7 Gruesome Sports Injuries

Tyrone Prothro October 1st, 2005

Wide receiver Tyrone Prothro was known for making some miraculous catches during his time at University of Alabama. But in a game against the Florida Gators, Prothro went up to catch the ball and came down with his left leg snapped in half. He fractured both bones in his lower leg the tibula and fibula.

After extensive surgeries and rehab, Prothro was unable to return to the gridiron and went on to get his Bachelors Degree in Human and Environmental Sciences in 2008.

Alex Zanardi Sept 15th, 2000 F1 and CART racer Alex Zanardi was involved in a violent accident at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in eastern Germany. While coming out of a pit stop in the final laps of the race, Zanardi accidentally accelerated too much which caused him to spin out. While spinning out, he hit another driver whose car split Zanradis in half. He lost both of his legs in the crash. But two years later, Zanardi got back in the driver's seat and began racing with his prosthetic legs.

Bryce Florie Sept 8th, 2000 Boston pitcher Bryce Florie was hit in the face by a line drive from Yankees hitter Ryan Thompson. The ball fractured Florie's cheekbone and retinal socket. He also suffered direct injuries to his retina. After successful surgery, Florie was able to keep his eye. Florie would return a year later, but he only pitched in seven games before he was released.

Deandre Brown December 21st, 2008

Southern Miss freshman wide receiver had a nasty ending to an impressive rookie season. At the New Orleans Bowl, Brown was running a deep route when his left leg gave out on him. It had snapped halfway down his shin. Brown has been doing his best to recover, but he has not made a return yet and there's no guarantee that he ever will.

Greg Louganis 1988 Olympics In the preliminary rounds of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board while performing a dive. He would suffer a concussion from the hit. But Louganis recovered. He even went on to repeat the dive during the finals. Having done it successfully this time, Louganis earned the gold medal.

Shaun Livingston - Feb. 26th, 2007

Clippers Guard Shaun Livingston injured his left knee after missing a layup in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. He was able to recover from the injury a year and a half later. Ironically, as of July 2010, he has signed a 2-year deal with the Bobcats and should be their starting guard when the season begins.

Joe Theismann November 18, 1985 During a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, Joe Theismann, quarterback for the Washington Redskins was tackled by Lawrence Taylor. But this was no ordinary tackle. Theismann was hit at an angle that caused his leg to snap in two places. The hit would go on to be voted as one of the most horrific plays in NFL history. Theismann was forced to retire and would become a successful television commentator.