Marc Mariani was on his way to being one of the best return specialists in the game. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in a preseason contest in 2012 after his teammate accidentally stepped on his foot, which twisted his leg. The injury isn’t as gruesome as the others on the countdown are, but it was incredibly painful.
Catcher Buster Posey suffered a horrific injury due to a home plate collision with Scott Cousins in 2011. Posey fractured his fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle. The collision is about as gruesome as it gets in a baseball game, and it has become one of the main reasons why Major League Baseball intends to pass a rule that will ban home plate collisions.
Soccer player David Busst suffered a gruesome injury in 1996. He had two compound fractures in his right left after a nasty collision with two players. The injury was so severe that there was actually talk of the possibility of amputating his leg. He underwent 26 surgeries in the following years to fix his leg.
Shaun Livingston suffered one of the most gruesome knee injuries in NBA history on the night of February 26, 2007. Livingston missed a layup and came down awkwardly on his left leg. His knee snapped and he tore every ligament around the area. He also dislocated the patella and tibia-femoral joint.
Soccer player Steve Zakuani broke his leg after a hard tackle by Brian Mullan. Zakuani fractured his tibia and fibula in a painful manner. He had to be carted off the field, and didn’t return to professional soccer for 15 months.
Pitcher Tom Browning’s 12-year career came to an end after numerous injuries took a toll on his body. The final straw was a gruesome arm injury in which his pitching arm broke and separated from his shoulder. Browning’s season was over but he still managed to pitch in two more games the following year. He retired prior to the start of the 1996 season.
Boxer Evander Holyfield got a part of his ear bitten off by lunatic Mike Tyson in a rematch titled Holyfield vs. Tyson II. The crazy part about it is Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear earlier in the match and was on his way to a disqualification when Holyfield said the fight could continue. Tyson then bit a second time, which is when the top part of Holyfield’s ear was removed.
Richard Zednik suffered a severe neck injury that nearly cost him his life after a skate blade cut an artery in his neck. Blood flowed everywhere as team trainers attempted to stop the bleeding until the proper emergency medical personnel could get Zednik to the hospital. He underwent surgery that stabled his condition, and returned to the ice the next season.
Offensive guard Chris Kuper broke his ankle in the regular season finale of the 2011 season. The ankle was so severely broken that his foot actually faced the opposition direction. Miraculously, Kuper returned in 2012 and played in seven games. He even got elected to the Pro Bowl.
Pitcher Dave Dravecky suffered numerous bad fates in a span of just a few years. In 1988, a cancerous tumor was found in his throwing arm. Surgery removed some muscle, but he was able to pitch again in the majors in August of 1989. In his second start of the season, he broke his humerus bone and instantly collapsed on the mound. Dravecky would break his arm again just a few weeks later while celebrating the National League pennant win. It was revealed that the cancer had returned, and two years later, his arm and should had to be amputated.
Professional wrestler Sid Vicious was asked to add some aerial moves to his routine practically against his will. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a terrible idea. He snapped his tibia and fibula after a jump from the second turnbuckle went horribly wrong.
Defenseman Borje Salming took a skate to the face after Gerrard Gallant accidentally stepped on him during a game in 1986. Salming’s wound required 200 stitches and facial reconstructive surgery to fix the damage.
Running back Napoleon McCallum’s career ended during a Monday Night Football game in 1995 after his left knee hyperextended to the point where it faced a different angle. He also tore three ligaments as well as his calf and hamstring. The doctor said that it was the most horrific injury he had ever seen in regards to sports.
Quarterback Joe Theismann suffered a vicious broken leg on Monday Night Football in 1985. Linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson combined for the incredibly hard-to-watch hit that broke Theismann’s leg in two places. The injury ended his career on the spot.
By far the most gruesome injury to occur in professional sports is that of Clint Malarchuk. The goaltender had his jugular vein sliced after Steve Tuttle’s skate made contact with Malarchuk’s neck. Blood spurted all over the ice, which caused panic in the stands. It was reported that three players vomited, two fans had heart attacks and 11 more fans fainted. Malarchuk was prepared to die and even called for a priest. However, team trainer Jim Pizzutelli saved his life, along with several doctors who repaired the wound.
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