Players often suffer from injuries sustained during games or even training but after some recovery time, they get right back on the horse and carry on. However, there are some injuries that they never recover from. These injuries force players to retire from their respective sport, which is no easy task. We took a look back and compiled the worst career ending injuries the world of sports has ever seen.
Eric LeGrand – Rutgers
Eric LeGrand didn’t play professionally, he never got the chance to. LeGrand is a former football defensive tackle who played college football at Rutgers. On October 16, 2010 during a game against the Army Black Knights, LeGrand collided with the ball carrier, Malcolm Brown, which left him motionless on the ground for several minutes before he was carried off, not being able to move his head. LeGrand suffered from a severe spinal cord injury, he tried to force a thumbs up to the crowd as he was being carried off but he was unable to do so. Doctors worked round the clock but it was determined that LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down.
Eric Legrand – Rutgers
Pat LaFontaine – New York Rangers
This Hockey Hall of Famer is a true legend, not just to his fans but anyone who is a fan of the NHL. For 15 years, LaFontaine became just one of five players in NHL history to skate for all three teams based in the state of New York. However in 1997, LaFontaine sustained a concussion because of a hit by Penguins enforcer Francois Leroux. He was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and doctors recommended that he retire. Stubbornly though, LaFontaine believed he could still play so he switched to the Rangers who has had no problem with his playing. He ended up playing one final, very productive, season with the Rangers before he sustained a collision with a teammate resulting in another concussion. He hung his skates up for good after that. And no, LaFontaine never consulted a brain injury attorney, whatever that is.
Pat Lafontaine – New York Rangers
Reggie Brown – Detroit Lions
Former American football linebacker in the NFL, Reggie Brown was 17th overall draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 1996. However, he had a very short career, just playing 32 games in the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Brown’s final game was the result of a tackle from New York Jets halfback Adrian Murrell. The tackle sustained caused Brown to remain motionless for 17 long minutes on the turf of the Pontiac Silverdome. Brown suffered a spinal cord contusion and ended up in a wheelchair from that moment on.
Reggie Brown – Detroit Lions
Kevin Everett – Buffalo Bills
After just two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, former tight end Kevin Everett’s NFL career ended tragically. Early on of the 07-08 season, Everett sustained a spinal cord injury trying to bring down the Broncos kickoff returner Domenik Hixon. He suffered from a fracture and dislocation of his cervical spine that doctors characterized as “life-threatening” the day after the injury. Doctors when on to say that it was likely the injury left him with permanent neurological impairment, however, just two days later, he gained some feeling and power back in his legs. With hard work and great physiotherapy, Everett walked in public for the first time at the Ralph Wilson Stadium before the home finale against the New York Giants on December 23, 2007. This was only three months after doctors said his chances of walking again were slim to none.
Kevin Everett – Buffalo Bills
Steve Moore – Colorado Avalanche
Steve Moore’s NHL career was cut short after just three seasons, in 1998 he was drafted to Colorado Avalanche. Moore would play 69 games for the Avalanche from 2001 to 2004, scoring five goals and seven assists. However his career came to a tragic end on March 8, 2004, during a Vancouver-Colorado game, the incident that followed has been named, “The Bertuzzi incident”. Canucks Todd Bertuzzi couldn’t get Moore to fight so Bertuzzi did what he had to. He skated after Moore, punched him in the back of the head, and fell on top of him, plus Moore’s teammate Andrei Nikolishin and Bertuzzi’s teammate Sean Pronger also fell on top of Moore as a result. The combination that Moore sustained from the hit, fall, and piling-on resulted in three fractured neck vertebrae, facial cuts and a concussion. He never played again.
Steve Moore – Colorado Avalanche
Joe Theismann – Washington Redskins
Joe Theismann was an incredibly talented quarterback for the Washington Redskins – he’s a Super Bowl champion (XVII), the NFL Man of the Year (1982), the NFL Most Valuable Player (1983), a 2× Pro Bowl (1982, 1983) and the list could just carry on. Tragically, though, no one can ever forget his career ending injury which was actually voted the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History”, and the tackle that forced him into retirement was dubbed “The Hit That No One Who Saw It Can Ever Forget” by The Washington Post. Theismann was sacked by New York Giants linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson during a Monday Night Football game which resulted in a comminuted compound fracture of his leg. During recovery, there was insufficient bone growth causing his right leg to become shorter then the other which forced him into retirement at just age 36, Theismann has never blamed Lawrence Taylor for his injury.
Joe Theismann – Washington Redskins
Kirby Puckett – Minnesota Twins
Kirby Puckett is a former all American professional baseball player. Puckett played his entire 12-year MLB career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1995. Puckett is also the Twins’ all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases. When he retired, his .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter since Joe DiMaggio. Staggering. In 1995, he was having another incredible season until he suffered from a broken jaw by a fastball thrown by Dennis Martínez. Soon after, Puckett couldn’t see out of his right eye and was diagnosed with glaucoma, three failed surgeries later, he still didn’t get his vision back. At age 36, when it was crystal clear that he’d never play again, he officially retired.
Kirby Puckett – Minnesota Twins
Mike Utley – Detroit Lions
Former football player, Mike Utley, played from 1989 through 1991 for the Detroit Lions. However his rookie career was plagued with constant injury. Sadly though, on November 17, 1991, in a game against the LA Rams, Utley suffered injury to his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. As he was being carted off, Utley flashed the crowd a “thumbs up”. He would later learn that he was largely paralyzed from the chest down.
Mike Utley – Detroit Lions
Jeff Beukeboom – Edmonton Oilers
For almost 15 years, Jeff Beukeboom dominated the ice – when he played for the Oilers, he won three Stanley Cups, and was known by everyone as a hard-hitting defenceman. When he made his move to the New York Rangers, he quickly established himself as a fan favorite and as an anchor for the defense what with his body-checks and complete willingness to protect his teammates, even if it meant fighting through. He could have gone on to achieve even greater things if he hadn’t been sucker punched the Kings, Matt Johnson, back in 1998. After the incident, Beukeboom did attempt to play again but he was constantly plagued by headaches, memory loss, nausea and confusion. Beukeboom was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and forced into retirement.
Jeff Beukeboom – Edmonton Oilers
Chris Spielman – Cleveland Browns
For about ten years, Chris Spielman was a linebacker in the NFL who was known to not just be a talented footballer but a man who was completely devoted to his family. However in 1997, Spielman suffered a neck injury which resulted in spinal surgery. He was so determined to make a comeback that he signed with the Browns in 1999 and suffered yet another neck injury and was forced into retirement.
Chris Spielman – Cleveland Browns
Michael Irvin – Dallas Cowboys
Former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin was one of greatest and one of the most well known players during his 11-year NFL career. After Irvin recovered from a collar bone injury, he went on to have an amazing career in 1997 and 1998. Then during the fifth game of the 1999 season, Irvin was tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Tim Hauck and flew head-first into the turf. Irvin had to be carted off the field on a stretcher as fans actually cheered, in an interview later on, Irvin said that “accepted Eagles fans cheering his injury because he’d been “killing them for 10 years”. His injury however led to a non-life-threatening cervical spinal cord injury and he was subsequently diagnosed with a narrow spinal column (cervical spinal stenosis), which forced him into early retirement.
Michael Irvin – Dallas Cowboys
Nick Kypreos – New York Rangers
Of Greek descent, Kypreos played eight seasons in the NHL for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Currently, he is a hockey analyst on the Sportsnet cable TV network in Canada. Nikos was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs when he suffered his career ending injury. During a pre-season game in September 1997, Kypreos got into a fight with Ryan VandenBussche, who played for the Rangers, the two got into a pretty massive fight which knocked Kypreos unconscious on the ice. After the injury, Kypreos suffered from post-concussion syndrome and was forced into retirement.
Nick Kypreos – New York Rangers
Steve Young – San Francisco 49ers
Steve Young truly left his mark as a NFL legend, he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1992 and 1994, and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX. As of October 2015, Young is ranked fourth all-time, and is ranked highest among retired players. Plus, his 43 career rushing touchdowns are second among quarterbacks, while his 4,239 rushing yards ranks third all time. Sadly, his Hall of Fame career was constantly afflicted with severe concussions. Just before the 1999 season, Young actually had seven confirmed head injuries and when he suffered his eighth in the third week of the regular season, that was the end.
Steve Young – San Francisco 49ers
David Busst – Coventry City
David Busst’s career ending injury is still often considered as the most horrific in the history of the Premier League to date. As you then guessed, David Busst is a former professional footballer (soccer player) from England who played for Coventry City. In 1996, Busst collided with two Manchester United players which resulted in compound fractures in both bones of his lower right leg. The injuries were so gruesome that he nearly had to have his leg amputated! On top of that, Busst contracted the MRSA virus while he was in the hospital, and that, along with the 26 subsequent operations, forced him into retirement.
David Busst – Coventry City
Trent McCleary – Montreal Canadiens
Trent McClear is a Canadian former pro hockey player who played for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens in the NHL. In his seven year career, he played 192 games, scoring 8 goals and 23 points. In 2000 during a game against the Philadelphia FlyersMcCleary dropped to the ice in an attempt to block a slapshot from Chris Therien. The slapshot critically injured him as he was hit in the throat, fracturing his larynx and resulting in a collapsed lung. McCleary was unable to breathe, he rushed to the bench, collapsing upon his arrival. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where doctors performed an emergency tracheotomy. He was hopeful to make a return to the ice but doctors deemed it too dangerous and he was forced into retirement.
Trent Mccleary – Montreal Canadiens
Scott Stevens – New Jersey Devils
Stevens is a loved retired pro ice hockey defenceman, and he’s currently the assistant coach of Minnesota Wild. Stevens was well known for his defensive play and his heavy body checking on opponents, what a sight. The 2003–04 NHL season would be the last for Stevens, after a slapshot hit his head and caused post-concussion syndrome, that was the end of his career.
Scott Stevens – New Jersey Devils
Brandon Roy – Minnesota Timberwolves
After five seasons of completely dominating the court, Roy was forced into retirement from a degenerative knee condition. In his career, Roy won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a near-unanimous vote. He was selected as a reserve to the 2008, 2009, and 2010 All-Star games. He also played the most minutes of any Western Conference player, and tied for the most points in the West in the 2008 season, and played the most minutes of any player during the 2009 season. He made a comeback in 2012, played for five games, and had to re-retire.
Brandon Roy -Minnesota Timberwolves
Cam Neely – Boston Bruins
Cam is a Canadian pro ice hockey executive and a former player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins from 1983 to 1996. In 2005, Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is currently the president of the Boston Bruins. On May 3 of 1991, in game 3, Neely was checked by Ulf Samuelsson, and injured on the play, he was hit again in the knee in game 6. Neely developed myositis ossificans in the injured area. The injury kept him out of all but 22 games of the next two seasons, and for the remainder of his career, he played 162 more NHL games but ultimately had to retire because of the hit causing his knee trouble.
Cam Neely – Boston Bruins
Keith Primeau – Philadelphia Flyers
From 1990–2006, Primeau skated his way to glory. With the Flyers, Primeau scored the game-winning goal in the longest game in modern NHL playoff history (five overtime periods for a total of 152 minutes and one second) against Ron Tugnutt of the Pittsburgh Penguins. As team captain, he led the team in goals (34) and tied his career high in points (73) in 2000–01. However following many head injuries, the final blow came just nine games into the 2005–06 season, he suffered a concussion and that was the end. He was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and retired within days.
Keith Primeau – Philadelphia Flyers
Robert Edwards – New England Patriots
Edwards was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round in 1998. He rushed for 1,115 yards for the Patriots in the 1998 season before a freak accident occured. Edwards blew out his knee at an NFL rookie flag football game that took place in Hawaii during Pro Bowl week. He was eerily close to having his leg amputated below the knee and was told that he might not walk again.
Robert Edwards – New England Patriots
Doc Powers – Philadelphia Athletics
From 1898 to 1909, Powers was a catcher for the Louisville Colonels and Washington Senators of the National League, and the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Highlanders of the American League. His nickname, Doc, came from the fact that he was a licensed physician as well as a ballplayer. In 1909, Powers was injured during the first game played in Philadelphia’s Shibe Park, where he crashed into a wall while chasing a foul pop-up. The collision caused internal injuries and he died two weeks later from complications from three intestinal surgeries. He was probably the first Major Leaguer to suffer an on-field injury that led to his death.
Doc Powers – Philadelphia Athletics
Sterling Sharpe – Green Bay Packers
For six seasons, Sharpe dazzled the field, he was a tough receiver with strong hands, who was always willing to go over the middle and make difficult catches in traffic. His moves were legendary and still are. In 1992, Sharpe and Brett Favre, teamed up and became one of the top passing tandems in the league. That season, Sharpe was one of only seven players in NFL history to win the “Triple Crown” at the receiver position: leading the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions. However, his tenure as wide receiver was cut short due to a neck injury that he suffered during the 1994 season, ending a career in which he was named an All-Pro five times (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994).
Sterling Sharpe – Green Bay Packers
Clayton Weishuhn – New England Patriots
Weishuhn had a two year career in the NFL, and he still holds the Patriots’ single-season record for tackles with 229 in 1983. His 229-tackle campaign was in his second season, but it was the last full season he’d play. He suffered a knee injury in Week 1 of the 1984 season which cost Weishuhn his third year. The knee problems persisted and he ended up missing the 1985 season as well. After suffering also groin and hamstring injuries, this limited him to just 4 games in the 1986 season, which was his last in the league.
Clayton Weishuhn – New England Patriots
Alvin Williams – Toronto Raptors
From 1997 until 2007, Williams was a pretty great point guard for the Raptors. However he missed a third of the 2003-04 and the entire 2004-05 season with a serious knee injury, Williams did eventually join the lineup again at the start of the 2005-06 season. Sadly, the injured knee found him back on the injured list after playing just one game that season. He is officially retired now.
Alvin Williams Raptors
Mack Strong – Seattle Seahawks
Strong played his entire 15-year career with the Seahawks. In 2005 he was selected to his first NFL Pro Bowl (again in 2006) and was chosen as an Associated Press All-Pro. Strong is known as one of the best blocking fullbacks in the NFL. However in the 2007 season, he suffered from a herniated disk in his neck that caused trauma to his spinal cord against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was told the injury would not lead to paralysis if he retired and after 15 seasons, Strong retired.
Mack Strong – Seattle Seahawks
Penny Hardaway – Phoenix Suns
Hardaway’s first NBA seasons had him playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal with the Orlando Magic, and he certainly looked like a future Hall of Famer. He dazzled everyone on the court. He was a truly dynamic point guard with a threat for triple doubles every night. However, during the 1997-98 season, a serious left knee injury cost him, and he ended up having four more surgeries on that same knee before his career was over.
Penny Hardaway – Phoenix Suns
Ray Chapman – Cleveland Indians
Chapman’s entire career, as a shortstop, was with the Cleveland Indians. In 1920, Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch that was thrown by Yankees pitcher Carl Mays, and Chapman sadly died just 12 hours later. Chapman is still the only Major League Baseball player who died from an injury received at a major league baseball game. His death forced umpires to change the ball when it gets dirty and it also banned the spitball. Some 30 years later, helmets became necessary.
Ray Chapman Cleveland Indians
Bo Jackson – Oakland Raiders
Bo Jackson is one of few athletes to be named an All-Star in two major sports, and he is the only one to do so in both baseball and football. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. However Jackson’s sports career was ended due to an NFL injury to his left hip in 1991, against the Bengals. He was diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the hip joint and he lost all of the cartilage supporting his hip thus forcing him into retirement.
Bo Jackson – Oakland Raiders
Marc Savard – Boston Bruins
Savard and the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006 were magical, his impact as a top line center and once of the top play-makers in hockey, averaging just under 90 points per season from 2005-06 through 2008-09. While with the Boston Bruins, from 2006–2011, his career took a bad turn after he was hit by Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Cooke, resulting in a severe concussion. He did return for the 2010 postseason, but suffered another concussion in January 2011 and didn’t play again for the rest of the season. He was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and still suffers from it to this day.
Marc Savard – Boston Bruins
Darryl Stingley – New England Patriots
Stingley played his entire four year career with the New England Patriots. Stingley had 110 receptions, 1, 883 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. In a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders in 1978, Stingley was hit by defensive back Jack Tatum. Stingley’s helmet made contact with Tatum’s shoulder pad, and the hit compressed his spinal cord and broke his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. He would eventually regain limited movement in his right arm, but for the rest of his life, he was a quadriplegic. The injury came just after he had negotiated a contract extension that would have made him one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL. The incident became a symbol of violence in football and the NFL changed its rules to curtail aggressive plays. In 2007, Stingley passed away from heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia.
Darryl Stingley – New England Patriots
Bubba Smith – Baltimore Colts
Bubba Smith had an incredible college career, in 1988 he was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and Michigan State even retired his number 95 jersey. Smith would go on to spend nine seasons in the NFL as a defensive end. However, in the 1972 preseason, he ran into a solid steel pole that the NFL was using back then time to mark yardage. His injury caused him to miss the rest of the season. Not long after, he retired and became an actor. You probably recognize him from the Police Academy movie series.
Bubba Smith – Baltimore Colts
Bill Walton – Boston Celtics
Walton got him superstardom by playing for John Wooden’s powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early 70s, he won three successive College Player of the Year Awards, while leading the Bruins to two Division I national titles. Walton would go on to have a prominent career in the NBA as he earned a league Most Valuable Player (MVP) and won two NBA championships. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year. However his professional career was significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries, he had several reconstructive surgeries on his injured foot but it wasn’t enough.
Bill Walton – Boston Celtics
Marcus Lattimore – 49ers
While enrolled at the University of South Carolina, Lattimore was highly sought after, and ended up being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. In 2011 against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Lattimore tore a knee ligament and it was announced that he would miss the remainder of the 2011 season. In 2012, he made a comeback but during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers, he had dislocated his right knee and torn every ligament, while also damaging the nerve. A couple months after his surgery, he declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft.
Marcus Lattimore – 49ers
Grant Hill – Phoenix Suns
Hill’s college career at Duke was extraordinary as was his time in the NBA. After his first six seasons, before his ankle injury, Hill had a total of 9,393 points, 3,417 rebounds and 2,720 assists. The only three players in league history who got these numbers after their first six seasons are Oscar Robertson, Bird, and LeBron James. On April 15, 2000, just 7 days before the start of the playoffs, Hill sprained his left ankle in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers and this injury proved to be a major liability in the years to come.
Grant Hill – Phoenix Suns
Mark Prior – Chicago Cubs
Prior’s pitches were all the craze as he had a mid-90s mph fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup all throughout his career, however his Chicago Cubs career was plagued with injuries. From 2007 to 2013, Prior bounced around from team to team, still suffering from injuries until he finally retired.
Mark Prior – Chicago Cubs
Kerry Wood – Chicago Cubs
If we’re going to talk about Mark Prior then Kerry Wood is up next. Wood played 14 seasons for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. He was a 20-year-old rookie when he recorded 20 strikeouts in a one-hit shutout against the Houston Astros, which some argue may be the greatest single-game pitching performance in MLB history. The game also made Wood the co-holder of the MLB record for strikeouts in a single game and earned him the nickname, Kid K. Wood would go on to record over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003, and holds several MLB strikeout records. All throughout his career, he suffered from injuries but still managed to be named an All-Star twice. In his career, he was on the disabled list 14 times in 14 major league seasons, which included missing the entire 1999 season.
Kerry Wood – Chicago Cubs
Tony Conigliaro – Boston Red Sox
In 1965, Conigliaro led the league in home runs (32), and becoamethe youngest home run champion in American League history. He was then selected for the All-Star Game in 1967 and in that season, at just the age of 22, he not only reached a career total of 100 home runs, but attained that milestone at the youngest age for an American League player. In 1967, the Red Sox were playing the California Angels and Conigliaro was hit by a pitch from Jack Hamilton on his left cheekbone, resulting in his being carried off the field on a stretcher. He sustained a linear fracture of the left cheekbone and a dislocated jaw with severe damage to his left retina. A year and a half later, he would return (earning Comeback Player of the Year honors) but he was forced to retire because his eyesight had been permanently damaged.
Tony Conigliaro – Boston Red Sox
T.J. Ford – San Antonio Spurs
Ford received numerous top basketball accolades while in high school and college, he then entered the 2003 NBA draft and was chosen eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. During his rookie season, he suffered a contusion of the spinal cord, a career-threatening injury. Ford ended up missing the entire 2004–05 season due to his spinal cord injury. While he did make a full recovery and returned to the court, he was never the same and ultimately retired in 2012.
T.J. Ford – San Antonio Spurs
David Wilson – New York Giants
As a kid, Wilson dreamed of playing for the Giants and in 2012, that dream became reality. He impressed scouts with his athleticism and was widely considered a top 5 running back behind Trent Richardson. Tragically, after just two seasons, Wilson was placed on season-ending injured reserve after suffering what doctors called spinal stenosis. Doctors told Wilson that if he ever played again, he faced an increased risk of serious neck injury. Wilson underwent neck surgery in 2014 and was ruled out for the year due to his neck again. Again, doctors advised him not to play football because of his recurring neck injuries, so he was forced to announce his retirement from the NFL that same year.
David Wilson – New York Giants
Rudy Tomjanovich – Houston Rockets
Rudy Tomjanovich’s injury changed the course of basketball. It was December 9th, 1977 and the Lakers were playing against the Houston Rockets. A fight broke out on the court and Tomjanovich rushed to aid his teammate Kevin Kunnert, who had tussled first with Abdul-Jabbar, then with Kermit Washington. Tomjanovich ran up right behind Washington, who then turned around and delivered a near fatal right-hand punch straight to Tomjanovich’s face, knocking him hard to the floor and leaving him in a pool of blood. Tomjanovich’s hit was like being thrown from a car going 50 miles per hour – his skull dislocated and spinal fluid was leaking from his brain. He would recover but his NBA career never regained, two years later, he retired and became a successful
NBA coach.
Rudy Tomjanovich – Houston Rockets
Dean Ashton – West Ham United
This one hits just a little too close to home, as I have been a West Ham United fan since I was a kid! For those of you who don’t know much about the English Premier League, it is one of most popular football (soccer) leagues in the world. Dean Ashton played as a forward, and a highly praised one at that, during his 240 appearances for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and West Ham United and for the national club, England. While Ashton was tearing up the pitch at West Ham United, he was called up to play for England but it was during his England call up that Ashton suffered a serious ankle injury which forced him to miss an entire season at West Ham. After his recovery, he attempted to make a few comebacks but was forced into retirement at the very young age of 26.
Dean Ashton – West Ham United
Daunte Culpepper – Minnesota Vikings
Daunte Culpepper easily had the greatest breakout season a quarterback could have. Back in 2005, while playing for the Vikings, Culpepper suffered from a major knee injury during a game against the Panthers. Culpepper ended up damaging three of the four major ligaments in his knee and was placed on IR shortly thereafter. In 2006, he was drafted to the Dolphins for his comeback but he just couldn’t shake off his injury and ended up only starting 24 games in his final four seasons in the league. Culpepper was named the 45th best quarterback of the modern era by Football Nation.
Daunte Culpepper – Minnesota Vikings
Baron Davis – New York Knicks
When Davis was with the Knicks, he was a key player for the team. In 2012, they even made it to the playoffs, facing eventual champs, Miami Heat. In Game 4, the Knicks’ only win in the series, Davis grabbed a rebound and marched up the court. He went to take a shot, but as he extended his arms, his knee buckled and down he went. At first, the injury didn’t look that bad, but replays show his knee buckle inward as his foot stays planted on the court. Ouch is an understatement.
Baron Davis – New York Knicks
Glen Davis – Boston Celtics
Davis’s nickname was “Big Baby” so no one took him quite seriously when it came to injuries. During a 2010 playoff game, the referees continued play after Davis landed on the floor and stayed there. He had gone up for a rebound but collided with several players before he landed on his head. When Davis fell into the arms of a ref, after wobbling around the court, they called a time out. Davis had suffered a concussion and while he eventually came back, he’s never been quite the same player.
Glen Davis – Boston Celtics
Andrew Bogut – Milwaukee Bucks
Picture it, the Bucks center Andrew Bogut at a 2010 game against the Suns, goes for a dunk in the second quarter. Sounds pretty good so far, right? Well, here’s the tragic bit. He landed poorly. Now when we say poorly, we mean, bone crunching poor. It was so bad, everyone knew it the second it happened. The announcers were crying “oh no” over and over, everyone had painful looks upon their faces as they starred at Bogut in horror. You could actually hear him on the telecast, screaming in pain. Bogut suffered a broken hand, sprained wrist, and dislocated elbow.
Andrew Bogut – Milwaukee Bucks
Marquis Daniels – Boston Celtics
This was an injury no one quite understood how it came about, Daniels was driving the ball down the court when he just suddenly fell over. Daniels was barely touched by the defender but he fell and hit his head on the court floor so incredibly hard, everyone heard the thumb over the broadcast. At first, it wasn’t clear what was happening but as soon as the medical staff examined him – it was clear that Daniels wasn’t moving. He lay motionless for five minutes and was carried out on a stretcher. Daniels suffered a bruised spinal cord and somehow only missed 1-2 months.
Marquis Daniels – Boston Celtics
Shaun Livingston – Los Angeles Clippers
Back when Livingston played for the Clippers, he suffered a horrendous knee injury. Livingston went up for a dunk but came down in a split causing his left knee to buckle and snap in the wrong direction. That night, he tore his anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, suffered collateral ligaments, and dislocated his kneecap. If you listen to the replay, you can hear his agonizing screams. This injury ~should~ have ended his career and it was pretty darn close. The next few years, he bounced around teams with little success. However since 2014, he’s been with the Golden State Warriors and has found success yet again. Hard work and determination pays off.
Shaun Livingston – Los Angeles Clippers
LeCharles Bentley – Cleveland Browns
When Bentley began the 2006 campaign, he was already a two-time Pro Bowler and had the fortune to sign with his dream team, the Browns. However, his career would forever be damaged after he injured his knee in the first 11-on-11 drills in camp that year for Cleveland. Later it was revealed that Bentley suffered from a staph infection and required four additional surgeries following the knee injury. Bentley claims that the infection was so bad that he almost had to have his leg amputated. He sued the Browns over the infection but later settled the matter out of court back in 2012.
LeCharles Bentley – Cleveland Browns
Joel Przybilla – Portland Trail Blazers
In 2009, Joel Przybilla ruptured his Patella tendon in a game against the Mavericks. He came down from a rebound and landed on his knee awkwardly, and that was it. He had surgery days later but after that, he missed the rest of the season and never bounced back fully. He officially retired in 2014.
Joel Przybilla – Portland Trail Blazers
Trent Green – St. Louis Rams
Back in 1999, Green was set to be the starter for the Rams, but he suffered a gruesome season-ending knee injury during a preseason game, after a hit by Rodney Harrison of the Chargers. He did re-bound the next year and went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. He officially retired in 2009 and became a sports analyst with CBS Sports.
Trent Green – St. Louis Rams
Stone Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs
Stone Johnson ended up fracturing his neck at a preseason game against the Houston Oilers. He was rushed to the hospital unresponsive and doctors said he was paralyzed from the neck down. Tragically, Johnson passed away a mere eight days later. After an incredible performance at the 1960 Olympics, Johnson was brought in by the Chiefs, he could have maybe accomplished so much if back then, the modern medicine advances we have now existed.
Stone Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs
Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
Now we’re cheating a bit including Steve Nash on this list as his injury wasn’t career ending but it was a thing of nightmares. In 2010, the Suns and the Pacers duked it out. Nash was defending when a drive from Earl Watson inadvertently elbowed Nash smack in the face. Nash was sent flying back as if Superman had punched him. When he got to his feet, the camera zoomed in on his face, Nash was bleeding heavily from his nose but he was smiling and laughing! Even though his mouth was full of blood and his face was covered in nothing but blood.
Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
Greg Oden – Portland Trail Blazers
Sadly, Greg Oden’s name is synonymous with the term “bust.” Oden’s rather brief NBA career was plagued by injuries and it all came to a screeching halt in December 2009. A teammate bumped into Oden which sent him to the ground and this simple fall was all it took to break Oden’s kneecap. He missed the rest of the season, underwent numerous surgeries throughout the years, and he didn’t play again until the 2013-2014 season with the Miami Heat, after which he was cut anyway. He’s now with the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese League.
Greg Oden -Portland Trail Blazers
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Before 2012 rolled around, Derrick Rose had a glowing and impressive career. He was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009, All-NBA First Team in 2011, a 3× NBA All-Star from 2010–2012, and the NBA MVP in 2011. Tragically, during the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the 76ers, Rose tore his ACL in his left knee. He required surgery and was subsequently sidelined for the entire season. Rose would return in 2013–14, but he suffered yet another injury. Rose returned once again the following season, but his knee injuries continued to sideline him, until he was finally traded to the Knicks in June 2016.
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Ki-Jana Carter – Cincinnati Bengals
Say whatever you want about Ki-Jana but there is no denying that he had talent. He played college ball at Penn State and earned All-American honors. He was also the No. 1 draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. More often than not, he’s considered a “bust” as Carter was seemingly plagued with injuries from his rookie season on. He ended up tearing a ligament in his knee at his first preseason game of his rookie year, and never fully recovered – as such, he missed the entire 1995 season. After this, it was injury after injury until finally he retired in 1999.
Ki Jana Carter – Cincinnati Bengals
Jason Sehorn – New York Giants
Sehorn’s career was impeccable until it wasn’t. After back-to-back successful seasons in 1996-97 with the Giants, Sehorn suffered a stunning and crippling knee injury, he tore his MCL and ACL while returning the opening kickoff during a 1998 preseason game against the Jets. He would return the following season and played for five more but with severely diminished speed. He retired in 2003 and is currently a panelist for Fox Sports Net.
Jason Sehorn – New York Giants
Andrew Bynum – Los Angeles Lakers
Bynum’s rookie season was off and running in lightning fashion, until the 2007–08 season. On January 13, he suffered a horrific knee injury during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum partially dislocated his left kneecap after he landed awkwardly on teammate Lamar Odom’s left foot while attempting to grab a rebound. He missed the following 32 games of that season and re-injured the knee the following year, missing the start of the next season. After this, he is still plagued with knee problems.
Andrew Bynum – Los Angeles Lakers
Jamal Lewis – Baltimore Ravens
Jamal Lewis was rather unlucky considering the entire nation witnessed his defining knee injury on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” during a training camp following Baltimore’s Super Bowl run in 2000. He ended up missing the entire 2001 season but (!) he returned and played better than ever. Lewis had rushed for 2,066 yards to lead the league and fell just 39 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record.
Jamal Lewis – Baltimore Ravens
Jamal Crawford – Chicago Bulls
In 2003, Jamal Crawford played for the Bulls, he was guarding a Timberwolves player as he went up for the ball. Crawford somehow landed on the back of the player, rolling down and landing with sheer force on his neck and the back of his head. His legs even went over his head and he lay crumpled on the ground in excruciating pain. The medics applied a brace over his neck and he was quickly taken off on a stretcher, everyone stood motionless, barely making a peep as Crawford lay there motionless for a few minutes. He is rather lucky though as he only sprained his neck and was out of hospital the next day.
Jamal Crawford – Chicago Bulls
Niles Paul – Washington Redskins
Since 2011, Paul played for the Redskins and not surprisingly, in 2015, the Redskins re-signed Paul to a three-year, $10 million contract. However, tragically, Paul suffered a devastating season ending ankle fracture dislocation, in the first preseason game against the Browns. This was a huge setback for this rising star. Currently, he’s still on the injured reserve list following another injury sustained during week 8 in 2016.
Niles Paul – Washington Redskins