The 5 Worst Athlete ACL Injuries of All Time (Part I)

ACL injuries that will never be forgotten. 

Rarely do people consider how much athletes put their bodies through to perform at the professional level. Sure, it sounds great to get paid to play the sport you love, however, athletes spend countless hours in the gym, conditioning and training. Rightfully so, athletes need all the strength training they can get to help prevent major and common injuries.

According to a leader in proactive wellness, Core Performance, 70% of ACL injuries occur during the planting and cutting movements used in all sports. In addition, girls and women are 4 to 10 times more likely than boys and men to sustain ACL injuries. However, as we’ve seen in professional sports, ACL tears can happen to even the best and strongest athletes.

Below is our list of top 5 sports related ACL injuries. Please be advised that some of the injuries listed are difficult to read or watch.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady with knee brace after ACL injury. Image by CBSSports.com

Tom Brady’s injury is an example of how injuries can occur in many ways. In contact sports, things are moving so quickly that some injuries are unavoidable. This is exactly what happened to Tom Brady in the first game of the 2008 NFL season when Bernard Pollard landed on Brady’s knee, tearing both his ACL and MCL. Despite severely injuring this knee and fighting an infection, Brady was able to come back and play the next season.

Check out Tom Brady’s knee injury on YouTube.

Robert Griffin III (RG3) 

RG3 with support brace during practice. Image by NFL.com.

 In the 2012 NFL season, RG3 suffered from two severe knee injuries, including the PCL sprain in Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, and the inexplicable looking injury against the Seattle Seahawks. Since the injury, Robert Griffin III has made great progress towards rehabilitating his knee and looks to continue playing.

See RG3’s knee injury against the Seattle Seahawks for yourself on YouTube.

Tiger Woods 

Tiger Woods experiencing knee pain. Image by ScientificAmerican.com.

Although there was a lot of speculation as to the extent of Tiger Wood’s knee injury, it’s an observed fact that knee injuries can occur in non-contact sports. It was reported that Tiger tore his ACL and received an advanced form of reconstructive surgery. To achieve a powerful swing, professional golfers tend to place a high amount of pressure on the knee joints in order to add rotation into their swing. With time, wear and tear can occur on both knees.

Adrian Peterson 

Adrian Peterson with support knee brace after knee injury. Image by ABCNews.com.

Not all ACL and MCL injuries end on bad notes. Adrian Peterson is one of the most notable athletes to make a nearly 100% recovery after his knee injury to almost break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record. Despite the odds against him, Peterson shocked both the medical and sports communities when he was nominated for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player the very next year. Chek out Adrian Peterson’s season ending knee injury on YouTube.

Derrick Rose 

Derrick Rose ACL support brace. Image by Madeira.org.

Although there has been a lot of speculation about the appropriate length of recovery of Derrick Rose’s ACL tear, it should always be treated with care. Most doctors recommend 6-9 months recovery time for non-athletes, but for professional athletes this time is usually scaled down due to the fact that they have more time for rehabilitation. Nevertheless, Derrick Rose’s knee injury is still in our top 5 worst injuries.

Take a look at Derrick Rose’s devastating knee injury on YouTube. Which sports related injury do you think was the worst? Did we miss any? Share with us in the comments!

Support Braces for Knee Injuries & Injury Prevention 

If you are rehabilitating an ACL or knee injury, then proper support is needed. MMAR Medical specializes in ACL braces and knee injury prevention braces.

Have a question about a particular knee brace? Contact us or comment below to ask your question or share your personal injury stories! Be sure to check back in the future for the 2nd part of this blog where we talk about how these amazing athletes are recovering from their ACL injuries.