Sports

7 Of The Worst Career Ending Injuries In Pro Sports

February 12, 2015 / 11:08 AM CST / CBS Texas

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Tiger Woods shook the golf world on Wednesday by saying his game is was acceptable for the PGA Tour - and dropped out of play saying "when I think I'm ready, I'll be back."

And even though the formerly 'invincible' Tiger Woods' injury may not yet be career ending - his injuries have definitely thrown him off-course.

Here we take a look back at some of the worst career ending injuries in professional sports.

Daunte Culpepper

The journeyman QB Culpepper sustained a major knee injury during a game against the Panthers in 2005. Culpepper damaged three of the four major ligaments in his knee and was placed on IR. He was released by the Minnesota the next year.

Steve Young

Young's Hall of Fame career was plagued by concussions. He had seven confirmed head injuries through his career and when he incurred the eighth, he decided that was time to retire.

Joe Theismann

Theismann's 11-year career came to an abrupt end during a Monday night game in 1985 when he sustained a brutal break in both bones of his lower right leg - courtesy of Giants linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson.

Sterling Sharpe

The famed Packers reciever was on pace for a Hall of Fame career, but it was cut short after just six seasons by a neck injury he sustained in 1994.

Kirby Puckett

In 1995, the Twins pitcher suffered a broken jaw on a fastball pitch. He never made it back to the majors.

Reggie Brown

The former Aggies star was drafted by Detroit in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played only 32 games before his career ended abruptly after suffering a spinal cord contusion in a game against the Jets.

Darryl Stingley

The former Patriots WR collided with Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum in 1978 and the resulting injury was a compressed spinal cord and two broken vertebrae.

Stingley spent the rest of his life in a wheel chair.

Tiger Woods