If you could give a former athlete an injury free career...
- Thread starter ThamesHawk
- Start date
I watched the final 4 game against Louisville again recently. Even before Ronnie went down in that game you could tell he wasn’t anywhere near 100% with that knee. Still manages to go toe to toe with Dr Dunkemstein. A 100% Ronnie puts the Hawks in the final.
Bo was the first that came to mind for me.
It’s sad to think about the Hawks that went down to injury during some of their magical seasons. However, it is fun to think about “what if”. Could they have been the difference maker towards getting to a championship? I think the Ronnie Lester injury is most likely a “yes” to that question. Then, who knows, maybe Iowa keeps Lute and starts a run that puts them into a powerhouse program conversation.
Anyway, lots of good names mentioned. A couple that I did not see mentioned yet would be Robert Edwards of the Patriots and Ki-Jana Carter.
It’s sad to think about the Hawks that went down to injury during some of their magical seasons. However, it is fun to think about “what if”. Could they have been the difference maker towards getting to a championship? I think the Ronnie Lester injury is most likely a “yes” to that question. Then, who knows, maybe Iowa keeps Lute and starts a run that puts them into a powerhouse program conversation.
Anyway, lots of good names mentioned. A couple that I did not see mentioned yet would be Robert Edwards of the Patriots and Ki-Jana Carter.
I would love to see actual footage of him getting up as high as he could. Could he really grab a dollar bill off the top of a backboard?
Like you 3boys but no robbery - he just had the misfortune of competing someone touched by the hand of god.
My second choice, after Fred Couples, is me. I've had 11 orthopedic surgeries, I've also had numerous broken bones that didn't require surgery.
This. Mickey Mantle played his entire career with a torn ACL in his right knee. And he still was among the fastest players in baseball.
I'll bet that's true. A number of guys have been able to do that or somthing similar. High jumping (basketball) is a classic street ball competition.
I’ll add Calvin Mathews for Iowa Baseball to this list. He was dominant before getting injured.
Bo was my thought before opening this. But selfish me knows that I wouldn’t have gotten to witness his 1993 AL Comeback Player of the Year season with the White Sox, helping them to an AL West title. So selfish me says Ronnie Lester or Ricky Stanzi.
No injury and there’s also not this great moment, in his first at-bat back...
No injury and there’s also not this great moment, in his first at-bat back...
I have to grudgingly agree here. Chuck Long was the best quarterback in America that year but Bo Jackson was an absolute once in a generation freak athlete.
The owner f$cked Bo over when he said he cleared the jet ride to Tampa with the NCAA and rendered him ineligible (likely intentionally) to finish his last season of baseball at Auburn. Bo was so pissed he told him not to draft him because he ain’t playing for him. Ever. Culverhouse had the hubris to draft him anyway. I am still pissed he forced bo’s hand into baseball. Haven’t really like Tampa until they drafted Wirfs.
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Meh, Bo created that conspiracy theory in his head, and because of his popularity and the Bucs historical ineptness, people bought into it. Far more likely that the Bucs simply wanted to check him out before drafting him (he willingly boarded the plane, flew to Tampa, and went voluntarily went through the team’s physical and workout, with no mention of not wanting to play for them) - then he was deemed ineligible by the absurdity of the NCAA rules.
Let’s go ahead and add Mark Prior as well.
I think that injury had more to do with not being able to get off the line against an NFL corner back.
Scaggs had an injury? Because Boz the football player got trucked by Bo Jackson for running his mouth and pretty much sucked without the help of steroids
Now that's the guy who used to piss me off. It was disappointing that Long lost the Heisman to Bo, but I hated everything about Bosworth's persona and I felt like his theatrics diverted attention away from Larry Station, who deserved more accolades as the best linebacker in college football.
He had a well known knee injury that never healed right.
Didn’t help that he was on the bungles.
Ted Willians.
Williams stated He was never the same hitter after he broke his collarbone/elbow in the 1950 All Star game..
Williams stated He was never the same hitter after he broke his collarbone/elbow in the 1950 All Star game..
I don't think anyone will find footage on it. Some things may just be legend, but it is possible. I place a lot of weight on the opinion of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. When he retired after 20 years in the NBA, he was asked who was the greatest player he ever played against. He played against Wilt Chamberlain, who had 100 points in a game (who's guarding Wilt?). He played against Michael Jordan. He played against Larry Bird. He played against Dr. J.
The greatest player Kareem ever played against according to Kareem was Earl Manigault.
