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15 Athletes Who Were Never the Same After Injury

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By @jetleli

Athletes Who Were Ruined By Injury

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The sports world is constantly shown gruesome and potentially career-threatening injuries to athletes who everyone loves, but may never see again. Unfortunately, these 15 athletes exemplify the list of greats who were never close to being the same after an injury.

15. Mark Prior

Mark Prior injury
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15. Mark Prior

Mark Prior injury
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From 2002 to 2005, there was no doubting that Mark Prior was one of the top five pitchers in MLB, as he compiled a 41-23 record, and had the Chicago Cubs looking like potential World Series champs along the way. Of course, this never came to fruition as Prior had a plethora of arm injuries that resulted in him only appearing in nine MLB games after 2005, and picking up a 7.21 ERA from these appearances.

14. Grant Hill

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14. Grant Hill

grant hill injury
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Grant Hill made the NBA All-Star game during five of his first seven years in the NBA, but a move from the Detroit Pistons to the Orlando Magic in the summer of 2000 saw the end of his dominance. An ankle injury forced Hill to play only 47 games over the next four seasons, and he was never close to being a superstar after coming back onto the floor.

13. Eric Lindros

eric lindros injury
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13. Eric Lindros

eric lindros injury
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Eric Lindros was the best power forward in the NHL during the early 1990s, recording 290 goals and 659 total points during an eight-year stint with the Philadelphia Flyers. But concussions forced Lindros to sit out the 2000-01 season, and he never again came close to being the perennial All-Star and Hart Trophy contender who the world saw in Philadelphia.

12. Ralph Sampson

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12. Ralph Sampson

ralph Sampson injury
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Ralph Sampson averaged 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game during his first three years with the Houston Rockets, and looked like a guy destined for the Hall of Fame in the process. This potential was never fulfilled, though, as Sampson suffered the first of a plethora of knee injuries during the 1986-87 season, and he never started more than 36 games after this season.

11. Bob Sanders

bob sanders injury
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11. Bob Sanders

bob sanders injury
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Bob Sanders was one of the most talented safeties in the NFL from 2005 to 2007, which was backed up by two Pro Bowl appearances and the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Sanders went on to suffer because of his bruising style, though, and he would play in only 11 games while attempting to get healthy between 2008 and 2011.

10. Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. injury
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10. Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. injury
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Ken Griffey Jr. was supposed to be the man who took the all-time home run title from Hank Aaron, at least until he made the move from the Seattle Mariners to the Cincinnati Reds. Griffey did not make it on the field for more than 83 games between 2002-04, and the guy who came back was a shell of the sweet-swinging, five-tool player who starred in Seattle.

9. Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Arenas injury
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9. Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Arenas injury
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Gilbert Arenas had made three All-Star games in a row with the Washington Wizards before tearing his ACL at the end of the 2006-07 season. Arenas never really looked motivated to come back as an All-Star, and by 2012, he was playing basketball in China.

8. Gale Sayers

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8. Gale Sayers

gale sayers injury
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Gale Sayers was the best running back in the NFL between 1965-69, as he made four Pro Bowl appearances, made the All-Pro team five times and led the NFL in rushing yards twice. The combination of a knee injury and the death of friend and teammate Brian Piccolo during the 1970 season led Sayers to concentrate on things other than football, and he was out of the NFL permanently in 1972.

7. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

mark fidrych injury
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7. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

mark fidrych injury
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Mark "The Bird" Fidrych took MLB by storm in 1976, as he talked to the baseball and dominated everyone in sight, finishing with a 19-9 record, 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games. But in 1977, Fidrych would tear cartilage in his knee and then his right rotator cuff, and he would only appear in 16 games from 1978-80.

6. Yao Ming

Yao Ming injury
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6. Yao Ming

Yao Ming injury
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Yao Ming opened up the NBA to China by coming to the Houston Rockets in 2002, and he went on to make seven-straight All-Star game appearances from 2003-09. Like many big men, though, Ming suffered a number of consecutive foot injuries, and he only appeared in five games after 2009 before deciding it was time to retire.

5. Brandon Roy

brandon roy injury
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5. Brandon Roy

brandon roy injury
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Brandon Roy was a budding superstar during the late 2000s for the Portland Trailblazers, making three-consecutive NBA All-Star games between 2008-10, and generally looking destined for superstardom. This obviously didn't happen, though, as persistent knee issues left Roy with no knee cartilage, and resulted in him playing only five games after the 2010-11 season.

4. Terrell Davis

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4. Terrell Davis

terrell davis injury
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During his first four years with the Denver Broncos, Terrell Davis made three Pro Bowl appearances, won two Super Bowls, rushed for more than 2000 yards once and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice. But like many running backs, Davis quickly succumbed to injuries, and he never rushed for more than 700 yards in a season after 1998.

3. Bill Walton

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3. Bill Walton

bill walton injury
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Bill Walton was one of the most dominant big men in the NBA straight out of college, as he led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA title in his third season and won the NBA MVP Award in his fourth year. Foot injuries would derail Walton's career, though, as he missed three out of four seasons between 1978-81, and was never more than an average player after this period.

2. Sandy Koufax

sandy koufax injury
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2. Sandy Koufax

sandy koufax injury
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Sandy Koufax was one of the best pitchers in MLB history, as he compiled a 165-87 career record, three Cy Young Awards, pitched four no-hitters and even won four World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization. But during his last two seasons, Koufax was in remarkable pain every time he threw the baseball, which forced him into retirement after a 1966 season that is described by many as the best pitching season in MLB history.

1. Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson ruined by injury
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1. Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson career ruined by injury
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No athlete lost so much potential success to injury as Bo Jackson. The two-sport star could have been a Hall of Famer in MLB and the NFL, but a hip injury in 1991 would end his football career and brought on the end of his baseball career. And while we all know how great of an athlete Jackson was, nobody knows exactly how great he could have been.

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