If Not for Injuries...

[HoleInTheRoof]

Been reading a lot of "what if" or "greatest ever" type threads in the fan forum, and those are great to pass time in the off season. So I figured I'd start my own.

What players do you think, if it wasn't for injury, would have been at least stars, if not potential Hall of Famers in the NFL?


First one that comes to mind for me would be Ki Jana Carter. The guy was a stud at Penn State, the #1 pick in the draft, then suffered torn knee ligaments his first practice in Cincinatti, only to come back a year later and suffer torn knee ligaments in his other knee (I believe). He recovered a few years and went on to be somewhat of a serviceable role player with Washington. But I really thought he was going to be good when he was drafted.

 

[joseephuss]

Mike Sherrard could of had a very good if not great career had he not broken his leg.

 

[Tricericon]

The first guy that comes to mind (I always think in quarterbacks) is Greg Cook. Set the league on fire his rookie year, then his elbow(?) got hurt and he never recovered.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CookGr00.htm

 

[TheSport78]

Justin Beriault comes to mind! He looked like a young Bill Bates and that degenerative knee issue just didn't let it happen.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

Another one is Robert Edwards. He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in the early 1990's but then tore his knee up playing in one of the Pro Bowl events. I think he took a few years off rehabbing, and eventually got another 1k season eventually.

 

[ShiningStar]

Cb Kevin Smith comes to mind.

 

[HoosierCowboy]

Billy Cannon Jr.

 

[Idgit]

Bo Jackson is a HoF who never was.

 

[Hostile]

Bo Jackson, Terrell Davis, Joe Delanay (wasn't injured, just a hero), Jerome Brown (also not injured). I know I am missing a lot.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

This is sort of off topic, but for those of you who saw Dave Lafleur play.... had it not been for his back injuries, what kind of player would he have been? Worthy of his 1st round status? Pro Bowler?

He was drafted in '97, which was right when I joined the military and I didn't catch too many games from 97-2001. If memory serves, he was out of the league before I could get back into the habit of watching every game every week.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Bo Jackson is a HoF who never was.

Bo Jackson, Terrell Davis, Joe Delanay (wasn't injured, just a hero), Jerome Brown (also not injured). I know I am missing a lot.

First player that came to mind for me

 

[Jon88]

Erik Williams come to mind first. Thanks Switzer for letting everyone run wild.

Sterling Sharpe

Tony Boseli maybe?

 

[Hostile]

Erik Williams come to mind first. Thanks Switzer for letting everyone run wild.

Sterling Sharpe

Tony Boseli maybe?

ost:

I can't believe I forgot all 3.

 

[Jon88]

ost:

I can't believe I forgot all 3.

LOL

Thanks.

 

[Jon88]

This is sort of off topic, but for those of you who saw Dave Lafleur play.... had it not been for his back injuries, what kind of player would he have been? Worthy of his 1st round status? Pro Bowler?

He was drafted in '97, which was right when I joined the military and I didn't catch too many games from 97-2001. If memory serves, he was out of the league before I could get back into the habit of watching every game every week.

He was a great blocker but he never developed into the reciever everyone thought he would be. Some call him David LaFlop.

 

[Phoenix]

I thought of Billy Cannon Jr, also....but first name that came to mind was Bert Jones....QB of the Baltimore Colts. Dude was awesome. Loved watching him play.

From his Wiki entry:


In 1973, Jones was chosen in the first round (2nd overall) of the NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts to be the Colts heir apparent to Johnny Unitas, who was later traded to San Diego. During his eight year tenure as the Colts' starting QB, Jones and his teammates enjoyed three consecutive AFC East division titles (1975–77). But in each of those years, the Colts lost in the first round of the playoffs. The 1977 playoff game (known as Ghost to the Post) is famous as the 2nd longest game in NFL history (after the Dolphins-Chiefs double overtime playoff Dec. 25, 1971); the Colts fell to the Oakland Raiders, 37-31. The Colts' fortunes seemed to rise and fall with Jones; he missed most of 1978 and 1979 with a shoulder injury, and the Colts fell to last place in the AFC East those two seasons.


The 1976 regular season was Bert Jones's finest as a professional as he threw for 3,104 yards and a career high 24 touchdowns compiling a passer rating of 102.5. Jones was one of only three quarterbacks to achieve a 100+ passer rating during the entire decade of the 1970s, joining Dallas' Roger Staubach (1971) and Oakland's Ken Stabler (1976). Jones was thus honored by the Associated Press as 1976's NFL Most Valuable Player and NFL Offensive Player of the Year, selected All-Pro and named to the Pro Bowl team. Jones was also selected 2nd Team All-Pro following the 1977 season.


In 1982, his final season, Bert Jones played in four games for the Los Angeles Rams before a neck injury forced him to retire.
In 1990, Jones participated in the first NFL QB challenge. He finished 1st in the retiree category and 3rd in the regular competition. (The regular competition taking the top 3 finishers from the alumni competition and adding them to the regular field of current QBs). Given his strong performance, Bobby Beathard, then the GM of the Chargers, wanted Jones to come out of retirement. Bert was 39 at the time and chose not to try a comeback.


The widely respected scout Ernie Accorsi is quoted as saying that if Bert Jones had played under different circumstances, he probably would have been the greatest player ever. John Riggins has been quoted as saying Bert was the toughest competitor he has ever witnessed. On the eve of Super Bowl XLII New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, in discussing his choices for the greatest quarterbacks of all time, described Jones as the best "pure passer" he ever saw.[1]

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Steve Emtman is a guy who had unbelievable talent coming out. He suffered an injury to his knee and then a neck injury after his rehabilitation that pretty much ended his career. He had HOF talent.

A guy who is in the HOF but who could have, perhapsm the greatest player of all time was Gayle Sayers. He was unbelievably talented but suffered a major knee injury. In those days, knees could not be repaired like they are now. Sayers was something very special.

Ernie Davis was a talent who may have been better then Jim Brown. At least, those close to him (Syracuse and Cleveland) said this. Davis' life was cut short by Leukemia before he ever really had a chance to play in the NFL.

Pat Tillman's career was cut short when he joined the Military and was killed in Afghanistan. He had the potential to be a HOF player.

Those are four that I can think of immediately.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I don't know if he would have been hall of fame worthy, but Ickey Woods had one heck of a rookie season, then severely tore his ACL in the second game of his sophmore campaign. He missed thirteen months and was never right after that.

 

[joseephuss]

Steve Emtman is a guy who had unbelievable talent coming out. He suffered an injury to his knee and then a neck injury after his rehabilitation that pretty much ended his career. He had HOF talent.

A guy who is in the HOF but who could have, perhapsm the greatest player of all time was Gayle Sayers. He was unbelievably talented but suffered a major knee injury. In those days, knees could not be repaired like they are now. Sayers was something very special.

Ernie Davis was a talent who may have been better then Jim Brown. At least, those close to him (Syracuse and Cleveland) said this. Davis' life was cut short by Leukemia before he ever really had a chance to play in the NFL.

Pat Tillman's career was cut short when he joined the Military and was killed in Afghanistan. He had the potential to be a HOF player.

Those are four that I can think of immediately.

Sorry, but that is not true. Tillman is a great person, but he was not a great player. He was a hard hitter especially for a guy that was 5'-11" and 202 lbs. One of the hardest, but he could not cover at all. People complain about Roy Williams and Roy was a much better safety than Tillman. Pat had 3 INTs and 2 passes defended in 4 years. I can appreciate what he sacrificed, but it doesn't change my opinion of him as a player. An opinion I had while he was still playing and before he ever announced he was joining the military.

 

[Idgit]

Sorry, but that is not true. Tillman is a great person, but he was not a great player. He was a hard hitter especially for a guy that was 5'-11" and 202 lbs. One of the hardest, but he could not cover at all. People complain about Roy Williams and Roy was a much better safety than Tillman. Pat had 3 INTs and 2 passes defended in 4 years. I can appreciate what he sacrificed, but it doesn't change my opinion of him as a player. An opinion I had while he was still playing and before he ever announced he was joining the military.

+1. Great patriot, but middling player.