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5 greatest Broncos one-hit wonder seasons in franchise history

Tim Tebow isn't the only great one-hit wonder in Denver Broncos franchise history. What other players put together remarkable individual seasons?

By Sayre Bedinger

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Kansas City Chiefs v Denver Broncos / Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages
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3. Olandis Gary, RB (1999)

Olandis Gary having a massive 1999 season was both amazing and unwelcomed. Nobody wanted to have to see Olandis Gary have a huge year in 1999, but we're all glad that he did, because it turned out to be a pretty amazing individual season for him.

Unfortunately, the reason Gary had to have a big season for the Broncos in 1999 was because of the fact that former MVP Terrell Davis went down with a knee injury. Little did anyone know at the time that TD's knee injury would end up being effectively a career-ending one.

Over the course of his NFL career, Olandis Gary only played five seasons. He played just 12 games for the Broncos in 1999 and he only appeared in 48 games in total. But in that 1999 season with the Denver Broncos, Gary's rookie year in the league, he ran hard in the opportunities he was given.

In that 1999 campaign, Gary carried the ball 276 times for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns. He would only top 300 yards one other time in his NFL career -- the 2003 season with the Detroit Lions. It was so critical for Gary to have a big year that year in 1999 not only because Terrell Davis was injured, but because the Broncos needed to rely on the running game as their backbone. They were breaking in quarterback Brian Griese as a first-year starter, and Mike Shanahan was committed to a strong, consistent running game.

Interestingly enough, Gary came through the Georgia Bulldogs program not long after Terrell Davis. Davis was there until 1994 and Gary was there until 1998.

Although Olandis Gary was a one-hit wonder for the Denver Broncos, he actually ended up starting a trend. The Broncos had so many 1,000-yard rushers from 1998-2008 that people believed Mike Shanahan could stick anyone in his system and have success. And he basically did. Six different backs had over 1,000 yards rushing in that timeframe, and although it was officially started by Terrell Davis, it was Gary who began the belief that just about anyone could go back there and do it.

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