Soccer (Or football for those of you who don't reside in the USA) is often mentioned when we talk about athletes suffering the dreaded ACL Tear. Fortunately for the striker, Sir Alex Ferguson was still interested and the deal was completed the following summer. A new home for Michael Thomas? At the age of 39, he's still going strong. But at the age of 35, it was always going to be difficult for Ibra to get back to his best and he terminated his contract early to join LA Galaxy in March 2018. "All Day" did not miss a game, totaling 388 touches and carrying a Christian Ponder-quarterbacked team to the playoffs. After all, Palmer was 34 years old. QPR fan, so I've grown used to disappointment and started overpaying for things past their prime. Players with torn ACL tendons often struggle to remain competitive, as reported in the study "ACL Injuries in Men's Professional Football." In this 15-year study, only 65 percent of players with an injured ACL played at their top level three years after the initial injury. Boxing, the Royals and Pandora stations featuring female rock protagonists are some of his go-tos. He returned in time to help Barcelona seal the La Liga title and was also on the bench for the Champions League final win over Arsenal. Now youre sidelined for months and forced to start back at square one. He's intercepted one pass and defensed a total of four after intercepting two and defensing nine in 13 games before the injury. Injury date: Preseason, 2013 Return date: Week 1, 2014. Key before/after facts: After returning from the injury, Yanda made himself into a three-time All-Pro (2011-13). 75% of the second ACL procedures were performed on the athlete's opposite, or contralateral, knee. "Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over" - Anonymous. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. Patrolling the back with strength and determination, Zouma was quickly settling into his role as a future stalwart of the Chelsea back line, despite the team's all-around atrocious play. The 1998 first-round pick rushed for 1,115 yards and scored 12 TDs as a rookie, helping the Patriot to their final playoff berth of the Drew Bledsoe era. English superstar and beloved national player Gascoigne, (affectionately known as "Gazza") was to blame for his own ACL injury after attempting a doom tackle on a Nottingham Forest player during the 1991 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Heading into the 2013 offseason, Jeremy Maclin was the Philadelphia Eagles top receiver. Its since been confirmed that the 29-year-old has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, with the Mirror describing it as a grade three tear. Totti is another example of a player who shook off the dreaded ACL injury to regain his former level of play. Palmer said he cried like a baby after the non-contact injury, but once he got over the initial shock, he locked in on what he needed to do to come back stronger than ever. My mindset was that the rehab would replace my football season. Become a better soccer player through the conditioning workouts, speed training and foot drills on STACK.com. The next season, he bettered that, with 34 goals to help Blackburn win the Premier League. This website uses cookies and third party services. Then there's Thomas Davis. A collision with Shawne Merriman altered the Chiefs' plans, sidelining Holmes 23 months with head and neck trauma. Predicted 2023 Fitness and Wellness Trends- Not Your Usual Trends! Pro Football Focus has credited him with 22 hurries, tied for second in the NFL among defensive tackles. In the NFL, like other sports, a lasting return to play is also influenced by the players pre-injury position 20% of running backs and wide receivers never return to the NFL and for those that do return, performance drops by a third. A former No. dude busts his arse day in and day out. After leading the Lions to two NFL titles in the early 1950s, Layne had the team set to vie for a third crown in 1957. Smith's Nov. 2018 broken leg -- 23 years to the day that Joe Theismann suffered a career-ending broken leg no one wants to watch twice -- began a life-threatening sequence that included infections and ultimately 17 surgeries. Generally, those who successfully returned were above-average NFL players before their injury but relatively average after their return. The 2014 Vikings first-round pick was on track for a lucrative extension after having been Minnesota's starter for nearly two seasons, but a preseason ACL tear and knee dislocation ended his time as the Vikes' QB1. Those whose careers are ended or altered for the worse now occupy the minority. But neck pain recurred early in his comeback, prompting a retirement. Bowman even came back from a torn Achilles, finishing his career as a Raider starter in 2017. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates on SEC Football and Recruiting. Key before/after facts: The injury was the third torn ACL of Davis' career, and simply getting back on the field has been an extraordinary accomplishment. In addition to off-season lacrosse workouts, youll find plenty of on-the-field drill for all lacrosse positions. But after an ACL injury, she thought her hopes of becoming a college athlete were over. Washington Nationals Adam Eaton lies on the field after he was injured on a play at first base during the game against the New York Mets last month. Key before/after facts: Harris hasn't missed a start and has two interceptions in 10 games, one shy of his career high for a season. Key before/after facts: Since returning, Gronkowski has a higher touchdown rate (0.9 per game, compared to 0.84 before). Fortunate to benefit from modern medicine, Henderson was back on the field by Week 1 of the 2010 season -- thanks to a titanium rod being inserted into his leg. "The injury ends the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist's season. Here are nine such world-class players who came back better than ever after suffering the dreaded ACL injury, much to the delight of football fans across the globe. EAT. Bleier's journey dwarfs most of this list's injuries. They almost never return the same. But during a 1984 preseason practice, Andrews shredded all the ligaments in his left knee. The dreaded ACL Tear struck again during a game against fearsome foes Manchester United. Here are 25 key examples of players who battled back from career-defining injuries to continue playing. His hips were on point when he went into that season, and I think it made a huge contribution to why he had a successful season.. Not being out on the field with his teammates left Kelce feeling helpless, but he brought the right mindset to his rehab. In my 20 years, Ive never seen someone work so hard. While Kelce was blocking on a run play during a game against the Baltimore Ravens, a player collided into his right knee, tearing his MCL and ACL. He was never as prolific in front of goal after the injury, but he did adapt his playstyle to cope with the loss of pace. Not too long ago, there was only one relevant question for a football player with a torn ACL: Where's the retirement party? Following the season, he received no recognition from the NFLno All-Pro, no Pro Bowl, nothing. Even . Being 35 at the time, it was suggested that he would never recover due to his age, but just 7 months later, he was back in action and famously declared that "lions don't recover like humans." Key before/after facts: Clemons has played in 24 consecutive games since his return, but his sack rate has dropped. Injury date: Week 14, 2013. All rights reserved. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Click here for the All-ACL defensive team. When he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the fall, he approached the situation head on. Could he really come back and be an effective quarterback? However, some hope could be offered to the Dutchman by the examples of these players who all returned from long absences with similar injuries. Creating a new men's skincare product leads to a sticky situation in Lord Sugar's boardroom Get latest scores and headlines sent straight to your phone, sign-up to our newsletter and learn where to find us on online. Another striker who had injury woes was Alan Shearer. His form has returned, and he was called up to represent France recently: article here. In September 1997, as Manchester United faced bitter rivals Leeds United, captain Roy Keane clashed with Norwegian defender Alf-Inge Haaland throughout. In May 2017, the German suffered a partial cruciate ligament tear in his right knee and didnt play again until 2018. Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk isn't the first high-profile star to go down with an ACL injury. With that in mind, we present the All-ACL team for defensive players and specialists below. For more lacrosse training, nutrition and gear advice from the nations top coaches and players, see our lacrosse training videos. He continued to score with regularity at Newcastle United and finished his career as the Premier Leagues all-time leading goalscorer with 260 goals, which is still a record. 4 in 2011, a season Manning missed after never missing a start in 13 Colts campaigns. This injury occurred during the 2008 season when Brady was hit low by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker. Come back daily for basketball training videos and drills from some of the nations top basketball programs and advice from professional coaches and trainers. Stephen Tulloch's season is over after a sack-celebration injury. He returned to the Pro Bowl and piloted the Chiefs to two comeback playoff wins in his two seasons in Missouri. Oddly, those who had surgery for a lead leg injury had a 6% increase in batting average in the season after the injury. Liverpools task of defending their Premier League title became significantly more difficult on Saturday when Virgil van Dijk suffered a serious injury against Everton. Check out more workouts and drills in our soccer training video gallery. You wonder what he might have achieved had he not been so unfortunate. One of the bright spots of Chelsea's dismal defense of the 2105-2016 Premier title was fullback Kurt Zouma. Take your game to the next level with softball drills and workouts at STACK.com. Injury date: Preseason, 2010 Return date: Week 4, 2011. Copyright @2023 SECRant.com. I feel faster, Maclin told Philly.com prior to the 2014 season. Alan Shearer is probably the best example of overcoming serious ACL injury and going on to greatness. Injury date: Week 2, 2011 Return date: Week 1, 2012. Not only that, but he's in the "over-30" crowd, which goes to show that you don't have to be a kid to recover from the injury, even in the world of pro sports. Key before/after facts: Jones punted only 22 times before his injury. During a spring ball practice his sophomore year, Ross tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee. Its not often that elite athletes get the chance to take a step back and start from square one.