A number of athletes suffer debilitating injuries early on in their careers and never come back quite the same as a result. Of course some athletes do come back from injury better than ever, and these 20 guys specifically came back from early career injuries in a big way.
20. Mickey Mantle
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20. Mickey Mantle
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Mantle tore his right ACL during the 1951 World Series, threatening to derail a career that was only 96 games old at the time. Thankfully, "The Mick" was able to play the rest of his career with the injury, ending up with seven World Series titles, 536 home runs and a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
19. Michael Jordan
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19. Michael Jordan
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Jordan broke his foot during the third game of his sophomore season in the NBA, causing the greatest basketball player of all time to play only 18 games during the 1985-86 season. Of course, we all know that Jordan recovered in the fashion of becoming the best basketball player in NBA history.
18. Drew Brees
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18. Drew Brees
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Brees tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder during the 2005 NFL season, paving the way for his move from the San Diego Chargers to the New Orleans Saints. This move has worked to perfection, with Brees making seven Pro Bowl appearances and winning Super Bowl XLIV while in New Orleans.
17. Bobby Orr
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17. Bobby Orr
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Orr injured both of his knees and broke his collarbone during the 1967-68 season, shortening his sophomore year to just 46 games on the ice. Orr would recover in style, though, winning the Norris Trophy seven times afterwards and guiding the Bruins to two Stanley Cup victories.
16. Ruud van Nistelrooy
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16. Ruud van Nistelrooy
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Ruud van Nistelrooy suffered a torn ACL during the summer of 2000, delaying a move from PSV to Manchester United for one season. This delay did not slow down van Nistelrooy, though, as he would become one of the most explosive strikers in the world over the next decade.
15. Ben Roethlisberger
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15. Ben Roethlisberger
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Roethlisberger suffered a number of injuries prior as a result of a motorcycle injury prior to the 2006 NFL season, but he came back in style. Roethlisberger guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl victory in 2009, and he has made two Pro Bowl appearances since the accident.
14. Andre Agassi
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14. Andre Agassi
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Agassi suffered through a number of injuries and a drug addiction in 1997, leading many to believe that his career was over. This wasn't the case, though, as Agassi would win five of his eight Grand Slam titles after 1997, which cemented his status as one of the best tennis players of all time.
13. Mario Lemieux
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13. Mario Lemieux
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Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma during the 1992-93 NHL season, but he came back from radiation treatment to win the NHL scoring title and Hart Memorial Trophy. Suffice to say, nothing slowed down Lemieux.
12. Jordan Zimmermann
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12. Jordan Zimmermann
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Zimmermann had Tommy John surgery during his rookie season with the Washington Nationals, but he has made two All-Star appearances and become one of the best pitchers in the National League since returning.
11. Willis McGahee
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11. Willis McGahee
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During his last game with the Miami Hurricanes, McGahee tore the ACL, PCL and MCL in his left knee, leaving many to doubt if his playing days were over. This clearly didn't happen, though, as McGahee has made two Pro Bowl appearances and racked up over 8,000 career rushing yards in the NFL.
10. Franz Beckenbauer
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10. Franz Beckenbauer
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Beckenbauer suffered a fractured clavicle and separated shoulder during the 1970 World Cup, but he came back to lead West Germany to victory at the 1972 European Championships and 1974 World Cup.
9. Tommy John
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9. Tommy John
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No list about injuries is complete without Tommy John, who became the first pitcher to have his ulnar collateral ligament replaced after the 1974 season. John came back to make four All-Star game appearances after the injury, spawning generations of pitchers who would have "Tommy John" surgery.
8. Adrian Peterson
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8. Adrian Peterson
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Peterson suffered a broken collarbone during his final season with the University of Oklahoma, leading some to worry if he could be durable at the NFL level. After six Pro Bowl appearances, one 2,000-yard rushing season and over 10,000 rushing yards, it is safe to say these worries have gone away.
7. Philip Rivers
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7. Philip Rivers
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Rivers tore his ACL during the 2007 AFC Championship Game, although this injury has not slowed him down on the field one bit. Rivers has made four Pro Bowl appearances since the injury occurred and generally become known as one of the top ten quarterbacks in the NFL.
6. Buster Posey
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6. Buster Posey
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Posey suffered a fractured fibula after a horrific crash at the plate during the 2011 season, but this didn't slow down the San Francisco Giants catcher on the way to becoming one of the best players in MLB. Posey won the 2012 NL MVP Award and World Series title, and he has become one of the best catchers in all of MLB.
5. Lance Armstrong
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5. Lance Armstrong
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Armstrong survived an extremely serious bout with cancer in 1996 and 1997, but he came back to win seven Tour de France titles afterwards. These titles may have been helped by the use of performance-enhancing drugs, but the comeback from a near fatal event was impressive nevertheless.
4. Rafael Nadal
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4. Rafael Nadal
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Nadal suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle during the 2004 season, but he has come back to win 14 Grand Slam titles, one Olympic gold medal and become known as one of the best tennis players ever.
3. Stephen Strasburg
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3. Stephen Strasburg
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Strasburg had Tommy John surgery during the 2010 MLB season, leaving some to worry if he would become a major bust. This hasn't occurred, though, as Strasburg made the 2012 MLB All-Star Game and generally become a force on the mound for the Washington Nationals.
2. Shaun Livingston
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2. Shaun Livingston
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Livingston suffered a horrific injury during the 2007 NBA season, tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL and lateral meniscus, in addition to dislocating his patella and fibula. Although some people thought this would force Livingston into retirement, he has come back to be a very formidable role player in recent seasons.
1. Carson Palmer
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1. Carson Palmer
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Palmer tore his ACL and MCL during the 2005 NFL season, but he has made one Pro Bowl appearance and continued to start at the NFL level ever since.
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