Brett Favre and the Most Shocking Sudden Retirements Ever

An NFL player's career usually lasts between 3-5 years so it's kind of weird to say that Brett Favre retiring after 19 years is a shock.

I mean, the man was born in the 60s.

But it is a shock, if you consider how good the team he is leaving can be. And if you add in how well he played last year, (last interception notwithstanding).

So since everyone else is going to be breaking down the what now for Minnesota and the why for Favre, I figure we could count down the most shocking sports retirements ever.

First we'll start with the honorable mentions.

Not that these athletes were less important, these are just the ones that became less of a media circus. Or they just weren't as shocking.

Honorable Mention: Justin McBride

Justin McBride - According to ESPN McBride is one of the best ever and "holds practically every significant record in the bull riding books".

McBride retired suddenly at 29.

Honorable Mention: Justine Henin

Hamish Blair/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 28: Justine Henin of Belgium in action during her match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium on Day Seven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 28, 2010 in London, England.

Justin Henin is an all timer herself, but she gets honorable mention because even though she did shock everyone by retiring at 25, she came back out of retirement.

And also because 25 is kind of old in Tennis.

No. 10: Kirby Puckett

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 27: Kirby Puckett #34 of the Minnesota Twins swings at a pitch during Game seven of the 1991 World Series against the Atlanta Braves at the Metrodome on October 27, 1991 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Braves 1-0 i

In the middle of the 1996 season Kirby Puckett,  woke up one morning and couldn't see out of his right eye, he was diagnosed with glaucoma in his eye and was forced to retire on July 12th of that year.

He had just come off of an All-star season.

In 2006, at the age 45, he died of stroke complications.

No. 9: Lorena Ochoa

At age 29, after winning two Grand Slams and LPGA player of the year four consecutive times, Ochoa suddenly retired.

She said she just wanted to get home to her family and that she would leave the door open, just in case she wanted to come back.

No. 8: Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano had won his first 49 fights, including a couple of close ones. Archie Moore knocked him down and he even took a four count before getting up and winning the fight.

Fighters like Ingemar Johansson and Floyd Patterson were possible future opponents, waiting for a chance at the champ's belt.

But just like that, six months after the Archie Moore fight, "The Rock" retired at age 32. And he still remains the only undefeated heavyweight champion to retire that way.

No. 7: Sugar Ray Leonard

Leonard makes the list even though he came back from retirement, because of how popular he was at the time and how brash he was when he made the announcement.

(Maybe this is where Lebron got the idea from).

While everyone who came to his press conference assumed he was going to announce that he would be fighting "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, Leonard instead announced that he would be retiring because of a detached retina.

Actually, that would have made more sense. He actually said he was fully healed from the eye problem and was just retiring because he didn't feel like fighting anymore.

He came back out of retirement and won a controversial decision over Hagler.

No. 6: Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax was one of the best ever. After seven all-star appearances, four no-hitters and a perfect game, he called it quits because of his arthritic condition.

He won 27 games his final year and had over 300 strikeouts.

So, I'm guessing he could've gone a little longer.

No. 5: Brett Favre

This one comes as a shocker because of all the times he could have retired, this was the one that really didn't make sense.

He has a Super Bowl caliber team and he went through off-season surgery. He also has been tossing the ball around with the high school kids, just like last year.

I guess we'll find out soon what happened.

Or maybe like Barry, we never will.

No. 4: Jim Brown

Jim Brown is in the Pro Football, College Football and College Lacrosse Halls of Fame. Jim Brown is pretty much considered the greatest football player to ever play the game.

He is on the NFL 75th Anniversary team and the 1960's All-Decade team.

When most athletes today would kill for a cameo in a low budget movie. Jim Brown was a lead in a huge Hollywood blockbuster, The "Dirty Dozen" during his last offseason.

The story goes that Brown told the Browns he would be late for the season because he was still shooting. They told him that he better get back now.

So he retired. At age 29.

Nobody tells Jim Brown what to do.

No. 3: Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders is one of the best running back to ever play the game. He retired with over 15,000 yards rushing and within one good season of catching Walter Payton for the all time mark.

Sanders was known for being a really quiet guy. Which is probably why he faxed in his retirement in 1999, just two months before the season started.

To this day no one really knows why Sanders left with contract money still there to collect, and records to break.

For years after, there were rumors he would be coming back. But he never did.

No. 2: Michael Jordan

His Airness is usually number one on all lists, but for this list he is low because he retired several times, just like dear old Brett.

For the sake of this list we will deal with his first retirement, the most shocking one.

At age 30, in the prime of a career that pretty much everyone was considering as the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan retired.

Soon after he would start playing minor league baseball. What made it even more bizarre were rumors of gambling debts.

Jordan said that the rumors had nothing to do with his retirement, but that the seemingly random murder of his father months earlier did.

If this were to happen today the Internet would probably shut down.

No. 1: Magic Johnson

On Nov. 7, 1991 Magic Johnson announced that he would be retiring from the NBA because he had the HIV virus.

It might not seem like an earth shattering situation now, but back then everyone thought it was a death sentence.

And back then everyone loved Magic Johnson as much as any player ever.

You were in awe of Jordan, you argued for or against Bird, but you loved Magic.

I lived in Boston, hated the Lakers, made fun of AC Green's jherri curls, but I loved Magic.

It was such a big deal that most people can tell you where they were when they heard the news.

It opened a lot of people's eyes to the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Which is why it is No. 1, in my opinion, because of its cultural significance.