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Sports Stars Who Came Back from Injury Better Than Ever
November 25, 2014Sports Stars Who Came Back from Injury Better Than Ever
With potential injury always just one play away, athletic success can be the most fragile of things. Yet while many a career have been sidetracked or lost in such premature fashion, some sports stars have used injury as a catalyst for bigger and better things.
Following a near-death car wreck in 1949, golf legend Ben Hogan bounced back and proceeded to dominate his sport like he never had before.
Formula One great Niki Lauda did precisely the same thing nearly 30 years later, winning two world championships after a life-altering crash of his own.
And, more recently, Peyton Manning has taken his game to a whole new level after neck surgery threatened his career roughly four years ago.
So, with these guys and others in mind, we’ve worked to highlight 11 sports stars who came back from injury better than ever.
While each athlete experienced different variations of success, they all thrived under similar circumstances, gaining strength in the eye of a defeat, benefiting from adversity rather than shrinking from it.
Close, but No Cigar
Though we've limited our to list to just 11 sports stars, we'd be remiss if we didn't at least acknowledge some of the numerous other athletes who rebounded from injury and returned to stardom. This, then, is our list of honorable mention bounce-back athletes:
Drew Brees
When Drew Brees made it to the Pro Bowl in 2004, it appeared as though San Diego had finally found its quarterback of the future. And when he put together another great season in 2005—a contract year—his standing among the elite NFL quarterbacks seemed as firm as ever.
In the last game of the season, however, an injury changed everything.
While taking on the Denver Broncos, Brees suffered a torn labrum, the result of an awkward encounter with defensive tackle Gerard Warren.
The talented quarterback immediately underwent arthroscopic surgery, but there was speculation at the time that he might have damaged his rotator cuff as well.
Amid a myriad of doubts concerning the free-agent quarterback’s long-term health, the Chargers offered Brees an underwhelming, incentive-laden contract, which he quickly rebuffed.
And when San Diego refused to budge, the rehabilitated signal-caller settled on a bigger and better offer from the New Orleans Saints.
Of course, the rest is history.
Without missing a single moment of action, Brees returned to the field in 2006 to post by far the best numbers of his then six-year career, throwing for 4,418 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Since then—in the seven seasons to follow—Brees has only continued his torrid pace, throwing for 4,388 yards or more each year, with no less than 28 touchdowns.
Still going strong today, Brees overcame serious injury, took his game to new heights and ultimately made the Chargers pay for refusing to pay.
Garrison Hearst
After coming out of the gate slow with two subpar seasons to start his NFL career (264 yards in 1993 followed by 169 in ’94), Garrison Hearst exploded onto the scene in 1995.
Suiting up for the Arizona Cardinals, Hearst carried the ball 284 times for 1,070 yards while hauling in 29 passes for 243 receiving yards.
It was the start of a nice stretch for the former Georgia star, as Hearst would scamper for 3,436 yards over the next three seasons, including a 1998 standout campaign in San Francisco that saw him rush for 1,570 yards in addition to 535 receiving yards.
For Hearst, though, the breakout season would end in tragedy.
On the first play from scrimmage in San Francisco’s Divisional Round playoff game against Atlanta, Hearst suffered a gruesome injury, breaking the fibula in his left leg.
Due to the incident, and numerous complications following surgery, Hearst nearly lost his foot and was forced to miss all of the next two seasons.
Defying the odds, however, Hearst battled back and returned to the Niners in 2001.
In fact, he more than returned; he starred for his old team, turning in his second-best season as a pro with 1,206 yards rushing and another 347 receiving.
The rejuvenated back then followed up his comeback campaign with two more highly productive years and ultimately called it quits in 2005.
Before that, though, Hearst showed what resilience is all about, looking retirement in its dreary eyes before returning to stardom instead.
Niki Lauda
Throughout the 1975 Formula One season, Niki Lauda proved to be one of the best drivers in the world. With five wins during what he called “the unbelievable year," Lauda captured his first world championship in just his second year with Ferrari.
With momentum on his side, the Austrian sensation began 1976 in utterly dominant fashion, recording four wins and two second-place finishes in the season’s first six races.
Few peaks are without valleys, though, and Lauda’s dream season was about to literally go up in flames.
At the 1976 German Grand Prix—a race Lauda unsuccessfully tried to boycott as a result of safety concerns—the world champ came face-to-face with death.
On just the race’s second lap, he lost control of his Ferrari, swerved off the track and slammed into an embankment. Upon collision, Lauda’s vehicle transformed from race car to inferno, one from which the driver couldn’t escape.
Though he was eventually pulled from the car, Lauda suffered severe burns to his face and head, inhaled toxic gases that damaged his lungs and blood, and eventually fell into a coma.
Clinging on for dear life, Lauda’s racing career seemed all but over; now, survival was all that mattered.
Well, to everyone but Lauda.
Following an extensive and painful rehab process—just six weeks and two races after the fiery crash—Niki Lauda miraculously returned to the track for the close of the ’76 season.
His comeback occurred a bit too late for him to defend his 1975 racing title, but the Aussie was far from done.
As determined as ever, Lauda quickly regained his old form and cruised to his second world championship in 1977.
Following a long four years, the two-time champ decided to retire from racing in ’79. He would, however, return to the action in 1982 and added to his title collection in 1984 with yet another world championship.
Lauda retired from racing for good in 1985 but first overcame a near-fatal accident to become a legend of the track.
Adrian Peterson
In Week 12 of the 2011 NFL season, Minnesota Viking fans saw their worst nightmare come true, as their star running back, Adrian Peterson, suffered a devastating knee injury.
On the play, Peterson tore both his ACL and MCL, often a crippling injury for a player of his kind.
For the first time in five NFL seasons, the former Sooner failed to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark, while his status for 2012 and beyond remained up in the air, to say the least.
But like the physical freak he'd always been, Peterson used reconstructive knee surgery as an opportunity to get even faster and stronger than before.
In spite of it all, Peterson did more than just bounce back in 2012; he was named MVP of the NFL, rushing for 2,097 yards, the second most in league history.
And, in 2013, with every opponent targeting No. 28, Peterson still scampered for another 1,266 yards and 10 scores.
To this day—even after suffering an injury that would have derailed many a career—Peterson shows no sign of regressing, maintaining his spot among the best running backs in all the world.
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux was unquestionably one of the greatest players in hockey history, but it was rarely easy for the Montreal native.
En route to becoming an all-time prolific scorer, the legendary Penguin encountered a number of health-related obstacles.
Most notably, Lemieux battled through a three-year period that included both life-threatening cancer and serious back surgery.
He began the 1992-93 season in historic fashion, setting a Pittsburgh Penguin record by scoring at least one goal in 12 consecutive games. Perhaps more impressive, Lemieux was on pace to challenge Wayne Gretzky’s single-season scoring record (92 goals, 215 points) before it all came crashing down.
On January 12, 1993, the Canadian icon made a shocking announcement, informing the world that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
With his life on the line, the hockey phenom immediately underwent aggressive rounds of radiation.
Somehow, though, just two months later, Lemieux was back on the ice and performing better than ever.
He led his Penguins to an NHL-record 17 consecutive victories and all the while scored at an astonishing rate, contributing 2.67 points per game, the third-best average in hockey history.
Despite time missed and debilitating radiation, Super Mario managed to win his second straight and fourth overall scoring title, finishing the season with an amazing 160 points.
Unfortunately, the very next year, Lemieux underwent back surgery and struggled mightily, appearing in just 22 games. Then, in '94-'95, he took a leave of absence altogether.
True to his nickname, however, The Comeback Kid returned to action, and to form, in 1995-'96, winning his third Hart Trophy and fifth Art Ross award.
In the end, then, Lemieux proved that nothing—neither cancer nor a bad back—could keep him from playing the sport he loved at a world-class level.
Buster Posey
By 2011—three years removed from minor league ball—Buster Posey was among the most promising talents in baseball.
He was coming off a memorable 2010 season in which he hit .305 with 18 homers and 67 RBI en route to winning Rookie of the Year honors.
Then, 45 games into the 2011 season, a single, horrific moment changed everything.
On May 25, in the bottom of the 12th inning, Marlins center fielder Scott Cousins collided with Posey on a violent play at the plate, leaving the catcher with a fractured fibula and torn ligaments in his ankle.
Forced to undergo season-ending surgery, Posey’s baseball future was left in serious doubt.
The Georgia native didn’t leave people wondering for long, though.
Posey worked tirelessly to make it back in time for the 2012 season and then exceeded even his own expectations.
In a magical campaign, the fourth-year player hit .336 to go along with 24 homers and 103 RBI and capped it all off with by winning a World Series title in addition to NL MVP honors.
And since then, he's only continued to play his best ball, making a second All-Star appearance in 2013 before winning another World Series and a Silver Slugger award in 2014.
Like few ever have, then, Posey overcame injury and became not just better than before, but one of the best in the world.
Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee first arrived on the scene in the year 2000, joining the University of Miami as a heralded freshman. By 2002, the South Florida product was college football’s top back and one of the best in Hurricane history.
In his junior season, he shattered Miami single-season records for carries (281), yards (1,753) and TDs (28) while leading the Hurricanes to a perfect season and national title game birth.
It was in his final collegiate game, though, that McGahee suffered one of the most gruesome knee injuries in football history—as his left leg was bent backward, the talented back tore his ACL, PCL and MCL.
The injury, so severe, required several surgeries in addition to extensive rehabilitation.
A lock to go in the top five of the 2003 NFL draft, an injured McGahee slipped all the way to the Bills at No. 23.
He was also forced to miss all of the 2003 season as he continued to recover from the devastating hit.
But by 2004, McGahee and his once-torn-up knee were ready to tear up the NFL.
In his first two years playing for the Bills, the gritty runner carried the ball 609 times for 2,375 yards and 18 TDs. When he moved on to Baltimore in 2007, he managed another 1,207 yards rushing to along with seven more scores. And when he joined the Broncos five years later, in 2011, he was still just as special, totaling 1,199 rushing yards and four TDs.
Throughout it all, no matter where he went or how badly he was hurt, McGahee refused to be anything other than his very best.
Rafael Nadal
Even at his peak, Rafael Nadal struggled to consistently stay healthy.
But in 2012—at the age of 26 (which is relatively old in tennis)—Nadal battled injury like never before and to an extent that made everyone question the top player’s future.
After winning his seventh French Open title earlier in the year, the Spanish star hit rock bottom.
First, he lost to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon, marking the first time since 2005 that he failed to make it past the tournament’s second round.
Next, Nadal withdrew from the 2012 Olympics, citing tendinitis of the knee as his main cause for concern.
Then, after pulling out of both the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Masters, the Spanish Bull was forced to withdraw from the US Open too, claiming he was still not healthy enough to return to action.
As a result of missing so much time, he ended the disappointing season ranked No. 4 in the world—it was the first time in eight years that he was not ranked first or second to end a season—and amid serious doubt concerning his tennis future.
When he then pulled out of the first major tournament in 2013 (the Australian Open) with a stomach virus, Nadal’s career seemed to be in serious jeopardy.
Of course, it turns out that was hardly the case.
As if nothing had ever happened, Nadal approached the rest of 2013 with serious determination and unbelievable success.
He went on to win another French Open title and was the last man standing at the US Open too.
Just mere months after being counted out for good, the pride of Spain managed to put it all together and once again finished the season ranked No. 1 in all the world.
Over the years, Nadal’s physically brutal brand of tennis has left him battered and beaten, but no matter what, with unrivaled strength and determination, he continues to come back better than ever.
Ben Hogan
In February of 1949, at just 36 years of age, the great Ben Hogan was involved in a career-threatening car accident. In the wreck, Hogan fractured his pelvis, collar bone and left ankle in addition to suffering a chipped rib and multiple near-fatal blood clots (he encountered lifelong circulation problems and other physical limitations as a result).
Golf quickly became a secondary consideration, as doctors told Hogan that he’d be lucky to ever walk again.
And with three major championships already in his back pocket, the Texas native could leave the game with his head held high.
Hogan, however, had bigger things in mind.
Forget walking, Hogan rejoined the PGA Tour at the start of the 1950 season and, believe it or not, was even better than before.
He won the US Open in his first year back and again in 1951, along with the Masters.
Then, in 1953, he took his game to an even higher level, completing what has become known as the Hogan Slam—he won five of the six tournaments he entered that year, including three of golf’s four majors.
In 1949, Hogan could have walked away from golf for good and with plenty to be proud of. Instead, he overcame each and every obstacle in his way, fighting to become one of the best to ever swing a club.
Peyton Manning
It seems rather hard to believe now, but Peyton Manning’s football career was in serious jeopardy not too long ago.
Following offseason neck surgery, Manning was forced to miss all of 2011. The timing couldn't have been worse either, as the four-time MVP was set to become a free agent the following offseason.
Armed with the No. 1 overall pick in the quarterback-loaded draft of 2012, the Indianapolis Colts had plenty to consider.
And with serious doubt surrounding Manning’s future health, the Colts surprisingly went in a new direction, drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck rather than re-signing their franchise star.
Yet while the Colts had moved on from Manning, Manning refused to move on from football.
Instead, he signed a lucrative contract with the Denver Broncos in 2012 and immediately answered any and all questions concerning his on-field play and long-term durability.
In fact, he came back better than ever.
Since the injury, and Indy's subsequent decision to move on, Manning has reached new heights in two full seasons with the Broncos. In 2013, the future Hall of Famer had the best year of his career, setting single-season NFL records for yards (5,477) and TD passes (55).
After 13 sensational seasons in Indianapolis, it took just one injury to convince the Colts to part with Manning. The quarterback, however, was not as easily deterred and has since proved he's just as great as he's ever been.
Michael Jordan
Before he became the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan flirted with disaster.
Three games into the 1985-'86 NBA season, the second-year standout broke his left foot. The promising talent would miss the next 64 games, but—as only Jordan could—rehabbed like a warrior and managed to return for Chicago’s final 15 regular-season outings.
The team’s chairman, however—Jerry Reinsdorf—was a bit more cynical during those pivotal months.
"I was scared to death he was going to be hurt again, and that would be the last we would ever see of Michael Jordan," remembers Reinsdorf.
Of course, those fears seem silly now.
As we all know, once back, there was no stopping Jordan.
He led the Bulls in scoring in each of their final eight games and helped them reach the playoffs, where he’d score 63 points in a double-overtime loss in Boston.
Five years later, in 1991, a healthy Jordan would win his second NBA MVP award and his first of six NBA titles.
But before putting together a one-of-a-kind career, Jordan confronted and defeated an injury that nearly derailed it all.
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