What athelete had too short of a career?

[g-hawg]

Been thinking a lot since Terrell Davis retired from the Broncos, who was the best athelete that had his or her career shortened because of whatever?

My vote would have to go with Ernie Davis of 'Cuse, he broke all of Jim Brown's records while there and then was stricken with cancer before he had a chance to play in the pro's. It was said that he could have been as good as big Jim if not better.

 

[fletcher]

Eddie Gaedel 0 ab 1 bb 1 game 5'1 but reports say 4'11

 

[acehistr8]

Definitely my favorite athlete vote goes to Cam Neely. Bought some front row seats back in the Spring of 91 to see him at the old Garden, right on the blue line. Well Cam jacks this Devil into the boards, the guy slumps over dead. Just as hes pulling himself up, the play and refs are going up ice. Cam turns around and plows him again. The place went wild.

This guy was a 50 goal scoring tough guy before scoring 50 goals was even "cool", I cant even compare him to a similar player today. In the two season period 89-91 he had 106 goals, 77 assists, 215 PIMs and a +36 +/-.

Wish his damn hip hadnt given out..

 

[yyz]

Bo Jackson

 

[djv]

Me! Don't laugh you don't know Me! Bo was good one to.

 

[Tiger]

Billy Simms

 

[djv]

Simms another good one. Fletch where in hell did you dig that one up. LOL.

 

[wigs]

i vote bo jackson as well.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Barry Sanders

 

[hellah10]

Bo Jackson

 

[Nolan Dalla]

I was never a fan of Bo Jackson, but I seem to be in the minority on this one. My list of "retired too early" is as follows:

2. Sandy Koufax -- the best in the game quit at age 31
3. Gayle Sayers -- five solid seasons on some truly awful teams
4. Don Merideth -- played only eight NFL seasons -- would surely have been a Hall of Famer and led Dallas to a couple of Super Bowls, I believe.
5. Mark Fidrich -- "The Bird" was the Randy Johnson of his day, and was the most entertaining player of the last 30 years, before developing injury problems

#1 ? My vote goes to Roberto Clemente -- an awesome baseball player that died in a plane crash while helping victims of the 1971 Nicaragua earthquake.

 

[hellah10]

I take back my Bo Jackson choice and select Toledo ex-Tailback...Wasean Tait...was regarded as one of the best backs in the nation and was gonna be a first round pick going to the draft....On Septmeber 7th, 1996 against Indiana, Wasean Tait tore just about everything you could possibly tear in your knee. He was out of football for 2 years.

Taits numbers were unreal...he ganied over 2000 yards in 94 or 95..i forget...but he got over 4000 yards in 2 years Some of you in the Las Vegas area might remember him from the Vegas Bowl in 95

 

[acehistr8]

How about Len Bias? Widely regarded as the next NBA superstar out of Maryland, dead of a coke overdose after being drafted by the Celtics?

 

[dawgball]

Bobby Jones!

 

[JT]

JR Richards
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Bo Jackson (Football only-poor ballplayer, sorry)
Sandy Koufax
Gale Sayers
Jose Conseco :lol:

 

[ctownguy]

Definitely Bo Jackson, also agree with Mark Fidrich

Can't agree with Barry Sanders, he quit on his own terms, wasn't forced to.

 

[wareagle]

Bo jackson without a doubt

WDE

 

[marine]

Brian Bosworth.
I had all his jerseys and posters and then the prick quits!

 

[MagiTek]

Albert Belle

 

[cisco]

Bo Jackson came to my mind right away.
Clemente left us too soon.

So did Thurmon Munson.