Image via Complex Original
The proliferation of sports on television means that whether we like it or not, fans are going to get to see everything from a given game. Often, this is a good thing; who doesn’t like to see every Clippers’ alley-oop or Adrian Peterson breakaway run? What comes with the territory as well, however, is that sometimes we see the darker side of sports play out in front of us as well.
Over the last 25 years or so, there have been some truly horrific injuries across all sports. The cameras have been there to capture it all, whether it was Joe Theismann getting his leg snapped in 1986, Clint Malarchuk having his jugular vein severed in 1989, or Kevin Ware’s shin shooting out of his leg last weekend.
While these injuries are almost as hard to watch on TV as they are to endure in person, they’re incredibly well-documented given cameras’ ability to capture everything and the internet’s ability to never forget anything. These are the Most Devastating Injuries in Recent Sports History.
Joe Theismann
Team: Washington Redskins
Sport: Football
Year: 1985
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This one is the godfather of all graphic sports injuries. The Redskins and quarterback Joe Theismann thought they could attempt some trickeration on this November 1985 Monday Night Football battle, but their flea-flicker did not fool the menacing Giants' defense. As Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson sandwiched Theismann for the sack, Taylor's knee went right into Theismann's leg and broke his tibia and fibia. Because of the compound fracture, the bones in Theismann's leg did not grow back properly during healing and he was forced to retire.
Tim Krumrie
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Sport: Football
Year: 1989
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This is probably the worst injury ever to occur in a Super Bowl, with Krumrie (a defensive lineman for the Bengals) on the wrong side of history in January of 1989. As he attempted to tackle 49ers running back Roger Craig, Krumrie's foot stuck in the ground. His and Craig's combined weight put too much pressure on his leg, graphically snapping his tibia and fibula. After having a steel rod inserted, Krumrie was ready to play by the next season and went on to play six more years before retiring in 1994.
Clint Malarchuk
Team: Buffalo Sabres
Sport: Hockey
Year: 1989
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If you've ever found it hard to relate when someone says "go for the jugular," watch this clip and you'll see what they mean. After a scramble in front of Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk's net, a St. Louis Blues player's skate caught Malarchuk in the neck and severed his jugular vein. Blood immediately cascaded all over the ice, reportedly causing 11 fans to pass out, two to have heart attacks, and three players to puke. Malarchuk ended up surviving thanks to the team's trainer, who had previously been a medic for the Army in Vietnam. He came back to play in the NHL until he retired in 1992.
Napoleon McCallum
Team: Los Angeles Raiders
Sport: Football
Year: 1994
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McCallum was a tremendous athlete and a two-time All-American at Navy, but his required service meant that he was only able to play the 1986 season with the Los Angeles Raiders before going on full-time duty. He returned as a backup in 1990. During the 1994 season opener against the 49ers, linebacker Ken Norton, Jr. twisted McCallum down so violently that when McCallum's cleat caught in the ground he ruptured an artery, tore three ligaments, suffered nerve damage, and completely ripped the calf and hamstring muscles off the bone. Doctors told him he was lucky to have his leg saved at all, and McCallum never played another down in the NFL.
Robert Edwards
Team: New England Patriots
Sport: Football
Year: 1999
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After a promising collegiate career in which he battled multiple injuries, Edwards looked like a future star after rushing for 1,115 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season with the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, he chose to participate in the NFL Rookie Beach Bowl at the Pro Bowl, one of the most ill-conceived ideas in league history. While playing, Edwards managed to partially or completely tear all four major knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL, and LCL) as well as cause significant damage to the surrounding nerves. He nearly lost his leg in the surgery, but battled through an arduous three years of rehab to return in 2002 for the Dolphins as a third down back before ultimately concluding his career in the CFL.
Jason Kendall
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Sport: Baseball
Year: 1999
Catchers are traditionally not big bunters; they lack the foot speed to really make it anything other than an automatic out. So when Jason Kendall tried to beat out a bunt in this 1999 game against the Brewers, things didn't end well. He dislocated his ankle, tearing pretty much every ligament and ending his season. He returned strong in 2000, though, and halfway through the year he signed a six-year, $60 million extension that made him the second-highest paid catcher in baseball.
Sid Vicious
Team: WCW
Sport: Wrestling
Year: 2001
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They say big men often fall the hardest, and wrestler Sid Vicious is certainly no exception. When attempting what was (for him) a high-risk maneuver in 2001, his awkward landing immediately sent his leg shooting in the wrong direction, shattering his tibia and fibula. He actually ended up suing WCW, saying they pressured him into doing the move when he repeatedly stated he wasn't comfortable with it. He eventually returned to wrestling in 2004, and continues to occasionally appear in the ring.
Geoff Jenkins
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Sport: Baseball
Year: 2002
Jenkins was never exactly a speed demon, so what he was doing taking such a big lead off of third base in a July 2002 game is anyone's guess. When he retreated to the bag he got his foot in safely, but unfortunately the rest of his body wanted to keep going. The result was a dislocated ankle and multiple torn ligaments ending his season. However, he returned the next year and continued to play effectively until retiring following the 2008 season.
Willis McGahee
Team: Miami Hurricanes
Sport: Football
Year: 2003
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McGahee was one of the top running backs in the nation heading into the 2003 National Title game, and started off well as he collected 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground. After catching a screen pass in the fourth quarter, a hit from safety Will Allen contorted McGahee's left knee in the complete wrong direction, tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL. He entered the NFL Draft the following year anyway, and rewarded the Bills' faith in him by rattling off consecutive 1,000 yard seasons after sitting out a year to continue rehabbing.
Johnny Damon & Damian Jackson
Team: Boston Red Sox
Sport: Baseball
Year: 2003
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You have to be careful when approaching a "tweener" on the baseball field. If you aren't, this can happen. Damon and Damian Jackson both hustled after this pop-up in the 2003 ALDS, but unfortunately each failed to take notice of the other one. The subsequent collision knocked Damon unconscious and cut up Jackson's face. Damon, never a rocket scientist to begin with, ended up being fine and returned for Game 3 of the ALCS. Jackson continued his journey as a MLB utility man until 2007, when nobody really wanted him anymore and he was forced to resort to the Atlantic League.
Djibril Cisse
Team: Liverpool
Sport: Soccer
Year: 2004
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Known for his incredible speed, Cisse has been an excellent goal scorer throughout his career. He did not last long after moving to Liverpool, though; in just his 19th game, a seemingly innocent challenge from Blackburn's Jay McEveley turned grotesque when Cisse's cleat stuck in the ground and broke his tibia and fibula. After surgery to have pins inserted, Cisse remarkably returned to action less than six months later.
Tyrone Prothro
Team: Alabama Crimson Tide
Sport: Football
Year: 2005
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Many will remember Prothro as the guy who made the original "helmet catch," cradling the ball against the helmet of a Southern Miss on a pre-halftime Hail Mary in 2005. He was not so lucky a month later. He landed awkwardly after hauling in a pass against Florida and completely fractured his tibia and fibula in his left leg. After three surgeries and years of rehab, Prothro was forced to quit football without ever being able to suit up for another game.
Michael Bush
Team: Louisville Cardinals
Sport: Football
Year: 2006
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Bush was actually recruited to Louisville as a quarterback by notorious liar/motorcycle enthusiast Bobby Petrino, so really he shouldn't have been on the field in the first place when this happened. His senior season in 2006, Bush was hauled down on what looked like a routine tackle; however, the Kentucky linebacker snapped Bush's tibia as he fell on him, ending his season and forcing the star running back to undergo two surgeries and have a steel rod inserted. Things have gone fine for Bush since then, though, as he returned to the field in 2008 and signed a four-year, $14 million deal with the Bears last offseason.
Allan Ray
Team: Villanova Wildcats
Sport: Basketball
Year: 2006
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This one looked way worse than it actually was. As often happens in basketball, Villanova's Allan Ray got poked in the eye going after a loose ball in the 2006 Big East tournament. What doesn't usually happen is the eyelid getting jammed in behind the eyeball, making it look like the person's eye is about to fall out. Although he was temporarily unable to see out of his eye, Ray escaped any major injury and led his team in scoring in their first NCAA tournament game a week later.
Djibril Cisse
Team: France
Sport: Soccer
Year: 2006
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After horribly breaking his left leg just two years earlier, Cisse again suffered a catastrophic compound fracture, this time in a World Cup tune-up game against China in 2006. He was knocked off balance in a 50-50 challenge near the ball, and when his leg caught under him the momentum snapped his tibia. He was forced to miss the 2006 World Cup, where he was supposed to be a mainstay for a France team that ended up advancing all the way to the finals. Cisse did, however, return to action about four months after his injury and continues to play today.
Carlos Beltran & Mike Cameron
Team: New York Mets
Sport: Baseball
Year: 2006
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This one was hard to watch because you could see it all happening. Beltran (the center fielder) and Cameron (the right fielder) managed to time their dives at just the right moment so that they smashed their faces together, knocking each other out cold. Both suffered concussions and missed significant time, but Cameron took the worst of it; he also broke his nose and cheekbone, and was removed from the field on a stretcher. Both have recovered well since this incident, with Beltran still playing productively and Cameron retiring just prior to the 2012 season.
Shaun Livingston
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Sport: Basketball
Year: 2007
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Livingston was an incredible young talent, but on this night in February of 2007 his promising young career took what looked like a tragic turn when he dislocated his left knee awkwardly landing after missing a layup. In addition to the dislocation, he tore his ACL, PCL, and lateral meniscus, and severely sprained his MCL; it was bad enough that doctors warned him before surgery that they might have to amputate his leg. After learning how to walk again, Livingston remarkably returned to NBA action in 2008 as a reserve for the Heat, and continues to play today.
Richard Zednik
Team: Florida Panthers
Sport: Hockey
Year: 2008
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In a creepy repeat of Clint Malarchuk's injury almost 20 years earlier, the Florida Panthers' Richard Zednik had his external carotid artery cut by a skate blade. What made it even creepier was that both times, it happened in Buffalo. Fortunately for Zednik, medical personnel were all over him as soon as it happened, and despite losing five units of blood his life was never in danger. He missed the rest of the season, but came back strong the following year and continues to play today.
DeAndre Brown
Team: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
Sport: Football
Year: 2011
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Brown was an excellent receiver for Southern Miss, but at the 2011 Beef 'O' Brady Bowl he became known for an entirely unwanted reason. As he dove to haul in a nine-yard pass that gave him the school record for reception yards, his cleat caught in the ground while his momentum propelled him forward and down. The result was a mangled leg that ended not only his season, but also his college career as Brown would declare for the draft after the game. His pro career did not pan out, unfortunately; he went undrafted, then was signed and released by the Eagles in a span of less than two weeks that summer.
Steve Zakuani
Team: Seattle Sounders
Sport: Soccer
Year: 2011
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Zakuani has a strong pedigree, having played in Arsenal's youth academy before going on to win the men's collegiate Player of the Year award at Akron in 2007. Unfortunately, he does not have a particularly strong tibia and fibula. In April 2011, a challenge from the Colorado Rapids' Brian Mullan cleanly broke both bones, knocking Zakuani out for the remainder of the season. He returned to action last July, about 15 months after the injury, and now finds himself back in the first 11 for the Sounders.
Rajon Rondo
Team: Boston Celtics
Sport: Basketball
Year: 2011
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The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat began on opening night of the 2010-11 season, but it really escalated after this moment in their playoff series that May. After losing the ball, the Heat's Dwyane Wade either lost his balance or tackled the Celtics' Rajon Rondo, depending on who you ask. The result was indisputable, though; he pulled Rondo down to the ground, and Rondo dislocated his elbow. The star point guard somehow managed to come back later that game and inspire his team to victory, but missed the rest of the series after that.
Adrian Peterson
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Sport: Football
Year: 2011
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Peterson's remarkable recovery from this injury has overshadowed just how awful it was. On Christmas Eve 2011, a run between the tackles against the Redskins turned disastrous as safety DeJon Gomes hit Peterson low, tearing the running back's ACL and MCL. With such extensive injuries and a lengthy recovery period likely in front of him, many wondered if Peterson would ever return to the same level he was at before the injury. 2,097 rushing yards and an MVP award later, we think we have our answer.
Chris Kuper
Team: Denver Broncos
Sport: Football
Year: 2012
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Kuper was an integral part of the Cinderella Broncos team in 2011-12, providing protection for Tim Tebow on his many mad scampers all over the field. Unfortunately, all the strength in the world could not protect his ankle, which was broken and graphically turned 90 degrees he wrong way by a pile of Kansas City Chiefs. Kuper only ended up missing two games as a result of the ordeal, though, returning fresh for the 2012 season and making his first career Pro Bowl.
Marcus Lattimore
Team: South Carolina Gamecocks
Sport: Football
Year: 2012
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Lattimore was a Heisman Trophy contender and a surefire high draft pick heading into the 2012 season, but that all came to a screeching halt in an October home game against Tennessee. A hit to his right leg dislocated the star's knee, reportedly tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL. The injury is remarkably similar to Willis McGahee's, and using him as an inspiration Lattimore declared for the NFL Draft in December. He worked out briefly at South Carolina's pro day, and currently projects as a second or third round pick.
Kevin Ware
Team: Louisville Cardinals
Sport: Basketball
Year: 2013
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It's easy to call the most recent injury you've seen the worst of all time, but this one really might be the worst of all time. After Ware landed wrong last weekend trying to block a shot, his tibia and fibula not only snapped right in front of the Lousiville bench, but also came shooting out of his leg on national television. Ware has shown incredible resilience over the past week, already moving around on crutches and travelling with his team to the Final Four in his hometown of Atlanta. It will be a long road back, but he is expected to play again.