Athletes Who Were Great the Longest
A professional athlete's success is not wholly dependent on talent. Talent creates potential, but even the most focused, dedicated athlete can see a promising career cut short, or fail to meet expectations, because of a myriad of factors beyond their control.
Injuries, financial problems and even just bad luck can be the difference between a good career and a great career. When a truly great athlete has a career defined as much by its length as it is by its accomplishments, it's a rare feat.
These are athletes who were great the longest.
Roberto Clemente
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Years Active: 1955-1972
Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente's life was tragically cut short in 1973 when a plane he chartered for a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua crashed shortly after takeoff. Just 37 years old at the time, Clemente was young by almost any standard but was poised to start his 19th season in the MLB.
Rather than fading in his role as one of the greatest all-around players of the era, Clemente continued to be one of the most productive hitters and arguably the best fielder in the game—batting over .300 in his final four seasons and winning consecutive Golden Gloves over the same period.
Fittingly, the Hall of Famer's greatest performance may have come in his second-to-last season, when he was named World Series MVP in 1971, after batting .452 with two home runs and four RBI.
Derek Jeter
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Years Active: 1995-2014
Retired New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said goodbye to the game less than a year ago, but his entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame is a mere formality. Mr. November earned the title through his clutch, MVP performances in the postseason, but his impact on the team and the game itself was nearly immediate.
Jeter became the face of a Yankees club returning to dominance—quickly establishing himself as the quintessential franchise player. While contemporaries like Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were engaged in a performance-enhancing-drug-fueled race to break Hank Aaron's single-season home run record, the 16-time All-Star and five-time Golden Glove winner helped lead the Yankees to four World Series wins.
Jeter's remarkable durability and consistency—playing in an average of 137 games a season and batting .310—is only surpassed by his ability to seize the biggest moments, including the game-winning RBI in his final game at Yankees Stadium.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Years Active: 1969-1989
A towering 7'2", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar seemingly defied physics with his fluid athleticism on the court and ability to stay healthy over the course of his 20 year NBA career. His dominance—as a scorer and as a shot-blocking defender—wasn't limited to his pro career. At the collegiate level, Abdul-Jabbar led the UCLA Bruins to three consecutive NCAA Championships.
His college success was indicative of what he would achieve with the Los Angeles Lakers.
When he retired from the NBA in 1989 at age 42, Abdul-Jabbar held the records for career points, blocked shots and most MVP awards—and was a six-time NBA champion. His final years were neither a chase for a record, or the last gasp of an aging star; with stars Magic Johnson and Byron Scott, he won his sixth championship in 1988.
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Mia Hamm
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Years Active: 1987-2004
Retired U.S. Women's Soccer legend Mia Hamm is not just arguably the greatest female player ever but a transformative figure whose preternatural talent on the pitch was almost equally matched by her star power. As the captain of the U.S. women's national team, she was a perfect spokesperson for a sport that's not nearly as popular at home as it is abroad.
Hamm helped lead the United States to FIFA World Cup Championships in 1991 and 1999 and Olympic Gold in 1996 and 2004—she held the world record for international goals with 158, before former teammate Abby Wambach surpassed Hamm's total in 2014.
John Stockton
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Years Active: 1984-2003
Retired NBA point guard John Stockton's game is the DNA of the position in the modern era. His ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates, often via spectacular passes and steals, shouldn't overshadow the fact he was a deadly capable shooter in his own right with a career field-goal percentage of .515.
Equally impressive? He spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz, and the team made the playoffs each and every year.
Jack Nicklaus
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Years Active: 1962-2003
When people talk about rising young stars in the PGA, the question they always ask is: Can he surpass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors? And it's for a good reason—Nicklaus' achievements have seemed almost untouchable. Tiger Woods appeared poised to make a serious run at it, but he hasn't won a major since securing his No. 14 at the U.S. Open in 2008.
Nicklaus' 25-year run of success on the PGA Tour, included 73 championships, five Player of the Year awards and entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Mark Messier
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Years Active: 1978-2004
Not many pro hockey players get the opportunity to forge their careers as winger on a line anchored by The Great One. But Hall of Famer Mark Messier wasn't your typical NHL player, and with linemates Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri, he and the Edmonton Oilers won four Stanley Cups over in five years—proving to be a true hockey dynasty.
But Messier proved he was more than a supporting cast member; after Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, Messier led the Oilers to another championship in 1990. As a member of the New York Rangers, he won another Stanley Cup, making it an even six.
Over his career, Messier received more awards than can be feasibly listed here and is No. 8 in career goals scored and No. 2 in total points.
Nolan Ryan
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Years Active: 1966-1993
Gordie Howe
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Years Active: 1946-1980
When the legendary Gordie Howe, the man who is hockey, played in his final NHL season with the Hartford Whalers, he was 51-years-old; 51 and skating with players half his age. When he retired, he had just turned 52. Yet Howe still played 80 games and was named an All-Star, scoring 15 goals and 41 points in the process.
When Howe retired, he was the NHL all-time leader in goals, assists and points—since surpassed by Wayne Gretzky—but remains the all-time leader in games played with 1,767.
Wayne Gretzky
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Years Active: 1979-1999
What is there to say about The Great One? If Wayne Gretzky's NHL career was only half as long, he would still own four Stanley Cups and account for 637 goals and 1,979 points, which still keeps him atop the list of career points leaders...by a lot. But he played for two decades and holds most of the NHL's offensive records as a result.
Rod Woodson
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Years Active: 1987-2003
A "long" career in pro football is relative, compared to those greats in other sports who are the standard for career longevity. This is especially true in the modern era—16-game seasons and men who are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before make it nearly impossible to stay healthy.
Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson not only enjoyed a 17-year career but was one of the best in the game; a true playmaker and leader. When the 11-time Pro Bowler retired in 2003, he was the all-time leader in career interception return yards and interceptions returned for a touchdown.
John Elway
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Years Active: 1983-1998
During much of his career, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was one of the NFL's elite passers, but there was always a caveat. Uniquely athletic with one of the strongest arms in the league, he made plays and won games, but he could not translate success during the regular season into championships.
In the twilight of his career, Elway finally exorcised his postseason failures, winning the first of consecutive Super Bowls in 1997 at the age of 37. The next year, he was also named Super Bowl MVP and retired as one of the greatest to ever play the position.
Morten Andersen
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Years Active: 1982-2007
Retired NFL place-kicker Morten Andersen's career was enigmatic for two reasons—first, he was a pro football player who was in the league for an unfathomable 25 years; second, he was a kicker who didn't commit a blunder terrible enough to end it long before then.
Anderson retired as the all-time NFL points leader (2,544), a testament to his consistency regardless of the team or stage. Earlier this year he failed to get inducted into the Hall of Fame for the third straight year, but the mere fact he's a true place-kicker on the ballot means he could very well make it in the near future.
Cal Ripken Jr.
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Years Active: 1981-2001
The Streak perfectly encapsulates why Cal Ripken Jr. remained one of the MLB's best, despite age and time—the 19-time All-Star is the model for what a great shortstop should be. He made tough plays on the ball look easy and rarely let the easy ones get by. And as The Streak of 2,632 consecutive games shows, he was as close to a sure thing as possible.
He spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles, and when he retired in 2001 at age 40, he finished with 1,695 RBI and a .276 batting average.
Pele
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Years Active: 1956-1977
Legendary Brazilian footballer Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) went pro at age 15, a phenom of the sport—and had 36 goals in 29 games in his debut with Santos FC. At 17, he became a true superstar when he led Brazil's national team to a FIFA World Cup Championship in 1958; and he did it with an acrobatic athleticism no one had seen before in the sport.
When he retired in 1977, he had scored 1,281 goals during his 22-year career and achieved nearly mythic status for soccer fans around the world.
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