Lost careers

[Thaak]

Len Bias

Bernie Kosar (awkward, clumsy, uncoordinated, lead feet and all, the guy was brilliant on the field, and his career was cut short by a broken elbow.)

Lou Gerigh(sp?)

[The Gipper]

Zombo said:

Lyman Bostock ... murder

Zombo

Was he the victim? Or the perpetrator? Who was that guy from the Carolina Panthers who had his ex-girlfriend killed because he didn't want to deal with a kid, give up his lifestyle, and pay child support. Rae something.

[NebBrownsFan]

@the-gipper said:

Was he the victim? Or the perpetrator? Who was that guy from the Carolina Panthers who had his ex-girlfriend killed because he didn't want to deal with a kid, give up his lifestyle, and pay child support. Rae something.

That would be Rae Carruth

[cambridgeho]

How about Eric the Hitman Turner. He was only 31 and died from cancer. DAN SNYDER (Na 25tional Hockey League, Atlanta Thrashers). REGGIE LEWIS 27(NBA, Boston Celtics. Nick Adenhart 24(Angels). They all are so tragic, but life goes on.

[NebBrownsFan]

@cambridgeho said:

How about Eric the Hitman Turner. He was only 31 and died from cancer. DAN SNYDER (Na 25tional Hockey League, Atlanta Thrashers). REGGIE LEWIS 27(NBA, Boston Celtics. Nick Adenhart 24(Angels). They all are so tragic, but life goes on.

Len Bias 22, Boston Celtics. Died from a cocaine overdose 48 hrs after being made the 2nd overall pick in the draft.

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Ken Griffey Junior-he's still playing but imagine what he could have done if he stayed healthy

[Earl34]

@nebbrownsfan said:

Len Bias 22, Boston Celtics. Died from a cocaine overdose 48 hrs after being made the 2nd overall pick in the draft.

While Len Bias was tragic, it was also of his own doing. I don't feel nearly the sympathy for him as, say, Hank Gathers who dropped dead on the court of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

My list:

1) Bo Jackson. I don't think this could be stated enough. He would have smashed records.

2) Gale Sayers. The most unfortunate part of his story is that today, that injury wouldn't be career ending.

3) Kirk Dressendorfer- All-American pitcher at Texas (same time as Alex Fernandez was leading Miami). Coach overused him and he got drafted in the first round by the A's (same year as Van Poppel). He got to the majors within four months but had gotten a rotator cuff injury as a part of overuse and he went on to surgery and never really played again. By far the best amateur pitcher I ever saw.

4) Jeff Bagwell. Finished tied (at the time) with Frank Thomas with 449 HRs. Had a degenerative shoulder problem. Couldn't even lift a cup of coffee much less throw. Had at least a shot at 500 HRs.

5) Al Toon- What this guy and Chrebet had to live through with post-concussion syndrome is horrifying.

6) Frank Bush- LB with the Oilers (late 80s) who was all over the field on every play. Third game of his second season he suffered a career ending spinal injury. He's now Texans DC.

7) Brian Piccolo- Sorry, I cry every time. It's like a chick-flick for guys.

[JC]

Sterling Sharpe. He was better than his brother.

[Tobalaz]

Dennis Byrd, 20 sacks and 110 tackles in his first 2 seasons before that KC game.

Have to agree with Eric Turner, I loved that guy.

Pistol Pete Maravich, now THERE was a real BB player. He got his time in the league though, probably could have played a bit more than he did.

Pat Tillman, at least he died for something he believed in. Was a solid guy would have had a long and reliable career.

Darrent Williams, lived a relatively clean life and got gunned down outside of a club.

Sean Taylor, cleaned up his life and some punk broke into his house and gunned him down in the middle of the night.

Korey Stringer, damn fine athlete and human being, heat exhaustion.

Reggie Lewis, diagnosed with a heart disorder, forced to retire after only playing 6 seasons then died while practicing shooting hoops.

[Dirty Hands]

what about terrel davis and the mile high salute?

and not that he was that great but was looking promising before the appendix operation or something like that....chris simms?

[NebBrownsFan]

@earl34 said:

While Len Bias was tragic, it was also of his own doing. I don't feel nearly the sympathy for him as, say, Hank Gathers who dropped dead on the court of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

My list:

1) Bo Jackson. I don't think this could be stated enough. He would have smashed records.

2) Gale Sayers. The most unfortunate part of his story is that today, that injury wouldn't be career ending.

3) Kirk Dressendorfer- All-American pitcher at Texas (same time as Alex Fernandez was leading Miami). Coach overused him and he got drafted in the first round by the A's (same year as Van Poppel). He got to the majors within four months but had gotten a rotator cuff injury as a part of overuse and he went on to surgery and never really played again. By far the best amateur pitcher I ever saw.

4) Jeff Bagwell. Finished tied (at the time) with Frank Thomas with 449 HRs. Had a degenerative shoulder problem. Couldn't even lift a cup of coffee much less throw. Had at least a shot at 500 HRs.

5) Al Toon- What this guy and Chrebet had to live through with post-concussion syndrome is horrifying.

6) Frank Bush- LB with the Oilers (late 80s) who was all over the field on every play. Third game of his second season he suffered a career ending spinal injury. He's now Texans DC.

7) Brian Piccolo- Sorry, I cry every time. It's like a chick-flick for guys.

No one is asking you to feel sympathy...lol Don Rodgers is listed by someone and his was also self-inflicted.

[Riffer X]

Lawyer Tillman---he got bad feet

Cory Snyder---back

Jaret Wright---shoulder and elbow

David Pollack---neck

Brad Daugherty---back or could have played a long time

Michael Dean---played with a torn up knee the majority of his career. Dude would have been sick if he was healthy.

Michael Ray Richardson----drugs

Dinner Bell Mel Turpin---had an eating disorder. He ate everything in sight.

John Hot Plate Williams---see above

Ryan Leaf---he had a mental condition called moronitis.

Tim Couch---never got a chance to play healthy on a decent team with a line and some weapons.

Bill Walton---total badass coming out but lost his prime years because of bad feet

Drazen Petrovic---car wreck on the autobahn. Full on scoring machine albeit a dickhead. He killed the Cavs.

There's a few off the top of my head.

[nickers]

Rickey Boldin,,,,Injuries beseiged him...Lawyer Tillman...bum leg killed his career.

[samoth]

Priest Holmes had 3 1/2 unbelievable years for the Chiefs before suffering a freak neck injury that he never recovered from. He was easily on track for the Hall of Fame. In those 3 1/2 years he had 5482 rushing yards, 60 rushing TDs and 2163 recieving yards and 6 receiving TDs. He was 31 when he suffered his injury but could easily have put in 3-4 more years at that level.

[Earl34]

@dirty-hands said:

what about terrel davis and the mile high salute?

and not that he was that great but was looking promising before the appendix operation or something like that....chris simms?

Appendix? Uh, no...he ruptured his spleen and almost bled to death.

[Buck The Frowns]

Art Schlichter - Gambling addiction. Somewhat self inflicted but now treated like an illness.

Joe Namath - Had a good long career but suffered his first bad knee injury in High School and never played a single NFL down on even one good knee. What might he have been if he had been healthy?

Sandy Koufax - In the MLB hall of fame but retired at 30 due to arthritis in his pitching elbow. What would his numbers look like if he had found the strike zone earlier and not thrown so many pitches early on?

[Kosar_For_President]

@the-gipper said:

Brad Daugherty, somewhat because of his back

NO WAY! 10,000 points and 5,000 boards and 5 time all star? You can say that about ANY player after 10 years. There are Hall of Famers that played only 10 years.

[Kosar_For_President]

Has anyone said Bo Jackson. I still remember that game against the Chiefs where he carried 3 guys like 20 yards. If he just stuck to one sport.

Dude ran a 4.14 40 at 235lbs. Look at how he hit the holes.

[88fingerslewy]

Tommy Kane- WR Seattle Seahawks.

I played with this guy in Montreal before he went off to Syracuse. Played roughly 4 yrs with Largent and Brian Blades in Seattle.

Beat his wife to death in front of her mother in his living room. Now he's doing life.

[Kosar_For_President]

88fingerslewy said:

Tommy Kane- WR Seattle Seahawks.

I played with this guy in Montreal before he went off to Syracuse. Played roughly 4 yrs with Largent and Brian Blades in Seattle.

Beat his wife to death in front of her mother in his living room. Now he's doing life.

Nope.

On November 30, 2003, Kane stabbed his wife Tammara Shaikh to death, eventually pleading guilty to manslaughter for the act. Canadian Superior Court Justice Fraser Martin described Kane as "narcissistic" and "manipulative" and sentenced Kane to 18 years in prison.

So you will see him again. I bet he's fun to hang out with.