In any sport, rookies have plenty of highs and plenty of lows. Adjusting to professional life can be a grind to some, while for others, their transition from college to the pros is seamless. These 15 athletes produced memorable rookie seasons that would eventually lift them to elite status in their respective sports.
15. Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg Jets (1992-93)
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15. Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg Jets (1992-93)
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The No. 10 overall pick in the 1988 NHL Draft, Teemu Selanne made his NHL debut in 1992 a memorable one. Selanne finished the season tied for fifth in scoring with 132 points, and his 76 goals tied with Alexander Mogilny for the league lead. Selanne earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie.
14. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners (2001)
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14. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners (2001)
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After nine seasons in Japan, Ichiro Suzuki became an instant contributor for the Seattle Mariners, earning both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. Suzuki's stat line for that season included a .350 average, 69 RBI, 242 hits, a rookie-record, and 56 stolen bases. With Suzuki, the Mariners won 116 games, but lost in the ALCS to the New York Yankees.
13. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (2001)
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13. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (2001)
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A 13th-round pick in the 1999 MLB Draft, Albert Pujols made his debut in 2001 and displayed early why he would become one of the game's best players. With the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols recorded 37 home runs and 130 RBI, earning the first of nine All-Star game appearances. The Cardinals won 93 game that season, but lost in the NLDS to the eventual World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.
12. Dick "Night Train" Lane, Los Angeles Rams (1952)
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12. Dick "Night Train" Lane, Los Angeles Rams (1952)
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During his rookie season, Dick "Night Train" Lane went from obscure nobody to a record holder. Lane recorded a rookie and NFL-record 14 interceptions in a single season, a record that still stands today even though his record was set during a 12-game regular season. Night Train went on to record 68 thefts in his career, and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
11. Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings (1998)
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11. Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings (1998)
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Randy Moss was only the No. 21 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, but he had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. A key player on Minnesota's record-setting offense, Moss recorded 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns, a rookie record. Moss helped lead the Vikings to a 15-1 regular season record, but the Vikings were upset at home in the NFC Championship Game by the Atlanta Falcons.
10. Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (1983)
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10. Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (1983)
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The No. 2 overall pick out of SMU, Eric Dickerson set the NFL on fire with the Los Angeles Rams by rushing for a rookie-record 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns while catching 51 passes for 404 yards and two more scores. Dickerson would set another NFL record the next season by rushing for an NFL-record 2,105 yards.
9. Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees (1936)
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9. Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees (1936)
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Joe DiMaggio's arrival in 1936 could not have come at a better time for the New York Yankees. DiMaggio earned All-Star recognition as a rookie after amassing a .323 average with 29 home runs and 125 RBI. The Yankees went 102-51 and defeated the New York Giants in six games to win the World Series, their first of four consecutive to close out the 1930's.
8. Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox (1939)
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8. Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox (1939)
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During Ted Williams' inaugural campaign in 1939, the Boston left-fielder had a .327 average with 31 home runs and a league-leading 145 RBI. Williams played 149 games that season and helped the Red Sox earn a 89-62 record. The 1939 season and the 1952 season would be the only ones that Williams was not named to the All-Star game.
7. Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears (1965)
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7. Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears (1965)
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The 1965 NFL Draft gave the Chicago Bears two future Hall of Famers in Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers, but it was Sayers who had a memorable rookie campaign. In 14 games, Sayers recorded 22 touchdowns, 14 on the ground, six in the passing game, and two on special teams. Unfortunately for Sayers, his efforts were wasted, as the Bears finished 9-5, missing the playoffs.
6. Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants (1981)
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6. Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants (1981)
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In 1980, the New York Giants had the league's second-worst defense and finished 4-12. In 1981, the Giants drafted Lawrence Taylor, and their defensive woes ended. New York became the league's third-best defense and made the playoffs with a 9-7 record. One year before sacks became an official stat, Taylor recorded an unofficial 9.5 sacks and 133 tackles, setting the stage for what would become a Hall of Fame career.
5. Larry Bird, Boston Celtics (1979-80)
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5. Larry Bird, Boston Celtics (1979-80)
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Before Larry Bird arrived in Beantown, the Boston Celtics won just 29 games and were a long ways away from their glory days of the past. With Bird on board for the 1979-80 season, the Celtics improved their record by 32 games, winning a league-best 61 games with Bird winning Rookie of the Year honors. For the season, Bird averaged 21.3 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game.
4. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals (1960-61)
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4. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals (1960-61)
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During the 1959-60 season, the Cincinnati Royals finished 19-56 and were one of the worst teams in the league. Fortunately, with the No. 1 pick the following year, they drafted Oscar Robertson, and he helped the Royals improve by 14 games. Robertson almost averaged a triple-double with 30.5 points per game, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. The next year, Robertson became the first player to average a triple-double for a season.
3. Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks (1969-70)
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3. Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks (1969-70)
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During the 1969-70 season, Lew Alcindor, now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, led the league in scoring with 28.8 points per game, finished third in rebounds per game with 14.1, and improved the Milwaukee Bucks from 27-55 in 1968-69 to 56-26 in 1969-70. Alcindor was named to the first of his NBA-record 19 All-Star game appearances, and a year later, Alcindor and the Bucks would win their only NBA Championship in franchise history.
2. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80)
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2. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80)
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The No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, Magic Johnson ended his spectacular rookie campaign with one of the greatest performances in NBA history. Johnson guided the Lakers to a 60-22 record and averaged 18 points per game along with 7.7 rebounds per game and 7.3 assists per game. The Lakers faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals; in Game 6, Johnson started at center and scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had seven assists.
1. Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors (1959-60)
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1. Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors (1959-60)
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Wilt Chamberlain recorded the greatest rookie season in history during the 1959-60 season with the Philadelphia Warriors. In just his first campaign, Chamberlain was named Rookie of the Year, first-team All-NBA and NBA MVP. Chamberlain earned these accolades by averaging 37.6 points per game and 27 rebounds per game. With Chamberlain's arrival, the Warriors improved from 32-40 to 49-26. The rest for Chamberlain was history.
Brian Kalchik is a Detroit Lions writer forwww.RantSports.com. Follow him onTwitter, like him onFacebook or add him to your network onGoogle+.
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