Google recently released multiple lists of some of the most searched for topics of 2019 and broke those down into the most searched terms for that particular topic.
When it came to most searched for athletes there were:
- 4 football players
- 2 baseball players
- 2 basketball players
- 2 soccer players
- 8 men, 2 women
Below is a look into every one of the 10 most searched athletes in 2019 and reasons why they were popular during the past year.
Antonio Brown
EX NFL Wide Receiver
Antonio Brown made a lot of news this year bouncing from team to team, causing trouble wherever he went, but he also was a problem of the field as well.
Early September
“Just last week, he was the one-man circus with the Oakland Raiders — the wacky wide receiver with frostbitten feet, helmet appeals, missed practices, fines and odd Instagram posts, including a post that called on the Raiders to release him.”
USA TODAY
Following those events the Raiders complied with Brown’s call to be traded and he was picked up by the New England Patriots.
Only a day later he was accused in a lawsuit by Britney Taylor, a former college classmate of Brown’s who worked with Brown as a personal trainer, of raping, sexually assaulting and sexually harassing her during incidents that allegedly took place in 2017 and 2018.
Bryce Harper
Right fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies
Harper’s massive increase in searches came from his trade early in the year.
In March of 2019 Bryce Harper got traded to the Philadelphia Phillies from the Washington Nationals in a 13 year, $330 million deal.
“It’s the most lucrative guaranteed contract signed in North American sports history, eclipsing the 10-year, $300 million contract that Manny Machado signed with the Padres just last week and the 13-year, $325 million contract extension that Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Marlins in 2014.”
MLB
David Ortiz
Retired Boston Red Sox 1st baseman
Although Ortiz retired in 2016 after playing for 20 seasons he was prominent in the news after being shot and severely wounded in June while at a bar in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Although he had immediate surgery his condition was stable and has since recovered fully.
Andrew Luck
Retired Indianapolis Colts Quarterback
Andrew Luck made headlines before the start of the 2019 NFL season with an unexpected retirement at the age of only 29.
Luck stated that his string of injuries were the key factor for his decision as the “I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live” and “It has taken the joy out of the game.
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Myles Garrett
Current Cleveland Browns defensive end
Garrett was the focal point of a brawl at the end of a Steelers – Browns game in November in which he took off the Steelers Quarterback’s helmet and hit him in the head with it on national television.
He was immediately suspended for the rest of the season and heavily fined.
The video of the brawl racked up millions of views online as well as images of it being made into popular memes.
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Megan Rapinoe
Current Team USA Soccer winger
Rapinoe caused a stir in 2019 while the women’s USA soccer team was on display at the world cup. She stated that she believed the women’s team was being treated unfairly and that there should be equal pay between the men’s and women’s teams.
Russell Westbrook
Current Houston Rockets Point Guard
After being with the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2008 Westbrook accepted a trade to the Houston Rockets in 2019 to play alongside fellow superstar James Harden.
With Westbrook and Harden together fans started talking about a Houston “super team” since Westbrook is a 9x NBA all star as well as the 2017 league MVP.
Zion Williamson
Current New Orleans Pelicans Small Forward
Zion Williamson had perhaps the most anticipated NBA debut of any basketball player ever following his phenomenal high school and college careers full of extravagant dunks.
There was no doubt that Zion would be the number 1 overall pick in which he went to the Pelicans, but unfortunately everyone had to wait a few months to see him play following a knee injury.
Melvin Gordon
Current Los Angeles Chargers Running Back
Gordon was prominent in the news after an extended holdout going well into the 2019 NFL season.
He eventually ended up rejoining the team at the start of week 5 after not getting the new contract he desired and decided to finish off his current contract.
He is willing to come back to the Chargers in 2020 but things are uncertain going into free agency.
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Alex Morgan
Current Team USA soccer player
One of the stars of team USA during the 2019 women’s world cup Morgan became even more popular last year. She was instrumental in getting USA as far as they did and unfortunately could not finish the tournament due to a knee injury.
She also announced her pregnancy in late October, which has not stopped from her practicing.
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