Top 10 Rejected Athletes That Became Successful

You’ll be surprised by some of the famous athletes who were cut from teams, faced adversity, or told they wouldn’t amount to much. For this list, we’ll be looking at athletes who overcame the odds despite being doubted. Our countdown includes Tom Brady, Dennis Rodman, Muhammad Ali, and more! Which famous athlete is the most inspirational to you? Be sure to share with us in the comments below.

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[WatchMojo]

Which famous athlete is the most inspirational to you? Be sure to share with us in the comments below.

[islandvibes]

Messi, Jordan, and Carmelo were KIDS when they were "rejected." Rodman, Warner & others should be higher because of how late it took them to blossom.

[Maxyy]

I wouldn’t consider MJ not getting on varsity when he was a freshman as being rejected.

[PeanutButterAndJellyBros]

Why is Jordan number 1!? Dude went #3 overall in his draft class. Smh

[ChefRobWithTheDualSense]

Not making varsity as a freshman isn’t rejection.

[chrisschultz]

Tom Brady was passed over by the New England Patriots 5 times before they drafted him

[guydutoit]

Forgot Jamie Vardy. I mean seriously .. Vardy is made for this list.

[patrickludington]

Mike Piazza, Dodgers (Round 62, 1988) — Piazza is arguably the most valuable selection in draft history. The Hall of Fame catcher was drafted with the 1, 390th pick

[sluggernott]

Mike Piazza needs to be on this list. Drafted as a 62nd round pick as a favor. Went on to become one of the greatest hitting Catchers of all time and a 1st ballot Hall of Famer.

[djgamecx]

If you're going to mention MJ's freshman year in high school (btw, he was 5'8" not 5'11") then I'll be damned if your not going to mention the doubts Brady faced in both high school and college. His 0-8 JV team didn't trust him to start at QB, and only got to play when the starter was hurt. He had two great last years of high school before going to Michigan. He struggled to move up the depth chart. He didn't start until his Junior year at Michigan, and had to battle constantly with a true freshman qb for 2 years, despite never slipping up or being anything less than reliable. He was disregarded by most teams before the combine, something that was reinforced by his horrendous performance there. Selected 199 overall, he was on the practice squad in his rookie year. Then he rose to backup behind Drew Bledsoe...you know the rest. Now tell me, how does this compare to one of the greatest NBA and college basketball players getting cut as a freshman in high school because he was, in fact, too short. He overcame this one obstacle before even getting his high school diploma

[sheemalmighty]

Melo was the 3rd pick in the draft so having him on this list doesn't make sense.

[jrad]

Jordan being 1 is a stretch lol. He was drafted 3rd.

[jonron]

The Michael Jordan thing always makes me laugh cuz he was never an underdog or rejected he didn’t play varsity as a freshman in high school at an extremely good program and then played varsity the next year and was highly recruited it’s not like he straight up got cut which a lot of people like to say

[Margann]

Martin St. Louis should have made this list. Everyone told him that he was too small to make it, not only in the NHL but even for junior hockey. After his NCAA career ended, he signed with the Calgary Flames but they also seemed to have no faith in him. He then went to the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a career year in 2003-04, leading the NHL in scoring, being named MVP, and winning the Stanley Cup (over Calgary). In the years following, he was a perennial All-Star, and despite finishing his career with the New York Rangers, the Lightning retired his #26 jersey. To put a cherry on top of it all, he is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

[TrueCrimeQueen]

Love your content!! Everyone be safe out there ❤️👑💛❤️

[eduardosantanagomes]

WatchMojo! Another list we agree! It's getting good kkkk

[til]

I hate when people who don’t know sports makes a sports list. Also, being “rejected” when you’re 14 isn’t a thing or setback. It’s called, Lastly, MJ going third in the draft makes him number one on this list but Tom going 199, still playing at age 43 and having more rings than MJ makes him 3rd on this list?!

[louiegssportsden]

Josh Allen didn’t receive a single division 1 scholarship. He went to junior college where he sent out 1000 recruiting letters to teams and he ended up only getting two offers. When the Buffalo Bills took him everyone thought he was gonna be the worst qb from that draft. Now he’s one of the best in the league and almost won mvp in 2020

[chloricoyster]

The MJ being rejected story is so overblown it’s ridiculous lol. Not making varsity as a freshman is not surprising at all

[kcollier]

Trivia fact: Len Dawson and Johnny Unitas were both with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the same time and both were cut- imagine what could have been...