Athletes Whose Promising Careers Were Cut Short Due To Injuries
Most people don’t realize how dangerous athletes’ jobs are until someone gets injured. An athlete’s promising career can be cut short by a horrific injury, which is the worst possible outcome. They could have had much longer and more successful careers if they hadn’t been forced to retire due to injury.
Robert Edwards
In his first year after being drafted, this rookie running back for the Patriots rushed for more than 1,100 yards. Unfortunately, a freak accident during the Beach Bowl resulted in a severe injury that required amputation of his left leg. He returned to the NFL in 2002, but he only managed 20 rushes in a total of 12 games, which ended his career. After that, he played in the Canadian Football League for a short time before retiring from the sport.
Daunte Culpepper
Culpepper had all the makings of the next big quarterback name in football in the early 2000s. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, in 2000, 2003, and 2004, and he led the league in passing yards, completions, touchdowns, and interceptions that year.
Daunte Culpepper
His knee was completely demolished the following year, with three major parts of it torn. Only 24 more games were played over the next four seasons of his career. Unlike Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Culpepper’s career faded away due to his injury.
Penny Hardaway
Hardaway looked like he was destined for the Hall of Fame when he first started playing in the NBA alongside Shaq. He was a great point guard who was always on the verge of a triple-double, and he even had his own commercials.
Penny Hardaway
However, he was benched after injuring his left knee in the 1997-1998 season. After the first surgery, he would have to go through four more before his career came to a tragic end.
Marc Savard
Savard, an avid hockey player, made a name for himself as a top-line center in 2006, averaging just under 90 points per season from 2005 to 2009. Sadly, he suffered a severe concussion in 2010 at the hands of Matt Cooke.
Marc Savard
After returning for the 2010 postseason, he suffered another concussion in 2011, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. He hasn’t been able to play since then, forcing his career to come to a dramatic and tragic end.
Grant Hill
The third overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, Grant Hill was widely regarded as one of the game’s best all-around players. Multiple ankle surgeries, however, put an end to that dream.
Grant Hill
Hill went on to play 200 games or so over the course of seven years, despite chronic ankle issues caused by his numerous surgeries. It had been a bad downhill spiral for him, given that he had once been considered one of the best.
Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson is so well-known that he appears in almost every discussion of the best athletes in the world. He was the first athlete to be named to the MLB and NFL All-Star teams, and he also competed in track and field.
Bo Jackson
He went on to achieve many great feats in baseball and football, cementing his status as a legend, but in 1990, his hip was dislocated in a freak injury during a football game. After that, he only played a few more seasons due to his injury, which he never fully recovered from.
Mark Prior
Mark Prior is yet another example of the Chicago Cubs’ bad luck over the last century. At the age of 22, this blue-chip ace went 18-6 with a 2.42 ERA in 2003. With 266 strikeouts, he was one of the best pitchers in the league.
Mark Prior
The problem is that Prior’s career was hampered by more than one injury. Due to a slew of regular, chronic injury cases ranging from elbows to shoulders and everything in between, he was out of the major leagues by 2007.
Kerry Wood
Do you recall how we said the Cubs were cursed? Kerry Wood was another blue-chip ace from the same team as Mark Prior, and he suffered a similar fate. Wood went 14-11 with a 3.20 ERA and 245 strikeouts in 245 innings pitched.
Kerry Wood
Wood, too, was out of the game by 2007, due to the same issues that plagued Mark Prior. His career was cut short due to a slew of injuries and chronic conditions that he couldn’t overcome.
Bill Walton
Bill Walton is widely regarded as one of the best college basketball players of all time. His UCLA teams won 88 games in a row at one point. Due to his exceptional abilities, he was awarded the Naismith Trophy three times.
Bill Walton
Unfortunately, foot and ankle injuries limited Walton’s ability to play in games, and he decided to retire because he wasn’t getting enough time on the court to justify his presence.
Tony Conigliaro
Tony Conigliaro is often at the forefront of people’s minds when they think of tragic sports injuries. This Red Sox slugger hit 32 home runs at the age of 20, and 104 by the time he was 22.
Tony Conigliaro
However, in 1967, he was struck in the face by a pitch just below his eye. From that point on, his vision began to deteriorate, and his once-certain career as a celebrity faded away.
Nick Kypreos
It’s fortunate for Kypreos that he was able to play hockey for a decade longer than some of the other athletes on this list. In the end, it wasn’t so much that he sustained one major injury as it was that he developed chronic problems as a result of multiple concussions over the years.
Nick Kypreos
Worst of all, he suffered a final concussion as a result of an impact from his own teammate, Ryan VanderBussche, which forced him to retire. Many people think of football as the sport with the most injured athletes, but you’d be surprised how many hockey players make the list.
Alvin Williams
Due to an extensive knee injury in his third season, Alvin Williams was sidelined for the majority of his five-year career in the NBA. This guard, like many others, had a difficult time regaining his composure.
Alvin Williams
After that injury, he tried two times to reclaim his former glory, but he was never able to do so, resulting in a career that was far less illustrious than it could have been.
Dean Ashton
In his prime, this English soccer player was a force to be reckoned with, having represented both the England national team and West Ham United. In 2006, he broke his ankle, and that was the beginning of the end for him.
Dean Ashton
After recovering from his injury, Ashton was able to play one more season, but lingering pain and complications from his broken ankle prevented him from fully returning to the game, and he had to retire at the young age of 26.
Jeff Beukeboom
Another athlete who has had the opportunity to play his sport for a long time: fifteen years in the National Football League. If Matt Johnson hadn’t seriously rattled his brain cage in 1998, he could have played much longer.
Jeff Beukeboom
Following the collision, Beukeboom experienced a variety of symptoms associated with post-concussion syndrome, including confusion, nausea, headaches, and memory loss. He had no choice but to retire from the sport because of all of these issues.
Chris Spielman
Chris Spielman may have spent ten years in the NFL, but he spent the last few of them recovering from serious neck injuries. His playing ability was severely hampered by a neck injury in 1997, which necessitated neck surgery.
Chris Spielman
In 1999, Spielman came close to making a comeback, but he was forced to retire before any more serious injuries could be sustained after suffering another neck injury before the regular season even began.
Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens is another example of a player who had a great career but was forced to retire due to a series of injuries over the years. He announced his retirement after the 2003–2004 season, citing multiple concussions during his two decades on the field.
Scott Stevens
He didn’t actually finish the season because he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome in November of that year, forcing him to sit out. Even today, concussions are one of the most dangerous hazards for football players.
Steve Young
Steve Young is notable for his ability to successfully fill Joe Montana’s illustrious shoes. Unfortunately, his Hall of Fame career was littered with concussions: prior to 1999, he had seven confirmed head injuries.
Steve Young
That year, he suffered his eighth head injury, and after all of this, Steve Young decided to end his career for his own safety. In our opinion, this is a wise decision.
Cam Neely
Prior to his retirement in 1996, Cam Neely was able to play in all 13 seasons of his NHL career. Fans wished for a longer career, but to be honest, it was several seasons longer than it should have been in the first place.
Cam Neely
After suffering a devastating knee injury in Game 3 of the Wales Conference Finals, Neely tried to reclaim his form after the fact, but he only played in 162 games in the final five years of his NHL career, and he was never quite as good as he had been before.
Keith Primeau
Not only in football, but in all contact sports, concussions are a serious threat. Keith Primeau had a sixteen-year NHL career, but he suffered numerous head injuries along the way. The captain of the Philadelphia Flyers suffered yet another concussion nine games into the 2005-200 season.
Keith Primeau
Several days after the injury, Primeau was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, and he decided to retire from the NHL, prioritizing his health over any further success on the rink.
Kevin Everett
Kevin Everett’s NFL career was cut short after only two seasons in Buffalo. Everett suffered a terrible spinal cord injury during the 2007-2008 season that came dangerously close to paralyzing him. Needless to say, returning to the NFL was out of the question.
Kevin Everett
He was eventually able to regain some control of his legs and walk on his own again, but never to the point where he could play contact sports. Everett’s once illustrious career came to an end with this.
Joe Theisman
Joe Theisman spent his entire NFL career with the Washington Redskins, and during that time, he helped the team win two Super Bowls. Unfortunately, due to a catastrophic injury in 1985, his career, which could have been even longer and more illustrious, came to an end.
Joe Theisman
Theisman suffered a devastating injury when both bones in his lower right leg were broken after taking a hit from Giants linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson. He’d never be able to play again after that.
Luc Nilis
Leg fractures are a common hazard for soccer players, as they throw their legs around with all their might. Luc Nilis had a long and successful career as a striker for Belgium and the Netherlands, but an injury ended his career prematurely.
Luc Nilis
He collided with goalkeeper Richard Wright in September of 2000, resulting in a double compound fracture in his right shin. Worse, the injury became infected at one point, resulting in the possibility of amputation. Needless to say, his professional career had come to an end.
Michael Irvin
During his time with the Cowboys as a wide receiver, Michael Irvin was one of the most popular players in the league. He was flamboyant and entertaining, and he knew how to draw attention to himself. Unfortunately, against the Eagles in 1999, he suffered a career-ending injury.
Michael Irvin
The sad part is that Eagles fans were ecstatic with the result, cheering as Irvin was wheeled out on a stretcher. We understand it was a good thing for them in theory, but that’s a bit of a mess.
Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett spent his entire eleven-year MLB career in Minnesota. In 1995, he was hit in the jaw by a fastball, which broke it. In the Minors, he tried to regain from his injury, but it was not to be.
Kirby Puckett
He was diagnosed with Glaucoma in 1996 after waking up one night without vision in his right eye. He had no choice but to retire from the sport after three surgeries failed to resolve the problem.
Mike Utley
Mike Utley’s career with the NFL’s Lions looked promising at first, but it ended abruptly in a game against the Rams in his third season. What is the root of the problem? He suffered a spinal injury affecting his sixth and seventh vertebrae.
Mike Utley
Utley gave fans a thumbs-up as he was wheeled away from the field as if to reassure them that everything would be fine. However, it was later discovered that he was paralyzed from the neck down.
Pat LaFontaine
LaFontaine played in the NHL for fifteen years and had a very successful career. One of those years, however, he went against his doctors’ advice. In 1997, he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome after suffering a concussion. The Sabres refused to let him play again after that.
Pat LaFontaine
The Rangers, on the other hand, had no such reservations, allowing LaFontaine to return for another season despite suffering a second concussion during that time. He never returned to the ice after that.
David Busst
In 1996, this professional English soccer player suffered a career-ending injury while playing against Manchester United. He suffered two compound fractures in both bones of his lower right leg, similar to another soccer player on this list.
David Busst
His leg was nearly amputated due to the severity of the injury, and he also contracted the MRSA virus while in the hospital. Busst was unable to return to the game after undergoing 26 operations as a result of his injury.
Steve Moore
Steve Moore had a memorable but brief NHL career that lasted only three seasons, thanks to a cheap shot from the Canucks’ resident jerkwad, Todd Bertuzzi. Moore suffered a concussion and three cracked vertebrae as a result of the hit, and he was forced to retire from the game.
Steve Moore
Because of his violent behavior, Bertuzzi was formally charged with assault. He eventually admitted to the charge and was sentenced to prison. Hopefully, a substantial sum of money was awarded in that lawsuit.
Mack Strong
This NFL player spent his entire career in Seattle, which also means it ended there. Mack suffered a herniated disk during a game against the Steelers in the 2007-2008 season. Unfortunately, the trauma caused damage to the spinal cord.
Mack Strong
Fortunately, Strong was not paralyzed in any way as a result of the injury, but due to the close call on his physical health, he decided to retire from the sport.
Trent McCleary
McCleary’s situation is unfortunate: he suffered a major eye injury in his first season of hockey, but he was able to recover and play again. He was hit in the throat by a hockey puck a year later.
Trent McCleary
He suffered a fractured larynx and a collapsed lung as a result of the collision, and despite his best efforts to return to the game later, the shortness of breath he experienced as a result of the injury made it impossible to properly condition himself for the sport.
Reggie Brown
Reggie Brown was drafted by the Lions in 1996, and it’s difficult to say how far he progressed in the NFL. He only got to play 32 games before suffering a career-ending spinal cord contusion in a game against the Jets.
Reggie Brown
Medics had to wait 17 minutes before they were able to stabilize his condition and safely remove him from the battlefield. Sadly, his professional life was not saved along with it.
Darryl Stingley
Stingley’s NFL career lasted only four seasons, all of which he spent playing wide receiver for the New England Patriots. Two of his vertebrae were broken, and his spinal cord was compressed after a collision with Raiders player Jack Tatum.
Darryl Stingley
He became paralyzed as a result of the injury. Over time, he regained some sensation in his arms, but he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. It just goes to show that players are willing to take enormous risks for the sake of the game and the public’s entertainment.
Eric LeGrand
LeGrand, on the other hand, was never able to play in the NFL. He was a defensive tackle for Rutgers until a game against Navy in 2010 when he suffered a catastrophic spinal injury. He could only move his head and nothing else when he was taken off the field.
Eric LeGrand
He was paralyzed from the neck down, doctors discovered later. When it comes to risks like this, we have to commend players for taking them on head-on, though science should probably come up with some better ways to keep players safe.
Brandon Roy
Roy was a three-time All-Star after only four NBA seasons, indicating that he had quickly established himself as a great player. Unfortunately, his reputation as one of the game’s best guards was tarnished when knee injuries forced him to retire early at the age of 29.
Brandon Roy
His bad luck continued when he underwent surgery to remove some cartilage from his left knee, only to tear a portion of his right knee shortly after. He had to retire due to a degenerative knee condition caused by a lack of cartilage in both knees.
Clayton Weishuhn
Weishuhn had a brief NFL career, but with 229 tackles in 1983, he set a new Patriots single-season tackles record. That incredible record was set in his second season of playing, but unfortunately, it was also his final season.
Clayton Weishuhn
He missed the 1984 season due to a knee injury, and continued complications cost him the 1985 season as well. In 1986, he injured his groin and hamstring, resulting in a shortened season, not to mention his final in the NFL. Despite his brief career, he left an indelible mark on the record books.