Sports Stars Whose Careers Were Too Short...

[Bullaholic]

Who were, or perhaps would have been, some of the biggest stars in their sports if their careers had not been cut too short due to injury or retirement?

Some of the best examples that I can think of:

Barry Sanders, and one big one potentially---Tiger Woods

[Txbroadcaster]

Woods will be back

Gale Sayers

Jim Brown

Mickey Mantle

All 3 HOF players but injuries, retirement really cut short what they COULD have been

[ASUFrisbeeStud]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Who were or perhaps would have been some of the biggest stars in their sports if their careers had not been cut too short due to injury or retirement?

Some of the best examples that I can think of:

Barry Sanders, and one big one potentially---Tiger Woods

Yeah. The one that come to my mind is Ken Griffey Jr, if he could have stayed healthy throughout his career he would have put up some amazing career totals. His career wasn't neccesarily cut short but he spent alot of time on the DL.

[crzyjournalist03]

Troy Aikman
Juan Gonzalez (although he probably cut his own career short with the steroids)

[Bullaholic]

This one is for Pancho---Tanya Harding? :D

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by ASUFrisbeeStud
Yeah. The one that come to my mind is Ken Griffey Jr, if he could have stayed healthy throughout his career he would have put up some amazing career totals. His career wasn't neccesarily cut short but he spent alot of time on the DL.

That's a REALLY good one!

[Rabid Cougar]

Bo Jackson

[Pick6]

Originally posted by Rabid Cougar
Bo Jackson

Brian Bosworth :D

[Old Tiger]

Jim Brown...I don't like to include anyone who left the game early because of injuries because IMO that is part of the game.

[Highschoolfan78]

Originally posted by Rabid Cougar
Bo Jackson

+1


I think Fred Taylor could have had great numbers if it weren't for those injury plagued years. The same goes for the great Bronco, Terrell Davis.

Robert Smith was another runningback that called it quits while he was still in good health.

[Bullaholic]

Lou Gehrig? He was 36 when he retired.

[wimbo_pro]

And didnt Mantle play for 18 yrs or so?

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
Troy Aikman
Juan Gonzalez (although he probably cut his own career short with the steroids)


I dont know about Troy..I think he had ridden hois ability and health as far as it could.

[Bullaholic]

Pete Maravich

[kaorder1999]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
Troy Aikman
Juan Gonzalez (although he probably cut his own career short with the steroids)

didnt juan play for like 15 or 16 years?

[BreckTxLonghorn]

Steve Prefontaine

[Pick6]

Billy Cannon Jr

[Bullaholic]

Bret Favre, Bret Favre, Bret Favre* :D

*Offseason only

[wimbo_pro]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Bret Favre, Bret Favre, Bret Favre :D

Bret Favre?? Doesnt his rookie photo have a helmet without a facemask on it?

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
didnt juan play for like 15 or 16 years?

yes, but after he left Texas the first time in the trade to Detroit, he only played more than 115 games one time in the last seven years of his career.

For his career, his 162-game AVERAGE was 42 HR, 135 RBI.

If he'd have had two or three of those final seven years be average, he'd have 500 home runs, and most likely be a Hall of Famer.

[Bullaholic]

Jim Valvano

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
I dont know about Troy..I think he had ridden hois ability and health as far as it could.

I don't really know...I do know that he was not the same player in the late 90s that he was in the early 90s, and I believe concussions played a big role in that. Sure, the talent around him slowly declined as the years went by, but I still think that a fully healthy Aikman probably would have won another playoff game after 1996 if not another Super Bowl.

[waterboy]

How about Earl Campbell? He only played for 7 years before he retired.:( Imagine the numbers he could've racked up had he played 2 or 3 more years.

[TxAthlete]

Barry Sanders - only played 10 years I think but had 10 pro bowls and 15000 rushing yards

[LE Dad]

Billy Simms and I think his name was Jammal Anderson, RB for the Falcons.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by ASUFrisbeeStud
Yeah. The one that come to my mind is Ken Griffey Jr, if he could have stayed healthy throughout his career he would have put up some amazing career totals. His career wasn't neccesarily cut short but he spent alot of time on the DL. +1

[turbostud]

Joe Theisman

[coach]

Originally posted by turbostud
Joe Theisman

he was done before that injury.....Roberto Clemente gets my vote

[bigwood33]

Injuries cut players careers short, players retiring to pursue other interests is their own deal.

Here are a few whose careers were cut short (years played): Billy Sims (5), Gayle Sayers (6), Dick Butkus (9), Terrell Davis (6), Steve Emtman (6), Billy Cannon Jr (1), Gabe Rivera (0), Ernie Davis (0), David Overstreet (3), Ken Hall (5)

[TheDOCTORdre]

I was just about to say Terrel Davis

[TheDOCTORdre]

oh and even though it was his own fault, Len Bias

[Green Bling]

Originally posted by BreckTxLonghorn
Steve Prefontaine
+1

[LE Dad]

I guess every big man the Trailblazers have drafted. + other NBA guys off top of my head
Sam Bowie, Ralph Sampson, Len Byers

[TheDOCTORdre]

Does Muhammad Ali count, considering that he missed some of what would have been his prime years had he not dodged the draft?

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by TheDOCTORdre
oh and even though it was his own fault, Len Bias :doh: Where did I get Byers from:thinking: Oh well, shame dude wasted it all:rolleyes:

[Bullaholic]

Think Roy Tarpley might have become a star?

[Pick6]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Think Roy Tarpley might have become a star?

He was well on his way to it.

[Daddy D 11]

Ryan Leaf



:evillol:

[wimbo_pro]

Originally posted by TheDOCTORdre
Does Muhammad Ali count, considering that he missed some of what would have been his prime years had he not dodged the draft?

Actually, he didnt dodge the draft. He stayed here and refused to go and took the punishment like a man...he didnt dodge the punishment and run. Love him or hate him, you gotta respect the fact that he stayed in country and went to jail, knowing full well that he could have easily gone to Canada or Europe.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by ASUFrisbeeStud
Yeah. The one that come to my mind is Ken Griffey Jr, if he could have stayed healthy throughout his career he would have put up some amazing career totals. His career wasn't neccesarily cut short but he spent alot of time on the DL.

What?? I never knew he posted here!!!:doh: :p

[TheDOCTORdre]

Originally posted by wimbo_pro
Actually, he didnt dodge the draft. He stayed here and refused to go and took the punishment like a man...he didnt dodge the punishment and run. Love him or hate him, you gotta respect the fact that he stayed in country and went to jail, knowing full well that he could have easily gone to Canada or Europe.

you are correct sir, I have always been a huge fan of Ali because he backed up his beliefs with action. I chose the wrong words by stating he dodged the draft. Nonetheless, how much more legend to his greatness would be added to him had he continued fighting during those years he was in prison

[Eagle Eyes]

Thurmon Munson Catcher for Yankees
Terrell Davis RB for Denver

[BEAST]

I think Bo Jackson may have put the rushing numbers so far out of sight, nobody couldve reached them. He wasnt injury prone, just one devasting one took him out. My goodness tho, he was something to behold.




BEAST

[bigwood33]

Originally posted by BEAST
I think Bo Jackson may have put the rushing numbers so far out of sight, nobody couldve reached them. He wasnt injury prone, just one devasting one took him out. My goodness tho, he was something to behold.




BEAST
Bo's style (very physical) would have probably kept him from breaking Peyton's record but who knows for sure. It wasn't a devastating hit that ended his career, a defender grabbed his leg and he yanked it so hard that he dislocated his hip! OUCH! It was the dislocation and subsequent deterioration that caused him to have hip replacement surgery.
No doubt, he was a freak of nature. I always wondered who was the better athlete, Bo or Herschel. Man, those guys were amazing!

[NateDawg39]

Ernie Davis
Len Bias
Cooper Manning :thinking:

[CelinaCatFan]

Bo Jackson gets my vote! He was awesome in football and not too bad at baseball.

[rangerjoe33]

Joe Delaney - Kansas City Chiefs RB 81-83. This guy was incredible on the field.

Check out his wiki page:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Delaney

I remember when he died. He was taking the Chiefs places, led them to their first winning season since 73. Sad.

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
I don't really know...I do know that he was not the same player in the late 90s that he was in the early 90s, and I believe concussions played a big role in that. Sure, the talent around him slowly declined as the years went by, but I still think that a fully healthy Aikman probably would have won another playoff game after 1996 if not another Super Bowl.
Maybe Jerry should've had him rest in a shed. :devil:

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
What?? I never knew he posted here!!!:doh: :p
LMAO and GMTA! :D

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by waterboy
How about Earl Campbell? He only played for 7 years before he retired.:( Imagine the numbers he could've racked up had he played 2 or 3 more years.

Sadly he was used up by the time he retired. But it was because he was so overused on a bad team. Had he been on a good team, he could have easily played several more years, and would have set career and season rushing records that would never be touched. His combination of strength, quickness, power, and flat out speed, was almost unhumanlike. I saw him do things that I have never seen anyone else do, before or since.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Lou Gehrig? He was 36 when he retired.
You got mine. Gehrig's my childhood hero, retired seven homers short of 500, five RBI short of 2,000, and averaged 35 HR/140 RBI/.335 his last three full years despite suffering a huge loss of power his last year.

He was still going strong at 35. Had at four-plus good years left. May have wound up in the 600 HR club if not for ALS.

[Spread It Out]

Len Bias

Satchell Page (sp?)- had amazing totals but spent most of his career in the negro league due to the racial barrier.

[BHBrave08]

John Rocker hahahahahaha... couldn't help myself.

[piratebg]

Dat Nguyen