Does anyone know what the quickest career ending injury in pro sports was? I’m talking about a player that was injured in their first pro season (or game) in the NFL, NBA or MLB and had to retire because of the injury.
Also was there ever a career ending injury during the NFL Pro Bowl?
Well, it wasn’t career-ENDING, but New England’s Robert Edwards wrecked his knee in Hawaii in 1999 playing flag football before the actual Pro Bowl. He was never the same. He was out of football until 2002, when he latched on with Miami, but he didn’t rush for very many yards and didn’t last very long. He wound up in the CFL.
I dropped in here to give the same example. As a Robert Edwards fan from back at UGA, this absolutely sucked.
I’d vote for [url=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ki-Jana_Carter”].
Ugh, Ki-jana Carter
He had one GREAT game for Miami after his comeback.
He rushed for like 2 TDs or something, right?
Another pick would be Kellen Winslow, Jr…sort of.
He had an injury in the first couple of games for the Browns.
Then after rehabing all summer, he wrecked his motorcycle (which he was prohibited from driving) and tore up his knee.
It remains unclear if he will play again, but I doubt he will.
Normand Leveille was a first round draft choice of Boston Bruins in 1981. Towards the end of his rookie season he suffered an aneurysm between periods of a game. He has made a remarkable recovery, but never played hockey again.
For MLB, likely Larry Yount, Hall of Famer Robin’s older brother. A pitcher, injured while warming up after being called into his first (and last) game.
http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/yount.html
and
have an overview.
Len Bias died of a drug overdose shortly after being drafted by the Boston Celtics.
I guess that doesn’t count as an injury though.
Wow, Boston teams have had a lot of bad luck in this regard, huh?
Burl Toler was drafted from SFU by the Cleveland Browns in 1951 but suffered a career ending knee injury without ever playing a game. He later became the first black NFL official. The other pick Cleveland had that round was used to draft Don Shula.
Wasn’t there a blazing hot hockey prospect (college kid?) who died as a result of an injury sustained in a game?
Or that Boston fans tend to really, really remember Bad Sports Things.
He rushed for one TD and caught a pass for another. Unfortunately, he would not score again for the rest of the year.
Sounds like my sex life.
Another nominee could be Adam Greenberg, who was a minor-league player for the Chicago Cubs. He was called up to the majors this past season, and, in the first pitch he saw as a big-leaguer, was beaned in the head. He suffered a concussion, didn’t play the rest of the year, and was “designated for assignment” by the team recently. DFA means that the team had 10 days to trade him, or he was a free agent. He is now a free agent.
Then there’s the case of Brien Taylor, who was signed by the Yankees in 1991 for a record $1.5 million.
He injured himself in a brawl a fairly short time afterwards, and, as a result, never played above Class A baseball.
I think he’s expected to- for whatever that’s worth.
Tom Pachorick (mispelled?) Houston Astros, went 4-4 in his major league debut and never played again due to an injury.
Check That… John Pachorick! (Tom had a long career)
Double Check That…John Paciorek,on the final day of the 1963 season for the Houston Colt 45’s went 3-3 w/ 3 RBI’s & 2 walks and scored 4 runs in a 13 -4 romp over the Mets. Back Surgery, doom an otherwise promising career.