Tony Saunders

Career-Ending Sports Injuries

Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Tony Saunders holds his injured left arm as he is carried off the field on May 26, 1999 in St. Petersburg, Fla. He freakishly broke a bone in the arm on a pitch to Texas Rangers batter Juan Gonzalez. One year later, Saunders attempted a comeback with the Devil Rays but broke his arm again on a rehab assignment. He retired at 26. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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Troy Aikman Aikman suffered a series of concussions over the years. The tenth, at the hands of Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington, ended his run as an NFL quarterback. (AP Photo/George Widman)
Dikembe Mutombo In the second game of the first round of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo suffered a knee injury that would keep him out for the remainder of the post-season. Soon after, he announced he had played his last games in the NBA. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Michael Irvin During the fifth game of the 1999 season, Irvin was tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Tim Hauck and went head-first into the turf. He was carted off the field on a stretcher, ending his 11-year pro career. (AP Photo/Jane Hwang)
Joe Theismann Theismann's career ended on November 18, 1985, when he suffered a gruesome compound fracture of his leg while being sacked by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)
Eric Lindros Lindros spent significant parts of his career on the injured reserve and suffered a series of concussions. He officially announced his retirement on November 8, 2007, after yet another concussion and a wrist injury. (AP Photo/Dave Chidley, The Canadian Press)
Reggie Brown In the final game of the 1997 season, Brown suffered a spinal cord contusion while assisting on a tackle of New York Jets halfback Adrian Murrell. He is now up and walking but never saw the field in an NFL game again. (AP Photo/Bob Broadbeck)
Tony Saunders Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Tony Saunders holds his injured left arm as he is carried off the field on May 26, 1999 in St. Petersburg, Fla. He freakishly broke a bone in the arm on a pitch to Texas Rangers batter Juan Gonzalez. One year later, Saunders attempted a comeback with the Devil Rays but broke his arm again on a rehab assignment. He retired at 26. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Kevin Everett On September 9, 2007, during the first week of the 2007 NFL Season, Everett sustained a fracture and dislocation of his cervical spine while attempting to tackle Denver Broncos' kickoff return man Domenik Hixon. Doctors initally diagnosed the injury as life-threatening, but after extensive rehab, Everett has regained mobility in his limbs and is miraculously able to walk again. (AP Photo/David Duprey)
Albert Belle Two years after signing a $65 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, Belle ended his career as a result of degenerative osteoarthritis in his hip, retiring at age 34. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Jason Williams In mid 2003, Williams' life nearly ended when he crashed a motorcycle into a pole in Chicago. Williams severed a main artery in his leg, sustained a fracture in his pelvis, and tore his left knee in three places. In the summer of 2006, Williams attempted a comeback with the New Jersey Nets but was soon after released. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)