In the early 80’s I was at a football game between Long Beach State and UCLA. A Long Beach defensive player broke his neck in a freak accident and was totally paralyzed. The game was stopped for over an hour while they stabilized him and got him off of the field.
Googling tells me that his name is Todd Hart and that they give out an award at Long Beach state, The Todd Hart Courage Award, every year to one of their athletes. I couldn’t find anything about his current condition.
The sad story that came to mind was of Chucky Mullins of Ole Miss – as is apparently not uncommon, his paralysis led to complications that ultimately proved fatal.
Not sure if the WWE fits exactly into the definition of a sport (the company bills itself as sprorts entertainment) but wrestler Owen Hart was actually killed during the lead-in to a match.
And in boxing, Duk Koo Kim died after being knocked out by Ray Mancini.
NHL player Bill Masterton died after being hit in an NHL game.
Off topic, but similar, NFL player Chuck Hughes had a heart attack and died during a game.
With reference to the injury mentioned in the OP, from last night’s basketball game,
[QUOTE=Deseret Morning News]
Reserve point guard Dee Brown was at the Jazz’s practice facility Thursday morning, but did not work out with the team. Brown will travel to Oakland with the club for Friday’s Game 3 of Utah’s Western Conference semifinal series with Golden State. His status for the game is doubtful, however.
The rookie point guard was diagnosed with a sprained neck and will receive treatment with the team on the road.
[/QUOTE]
A player from the local arena football team had a head on collision with a Daytona player that resulted in the death of the Daytona player.
[QUOTE=DoperChic]
Not sure if the WWE fits exactly into the definition of a sport (the company bills itself as sprorts entertainment) but wrestler Owen Hart was actually killed during the lead-in to a match.
[/QUOTE]
There’s also Darren “Droz” Drozdov, left a quadraplegic after a botched wrestling move.
[QUOTE=Manduck]
Also I guess Christopher Reeve counts - he was injured in a horse jumping competition.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, Christopher Reeve counts. It’s a sport, and he was competing.
[QUOTE=happywaffle]
Used to be a lot worse; the NCAA was founded because of a tremendous number of injuries on college fields. In 1905 alone, 18 college football players died, even though there were only a fraction as many actually playing.
[/QUOTE]
Of course, back then they used formations that are banned today, such as the flying wedge.
There was one in my hometown. A high school lineman participated in a bad hit and was paralyzed from the waist down for life. He was my father’s age and sometimes came to our church and other events to speak.
Jill Kinmont, skier injured while trying out for the Olympics. I still remember crying during the TV movie in the 70’s.
Another gymnast - Julissa Gomez. She was paralyzed and suffered brain damage during vaulting warm-ups for a competition in 1988. That accident is a part of the reason that the shape of the vault changed a few years ago.
JT Townsend, who was a star on his HS football team here in Jacksonville, was paralyzed from the neck down making a tackle a few years ago. His story is pretty inspirational, as he has managed to enroll in college, and make several other strides when doctors were not even sure he would live
I remember back in the mid nineties an Idaho State football player was paralyzed from a neck injury. I don’t remember his name, though.
[QUOTE=hajario]
In the early 80’s I was at a football game between Long Beach State and UCLA. A Long Beach defensive player broke his neck in a freak accident and was totally paralyzed. The game was stopped for over an hour while they stabilized him and got him off of the field.
Googling tells me that his name is Todd Hart and that they give out an award at Long Beach state, The Todd Hart Courage Award, every year to one of their athletes. I couldn’t find anything about his current condition.
[/QUOTE]
I was at the game too. Todd landed upside-down on his head and I remember the eerieness of watching him not move at all.
[QUOTE=Huerta88]
Chucky Mullins of Ole Miss
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for posting that. Chucky was the first one in my mind, upon reading the OP.
[QUOTE=si_blakely]
Rugby Union keeps mucking about with the scrum rules in an attempt to reduce spinal injuries - the most recent change being to the engagement (when the scrums come together).
[/quote]
Yes, the referee now forms them up an arm’s length apart and calls “Crouch - Touch - Hold - Engage”. They’re still allowed to smack into each other from arm’s length but the extra step is to measure the distance.
Yes, the unwritten Code of the Front Row states that if anyone yells “Neck!” the shoving stops instantly.* The official laws also state that if (owing to injury replacement, or whatever) there aren’t enough qualified front-rowers to make up the necessary three per side, all scrums are to be uncontested - they form up as normal, but there is no pushing, and the side putting the ball in automatically gets the possession. In lower grades of the game referees have been known to call for uncontested scrums when in their opinion one side is so outclassed that injury becomes likely.
(* It’s like the “Man down” code in footie where whichever side has the ball will put it into touch if someone is injured and needs attention, and the other side, when throwing it in again, will return it to the side that previously had possession. Typically this will be a long throw into the opposing half, but with no-one chasing it, so the other side get a free go although deep in their own territory.)
Matt Millen, the Detroit Lions GM, is paralyzed from the neck up,caused by banging his head on the table.