Caution: don’t read while eating if you’re squeamish
1. Clint Malarchuk’s Sliced Jugular
On March 22, 1989, Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk was accidently kicked in the neck by Blues rookie Steve Tuttle. Tuttle’s skate cut open Malarchuk’s carotid artery, leading to massive blood loss on the ice. Amazingly, Malarchuk received 300 stitches and returned to the ice just 11 days later.
2. Kevin Ware Snaps Shin During March Madness
Kevin Ware of the Louisville men’s basketball team suffered a horrific injury to his right leg during the 2013 March Madness tournament. Ware landed awkwardly while attempting to block a three pointer and snapped his shin, leaving the bone protruding out of the skin. Ware went into surgery immediately and was forced to take almost a year off before returning to college basketball.
3. Salim Sdiri Hit by Javelin
On July 13, 2007, French long jumper Salim Sdiri was hit by a stray javelin while warming up for his even at a competition in Rome. The javelin penetrated 10 inches, puncturing both his liver and kidney. However, after months of rehabilitation Sdiri returned to the sport, placing fourth at the World Indoor Championships.
4. Shaun Livingston Ruptures Tendons in Knee
In 2007, Shaun Livingston’s basketball career came to a dramatic pause. Playing for the LA Clippers, he landed awkwardly on a fast break, rupturing his ACL, PCL, MCL, lateral meniscus, and dislocating his patella. Livingston took more than a year and a half to recover and today, he is a three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors.
5. Anderson Silva Shatters Leg at UFC 168
Once undefeated, Anderson Silva hoped to continue his reign in 2013, when he faced Chris Weidman at UFC 168. Late in the second round, Silva attempted to kick Weidman, but unintentionally connected with Weidman’s shin. This shattered Silva’s fibula and tibia, requiring him to have several screws inserted into the bone. Silva eventually rebounded from the incident, returning to MMA a year later.
6. Djirbril Cissé Breaks Leg on the Pitch
Cissé suffered a hellacious injury while playing for Liverpool in 2004. While challenging for the ball, his foot caught the turf and broke both his tibia and fibula. This cut off the blood supply to his foot, which required immediate surgery or it would’ve had to be amputated. Despite this, Cissé continued his professional career, retiring in 2015.
7. Akil Mitchell’s Eye Pops Out
On Jan. 26, 2017, while playing for the New Zealand Breakers, Akil Mitchell had one of the most cringe-worthy injuries in basketball. He was poked in the face while jumping for a rebound, immediately dislodging his eye from the socket. His eye was reinserted at a local hospital and he continued his career, eventually playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
8. Rashad Johnson Loses Tip of Finger in his Glove
In 2013, Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson lost the top of his middle finger during a game against the New Orleans Saints. Unbothered by the injury, Johnson didn’t even realize until he took his glove off after the game. Doctors had to shave the bone down to the knuckle to close the wound. Johnson took it well, tweeting a picture and playing again the next Sunday.
9. Lee Trevino and Jerry Heard Struck by Lightning on PGA Tour
While on the PGA tour in 1975, Lee Trevino and Jerry Heard were struck by lightning at the Western Open in Illinois. Both men were severely injured, Lee even being knocked unconscious. Ironically, a few weeks earlier, Trevino recalled the incident saying: “Not even God can hit a 1 iron.” Both men returned to the PGA, with Trevino becoming one of the top-ranked golfers in the sport.
10. Mike Tyson Bites Evander Holyfield’s Ear
On June 28, 1997, Holyfield and Tyson were set for an emotion-filled heavyweight rematch. After Holyfield dominated the first three rounds, Tyson bit a one-inch piece of cartilage from Holyfield’s right ear. Tyson was fined $3 million and suspended from boxing for 15 months. Holyfield had his ear reattached after the fight and he became the first boxer to win four heavyweight titles.
Photos obtained via Wikimedia Commons