Any of us who watch the NFL week after week can all agree on one thing, all of those guys are tough. Football is one of the most rough, hard hitting, body slamming, full contact sport there is and that's how we like it. Of course we don't want to watch any of them get seriously injured, but it's part of the game. However, as much as we like seeing those tackles and hard hits, there's some hits that even for veteran NFL fans can be hard to watch. Whether it's broken bones, being knocked out, or seeing a players body bent the wrong way, there are plays that you just can't forget about. I went through some of the most scary and mouth grabbing hits and picked out, in my opinion, the top 5 most gruesome plays in NFL history. *Update* I have added only one video at the bottom of this post of the Joe Theismann injury. It is graphic.
#5 Ronnie Lott's amputation - Ronnie Lott was an incredible former NFL player who played for the San Francisco 49ers when his gruesome injury occurred in 1985. He was always known as being a very rough and hard hitting sort of player. During a game in December of 1985, Lott and his team were facing off against the Dallas Cowboys when a forceful collision between him and Dallas player Timmy Newsome crushed his pinkie finger. It literally turned his finger in towards his body. The force on his hand was so strong that it almost completely took off his finger. Pieces of bone were seen on the field. Doctors had given Lott an ultimatum. He could either have pins placed in his hand with a bone graft which would result in a long recovery, or he could have it amputated. He chose amputation and after he recovered from it went on to play more football.
#4 Johnny Knox bending over backwards - Have you ever seen a video of someone falling and a part of their body just bends in the opposite direction and you can't help but cringe? Well, this is one of those moments. Johnny Knox is a former wide receiver who played three seasons for the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, his career was cut short after a spine bending play. In December of 2011, Knox collided with Anthony Hargrove. They were both attempting to recover a fumble after it was knocked loose. The impact was so forceful that it literally bent him in half as in his back was touching his bottom. The injury was severe and caused nerve damage resulting in surgery to fuse his spine back together. This caused him to be unable to return back to the game.
#3 Bo Jackson's hip fracture - Bo Jackson is known as a multi-talented diverse sports player. Not only did he play in the NFL, but he also played baseball. You have to be pretty tough to handle all of that wear and tear on your body. Even though Jackson was tough, he would encounter a play that would make him end his NFL career and also be cut by his baseball team, The Kansas City Royals. in 1991, Jackson was caught up in a hard hitting tackle that dislocated and shattered one of his hip bones. As he walked off of the field, he had to pop his bone back in multiple times and thought he would be able to walk it off. However, doctors told him he had lost all cartilage in his hip which ultimately led him to leave the NFL and later baseball.
#2 Darryl Stingley becomes paralyzed - Darryl Stingley was a former wide receiver for the New England Patriots from 1973-1977. He was a talented player with a lot to offer his team. Unfortunately, his career ended far before it was supposed to with one of the most devastating hits in the NFL. During a preseason game in 1978 against the Raiders, Stingley was hit by Jack Tatum, a defensive back for Oakland. Even though there are and have been many neck injuries in the league, this one led to a very sad outcome. After Tatum slammed into Stingley with a lot of force, he went down and never got back up. Two of his vertebrae were crushed and he was left living the rest of his life as a quadriplegic.
#1 Joe Theismann vs. Lawrence Taylor - I gave this play the number one spot not because it is the most severe injury caused, but because I can watch it a hundred times and every time I do, my stomach flips. As a Giants fan, I can tell you Lawrence Taylor is not someone you would ever want to get tackled by. He was known for his hard hits and extremely rough plays and he was a very large man. The injury of Joe Theismann caused by Lawrence Taylor is well known and for good reason. In 1985, in a game where the New York Giants were taking on the Washington Redskins, a history making play occurred, but for all the wrong reasons. The Giants called a blitz and Lawrence Taylor came flying toward Theismann. When LT hit Theismann, he brought him down hard as he sacked him, but it wasn't business as usual. As they were falling, Taylor's knee went into Theismann's leg, breaking it in a way I have never seen before. It was so bad that Taylor had clear panic on his face and was yelling for help for Theismann. All anyone could do after that was watch the quarterback lay on the field. It was a career ending hit for the former Washington player and a play that can never be forgotten.
In my opinion, every single one of these players in the NFL deserves the upmost respect for what they put their bodies through every week. They do it for the love of the game, but also for the fans and their teams. Unfortunately, some of these games end in tragedy, but they all understand that when they sign up for playing. They're courageous and I admire not only the physical strength, but the mental strength they have. To endure such horrific injuries and then keep playing the game or make it through recovery requires a lot of willpower and its admirable.
Thanks for reading! See you soon!
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