McGregor

1. Aaron Hernandez

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