Steve Emtman — Retired at 27 years old in 1997
A unanimous All-American in 1991 for the University of Washington Huskies, defensive tackle Steve Emtman was the stalwart on the Huskies defense that led the team to a Rose Bowl win to conclude the 1990 season; that was the first Rose Bowl win the program had in nearly a decade. In 1991, Emtman won the Outland Award (given to the best collegiate interior lineman) and Lombardi Award (given to the best college football lineman or linebacker), and was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.
That led the Indianapolis Colts to take him with the #1 overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. But due to various injuries, including blowing out both of his knees in his first two seasons, Emtman missed 30 games over his first three seasons, and retired from the league at only 27 years old.
David Peterman says
Robert Edwards of the Patriots was another running back who suffered a devastating knee injury that ended his NFL career right after it began. Ironically, the injury occurred during a non-contact beach football game at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii after his rookie season in 1998.
He did come back to play in the Canadian Football League a few years later, but we can only imagine how good his NFL career might have been if he hadn’t destroyed his knee in a freak accident playing flag football.
John says
No Billy Sims? He should have been at the top!
Howard Marks says
The average career in the NFL being what it is, being knocked out by injury in your 30’s is not premature. And where is Billy Sims? Remember how great he was?
J geml says
I agree about Sims. He may have more exciting to watch than Barry Sanders
HammerHead says
Barry Sanders should of been #1 !!!!
Lydell Pamplin says
Ken Easley (Seattle Seahawks) and Bob Sanders (Indianapolis Colts) to former NFL DPOY All Pro Safeties (1994 & 2007) both of whom only played 7 years, but who’s impact were forever felt PERIOD! Easley made the Hall of Fame this years, which was LONG-OVER-DUE, but was well deserve! And Sanders should soon follow with his sub 4.3 speed!
Bob Abrams says
Billy Simms needs to be on this list! Billy Simms was on his way to being a 1st ballot Hall of Famer before blowing his knee out.
Trabers says
How could you not include Ken Anderson of the Cincinnati Bengals on this list.
Cammosutra says
I am surprised there was no mention of at least two players who got their spinal chords broken and needless to say, were done in the NFL. Can’t play if your legs and/or arms don’t work anymore.
Google it. Their names escape me. But they are real.
jason osborne says
Quite a few of these had most of their careers behind them. Sayers and Bo Jackson, IMO are easily the best of the list for unrealized potential.
Monica Hitt says
I watched the game on TV and saw Napoleon McCallum get injured. It was one of the most sickening injuries ever, they showed it in replay a time or two and then stopped showing it, it truly was horrible. I’m glad he didn’t lose the leg, but it’s a shame his career was done.
Orren Cleveland says
Napoleum McCallum of the Raiders had a promising career cut short by a gruesome leg injury that nearly required amputation of his leg. He was a star at Navy before being drafted by the Raiders.
Per Wikipedia, On September 5, 1994, during a Monday Night Football contest and the Raiders’ opening game of the season at the San Francisco 49ers, McCallum’s career ended prematurely when 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr. twisted him to the ground. As Norton and McCallum went down, McCallum’s left cleat stuck in the ground, forcing his knee into a horrible dislocation. Norton lay pinned underneath a motionless McCallum for a couple of minutes while athletic trainers attended to McCallum.[8]
McCallum suffered a complete hyperextension of his left knee, almost to a right angle. He suffered a ruptured artery in his left knee, and tore three ligaments, tore the calf and hamstring from the bone, and suffered nerve damage in the knee. He initially thought he’d only face a lengthy rehab, but McCallum’s surgeon told him that there was no chance of him ever being medically cleared to play again. The surgeon said that he normally didn’t see leg injuries this severe except in car accidents. Had the subsequent surgery not gone as planned, there was a chance his left leg would have been amputated.[9]