Football injuries such as bruises, sprints and dings are a big part of this sport and a result of its viciousness. In order to resist to the hits, professional athletes have tough training that develop their ability to hold up against injuries that can end their season. Needless to say, an important part of avoiding injuries in using the right protective gear. If you visit websites like nfl-store.uk, you will see that protective head and kneecaps are essential for players. American football has much more physical contact and is more aggressive than European football, so players have to be very careful about the type of gear they choose during games and training. However, sometimes players get hurt in some freak accidents because of their own carelessness. Below are the 5 most bizarre football injuries NFL has ever seen:
1. Wendell Davis, WR Chicago Bears
Wendell Davis got some serious football injuries during a 1993 game. While running deep on the Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium where the Chicago Bears and the Eagles were playing, he managed to blow out both knees and rupture his tendons because his cleats got caught in the artificial turf. Because of the devastating injuries, Davis missed the rest of the season and all of 1994. Although he attempted a comeback the following year, he never made in into another NFL contest.
2. Chase Blackburn, New York Giants
This is one of the most unusual football injuries and sports injuries that ever happened. After winning over the Philadelphia Eagles, linebacker Chase Blackburn returned to the locker room. While cleaning his ears with a cotton swab, he was accidental bumped by a reporter. As a result, he dropped on the floor with a bleeding ear. His hid eardrum almost ruptured and the player temporarily lost his hearing.
3. Orlando Brown, Cleveland Browns
If you don’t know how to take down a 6’7″, 360-pound tackle, try hitting him with a penalty flag. In the eye. During a game in December 1999, Jeff Triplette tossed his flag weighted with BBs and struck Brown in the right eye, missing his face guard. The player attacked Triplette, threw him to the ground and was suspended indefinitely. However, the suspension was lifted after it was discovered that the flag has blinded Orlando Brown. He missed three seasons before was medically cleared to play again.
4. Chris Hanson, P Jacksonville Jaguars
Head coach Jack Del Rio wanted to motivate his team and in 2003 he invoked the phrase “Keep Chopping Wood”. He actually moved a chunk of wood and an axe in the locker room as a visual aid for the players. In the middle of the season, Chris Hanson took a swing at the stump, missed and ended up putting a gash in his non-kicking foot. Hanson required emergency surgery, missed the season but fully recovered after.
5. Bill Gramatica, K Arizona Cardinals
Kicker Bill Gramatica had an unusual habit of celebrating routine field goals in a very exuberant manner. Although happiness usually does not cause football injury, for Gramatica it unfortunately did. During a game with the New York Giants, the player jumped high in the air to celebrate a successful kick that gave the Arizona Cardinals a 3-0 lead. However, he landed in an awkward position and tore the ACL in his knee. Although he recovered, it was never the same after the injury and three years later he was out of the NFL.
