It happened in a game between Busst’s Coventry City and Manchester United in … The impact of Stingley’s head hitting Tatum’s shoulder pad compressed the receiver’s spine and broke his fourth-and-fifth vertebrae. Injuries are second nature to the game; it is like a right of passage for all football players to go through and get injured while on the field. 7 on our list of NFL players that suffered career-ending injuries. 5/09. Website by Oil Can Marketing. Jackson suffered a serious hip injury in 1991 against the Cincinnati Bengals that ended his football career. Only half of those treated for “patellar” injuries to kneecap tendons returned to play, while 73 percent of players with Achilles injuries and 82 percent with ACL injuries returned to the field. David M. Pollack (born June 19, 1982) is a former professional American football linebacker who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL), having suffered a career-ending injury in the second game of his second season. In the NCAA there are 20,718 football injuries a year, and of those, 841 are spinal injuries. Individuals with kneecap tendon injuries and ACL tears were the most likely to see a decline in on-field performance. These are the injuries that go beyond a sprained ankle and the common pulled muscle. The force of being pulled to the ground caused his tendons to rupture, with doctors finding his kneecaps had been pushed deep into his thighs as a result of the trauma. With some of the author’s clients, this conversation ends quickly; with others, it goes on. Utley was a third-year player for the Detroit Lions and he was entrenched in their lineup as the starting right guard on an offensive line blocking for the legendary Barry Sanders. During his college football career, an impact left him temporarily paralyzed with a tingling sensation in his arms and neck, but the neurosurgeon gave Doughty the “go-ahead” to keep playing. Utley had a short NFL career, but his injury was one that shows the dangers involved with being a football player at any level. Stingley passed away in 2007 due to heart disease complicated by his quadriplegia. Maybe his injury doesn't qualify as career-ending, since he actually came back and played, but since Tony Conigliaro is here then I would nominate Bo Jackson. David Busst’s career-ending injury has been widely regarded as the worst injury in the history of football. Today, in this module, we're going to update you on the concussion litigation, and the injury litigation that has been brought by the NFL players. Probably the most famous football injury, but it isn’t quite enough to take the top spot on our list of the worst NFL injuries. But fears of career-ending injuries lurk in the back of the minds of professional football players every time they take the field, and a new … A first generation running quarterback, Young was no stranger to helmet-to-helmet hits and the concussions that came along with those hits. Planting to catch an underthrown pass, Davis had his feet catch in the unforgiving astroturf at Veterans Stadium. Another Hall of Famer whose career was cut dreadfully short due to nagging injuries, Gale Sayers is No. 4 years ago. Return-to-field rates were the worse for injuries to the ACL, Achilles and patella. This tragic event happened during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1993. A solid receiver for the Chicago Bears, Davis caught 207 passes for 3,000 yards and 14 touchdowns during his six year NFL career. Vivek Chaudhary, chief sports correspondent. Noel Whelan has admitted he fears Adam Forshaw may have suffered a “career-threatening” injury after the latest update from Leeds United. As reported in a 2013 article in The Atlantic, NCAA statistics showed 20,718 injuries in college football each year, including 841 spinal injuries. Career-ending injuries ruin the dreams many athletes If fame is fickle, then so is health. Brown’s recovery post-football has been strong, due to emergency surgery keeping him out of a wheelchair and on his feet. What’s Causing My Ankle Pain Without Injury? Reply to timber. Between 1995 and 1998, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards and 56 touchdowns, including an outstanding 1998 season where he rushed for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns. Only half of those treated for "patellar" injuries to kneecap tendons returned to play; 73 percent of those with Achilles tendon injuries did. It was pure attrition that caused NFL Hall of Famer Young to hang up his helmet before he was ready. He hurt his leg such that his foot was facing 90-degrees askew from his shin. He wasn’t a known player in the NFL circuit but his injury got him famous. A spinal cord contusion saw Brown collapse motionless on the field, and CPR was administered to save his life. As a senior lecturer in the field at Brunel University she recently led a study into the use – or lack – of psychological support for players with long-term injuries in football… Stingley was hit while reaching for a pass by Jack Tatum in a play that wouldn’t happen with the way the game is played today. An elusive force in the open field, the “Kansas Comet” could stop on a dime, and accelerate back to full speed in … Injured on a seemingly innocuous play when trying to make a tackle after an interception in 1999, Davis tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee. It was pure attrition that caused NFL Hall of Famer Young to hang up his helmet before he was ready. Football can be a very dangerous sport, and it has a long history of concussions and other injuries that could end a player’s career. On a less morbid … Given the location of the spinal damage it is a testament to Utley that he has battled back to have full use of his upper limbs, while his foundation has furthered research into a cure for paralysis. Anyone who watched this particular injury live will have the gruesome image of it burned into their mind forever. Overall, 79 percent of players in the study returned to the field following their operation. 56d Jenna Laine. The third-year player for the Buffalo Bills raced down the field in kickoff coverage, only to suffer a catastrophic injury when trying to bring down Denver Broncos return man Domenik Hixon. Culpepper was one of those players who seemed to get injured when the world was at his feet. He was a player with a combination of size, running ability, and passing accuracy, the likes of which the NFL had never seen. Attempting a flea-flicker in the second quarter of a game against Taylor’s New York Giants, the linebacker was not fooled at all on the play. ACL gone. Some players get lucky and manage to make it through their entire career without picking up a serious injury. These are the injuries that ended careers. An MRI showed a meniscus tear. The most dangerous injuries in our list of Top 8 Worst Career Ending Injuries in Sports History is that of Reggie Brown. Nick Adenhart, JR Richard, Donnie Moore. He only played in 68 games! Culpepper was one of those players who seemed to get injured, Davis had a stunning four-year career in the NFL before injuries cruelly struck and derailed his chance of becoming. The majority of catastrophic football injuries are associated with defensive players blocking and tackling. … Roy was able to come back that year for some postseason heroics. Limited to just five seasons of play before the injuries struck, Sayers was a running back of nearly unparalleled skill who scored a record-equalling six touchdowns in one game during his rookie season. In 1968 he tore the ACL, MCL and suffered meniscus damage in his right knee. College football players have been ravaged with injuries over the years and here are 15 whose careers were cut far too short. We've heard from Chris Nowinski who is an expert, The Concussion Legacy Foundation co-founder. The most dangerous injuries in our list of Top 10 Worst Career-Ending Injuries in Sports History is that of Reggie Brown. ScottBehson. It was near the end of his second season in the league when Brown suffered a career-ending injury, a season where he had shown so much promise with 2.5 sacks and a pair of interception returns for touchdowns. By Senior Airman James C. Dillard/Wiki Commons. The significance of the … Everett suffered both a fracture and dislocation of his spine on the play and he had to have surgery to put a plate and screws into the spinal column to ease pressure on the spinal cord. A first generation running quarterback, Anyone who watched this particular injury live will have the gruesome image of it burned into their mind forever. How To Help Kids Prevent Against Ingrown Toenails. I looked at these once and wondered what all the values were. The defender was left with a fractured nose, cheek bones and eye sockets as well as a broken upper jaw, wrist and thumb. To help prevent football injury, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons … Now offering virtual care. Jump to navigation Jump to search. 5 Things That Make Your Plantar Fasciitis Worse. We ask that patients wear a mask, scarf or bandana and refrain from bringing guests to clinic appointments. Knox was an Abilene Christian product who had a three season career with the Chicago Bears before being forced to retire from the NFL. Jackson never played another down of football. Requiring emergency surgery to stabilize his spine, Knox avoided the worst-case scenario related to an injury of this type, but he is now unable to walk without a limp or stand for prolonged periods of time. In a November game against the L.A. Rams, Utley suffered an injury to his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. Players fared worse after they underwent repairs for certain injuries to ligaments and tendons -- at the ACL, kneecap and Achilles tendon. Lawyer hails end of 'hard man footballers' after challenge in 1998 FA Cup tie . Davis had a stunning four-year career in the NFL before injuries cruelly struck and derailed his chance of becoming one of the greatest running backs of all time. The Kansas Comet’s injury story is a frustrating one because if his problems had occurred 20 or 30 years later, Sayers would likely have been able to return to the gridiron. READ ALSO: 14 Motivational Quotes From Sport’s Legends. One of the sadder stories on this list, Stingley, shown on the right of the above picture was another player cut down in his prime by a spinal cord injury. He was never the same player after the injury, struggling though three more seasons where he battled stress fractures in his lower leg and more surgeries to clean up his knee. By Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Jeremiah Sholtis/Wiki Commons. One of few players to have a significant professional career in two sports, Oakland Raiders running back Bo Jackson suffered a sudden career-ending football injury when he dislocated a hip (with subsequent hip bone fracturing and bone tissue death in the joint) after being tackled on-field. It was the seventh game of the 2005 season when Culpepper’s NFL career essentially ended. Others are able to play for seven or eight years in the league before bowing out due to the amount of hits they have taken. In the last game of the 1997 season, Brown assisted on a tackle against an opponent and didn’t get up for 17 minutes. The main reason for this is pretty obvious, as a pair of 220 pound men running at full speed into each other from less than 15 yards apart is going to cause instant – and delayed – attrition on the body. We were robbed! Australian rules football injuries. … Everett was unable to move anything other than his eyelids on the field after the incident, but pushed through his life-threatening injuries to walk by December of that year. Taylor’s knee drove into – and basically through – Theismann’s lower right leg, with the quarterback suffering a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula. He suffered tears of the ACL, MCL, and PCL in a knee, and while he tried comebacks with a variety of teams, he was just never the same dynamic playmaker as before. Step Up To The Challenge And Take Our Latest Foot Quiz! It was a concussion that forced Young into retirement in 1999 after he suffered yet another head trauma on an Aeneas Williams sack during a Week 3 game.