A History of NFL Running Back Careers Ruined by Injury

From Bo Jackson to Cadillac Williams.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

To become one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, you have to be blessed with many physical and mental abilities. Speed, agility, strength, vision, and a host of other critical skills go into building the next Jim Brown, Walter Payton, or Barry Sanders. But even more so than those attributes, there's one thing required of all backs that they simply cannot do without. Something that makes all the difference between a one year wonder and a Hall of Famer: health.

No matter how good a running back you are, if you’re not healthy then you’re simply not going to make your mark on the league in the way you should. Throughout the history of the NFL, guys who could've been all-time greats like Bo Jackson or Terrell Davis had only begun to reach the peak of their powers before a cruel twist of fate cut them down without a moment’s notice. While they do play the position with perhaps the shortest shelf life of any player, it’s nevertheless unfortunate and unexpected when one of the league’s best backs goes down and is never these same. Here we present A History of NFL Running Back Careers Ruined by Injury.

RELATED: The 25 Greatest Sports Careers Ruined by Injury
RELATED: The Most Gruesome Sports-Injury Photos of All Time
RELATED: Sneaker Report - Helpful Hints to Prevent Your Most Frequent Running Ailments

Alan Ameche

Not Available Interstitial

Gale Sayers

Not Available Interstitial

Earl Campbell

Not Available Interstitial

William Andrews

Not Available Interstitial

Billy Sims

Not Available Interstitial

Bo Jackson

Not Available Interstitial

Ickey Woods

Not Available Interstitial

Barry Foster

Not Available Interstitial

Garrison Hearst

Not Available Interstitial

Jamal Anderson

Not Available Interstitial

Ki-Jana Carter

Not Available Interstitial

Terrell Davis

Not Available Interstitial

Priest Holmes

Not Available Interstitial

Robert Edwards

Not Available Interstitial

Olandis Gary

Not Available Interstitial

Deuce McAllister

Not Available Interstitial

LaMont Jordan

Not Available Interstitial

Brian Westbrook

Not Available Interstitial

Clinton Portis

Not Available Interstitial

Cadillac Williams

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Sports