The Most Devastating Sports Accidents In History

Ideally, Napoleon McCallum should be remembered for taking time off from the NFL to serve his time for the U.S. Navy, where he was also as a star running back for its football team prior to his professional career. But one footnote in his career ended up epitomizing how brutal the sport could be. Four years after returning from service, McCallum played the 1994 season opener with the team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Raiders. The group was on the road, and their opponents were the San Francisco 49ers. In a play that changed his life, he was tackled by Ken Norton Jr. The hard-to-watch video of the injury shows Norton landing on McCallum's leg, causing it to bend in the wrong direction. His left knee was hyperextended, leaving a ruptured artery, three torn ligaments, and nerve damage. His calf and hamstring muscles were cleaned off the bone.

Even with the grotesque injury, McCallum had hope for recovery and a return to the field. But his doctor dampened those hopes, telling him that his career was effectively over. What's more, the fate of McCallum's leg depended on a successful surgery. If it didn't go well, his leg could get amputated. Thankfully, the surgery went well, although there were six in total, not counting the physical therapy, per Sportscasting. Although football ended for McCallum, he kept active after his recovery by running, cycling, swimming, and playing basketball, per the Los Angeles Times. He also didn't blame anyone and didn't think it was a vicious play. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB9l25ocmejpbyzwNJmmJybmZmyr8DSZpitoJyawaa%2FjKyfqK2cmbu1edKuqa%2BhppqxcA%3D%3D