Kirby Puckett – Minnesota Twins
Kirby Puckett is a former all American professional baseball player. Puckett played his entire 12-year MLB career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1995. Puckett is also the Twins’ all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases. When he retired, his .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter since Joe DiMaggio. Staggering. In 1995, he was having another incredible season until he suffered from a broken jaw by a fastball thrown by Dennis Martínez. Soon after, Puckett couldn’t see out of his right eye and was diagnosed with glaucoma, three failed surgeries later, he still didn’t get his vision back. At age 36, when it was crystal clear that he’d never play again, he officially retired.
Kirby Puckett – Minnesota Twins
Mike Utley – Detroit Lions
Former football player, Mike Utley, played from 1989 through 1991 for the Detroit Lions. However his rookie career was plagued with constant injury. Sadly though, on November 17, 1991, in a game against the LA Rams, Utley suffered injury to his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. As he was being carted off, Utley flashed the crowd a “thumbs up”. He would later learn that he was largely paralyzed from the chest down.
Mike Utley – Detroit Lions
