Pro athletes Achilles' heels

Elton Brand is the latest star who is trying to come back from this injury.

While many one-time career-ending orthopedic injuries, such as complete ACL or elbow ligament tears, have had their effects amazingly minimized by medical advances, the Achilles' is still pretty much an unfixable one, at least in the sense of a player being able to approach their previous ability.

Is there any athlete who has come back to recapture pre-injury levels? Marino had one great year in 1994, but he was a different QB.... His quick feet in the pocket were gone.

 

I thought this thread was going to be about sex and drugs.

Damn metaphors.

 

Julian Peterson has made a couple of Pro Bowls since his injury, I believe, and Dominique Wilkins finished second in the league in scoring his first year back.

Returning to pre-injury level, though? Good question. Sam Cowart never did, and Buffalo essentially gave up on Takeo Spikes for the same reason.

 

I ruptured mine and it was a long rehab and the explosion I used to have (could dunk a volleyball at 5'9") was gone. Might have been just fear but never been the same even though the rehab was long and brutal.

I think Julian Petereson is the best story I can recall.

 

Vinny Testaverde did it. He was an average quarterback before the injury, and an average quarterback after.

 

Never the same after his.




Team won anyway, though.

 

We'll always have Paris.

 

Well struck.

 

Reading the thread's title, this guy was all ready to pronounce that "Women weaken legs."

 

Average is too complimentary. (/bitter Bucs fan)

 

I'd argue that Kellen Winslow Jr. has gotten close to his pre-injury days – both the knee and the leg he broke the year prior.

 

Greg Ellis tore his Achilles in November 2006, came back in Week 5 last year, and had a career season, setting a Cowboys record for sacks.

In fact, he'd been back even sooner, if not for malingering in order to get a new contract.