8 greatest one-hit wonder Vikings seasons of the last 30 years

The Minnesota Vikings have had a number of notable players in franchise history. Who have been some of the biggest one-hit wonders for the team in the past 30 years?

In over 60 years as a franchise, the Minnesota Vikings have had plenty of exciting seasons. The team has appeared in four Super Bowls and had several more close calls.

Although plenty of memorable stars helped make those seasons possible, there were also a number of lesser-known players who contributed, at least for one year.

Analyzing each Vikings roster since 1961 for every one-hit wonder would require dissertation-level research.

So, without further ado, here is a look at Minnesota's eight greatest one-hit wonders of the past 30 years.

Player No. 1

Fernando Smith - DE (1996)

Fernando Smith was a second-round pick of the Vikings in the 1994 NFL Draft out of Jackson State. He spent all, or parts, of five years with Minnesota. However, his 1996 season was far and away his best.

In the 1994 and 1995 seasons combined, Smith started only one time and had totals of 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Then, he suddenly exploded onto the scene in 1996. That season, Smith started all 16 games and collected career-highs in tackles (65) and sacks (9.5), and added three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. 

Meanwhile, Minnesota went 9-7 with a 15th-ranked defense and lost in the Wild Card round to Dallas. In 1997, Smith had 41 tackles and four sacks before playing a year with Jacksonville in 1997 and Baltimore in 1998.  Smith returned to the Vikings for part of the 2000 season and netted three tackles.