Tiger Woods said he doubts he will ever return to full-time golfing after his February car accident; See 5 other athletes that retired unexpectedly due to injuries.
The 15-time golf champion may have seen his last days as a full-timer after expressing doubts in a recent interview. In the aftermath of what has been described as a very horrifying automobile accident, gratitude for life tops all other sentiments for Woods.
10 months ago, when it was reported that Woods had been in a nearly fatal car crash after speeding over 75mph, the world held its breath, hoping for the best, amidst images that held very little promise. As with human nature, once the worst passed, the next question on many lips was if and when the legend will return to the sport he’s spent all his life playing.
Speaking on Tuesday, 30 November 2021, the 45-year-old shed more light on where he’s at physically and his outlook on things going forward. “As far as playing at the Tour level, I don’t know when that’s going to happen,” Woods said at his Albany tournament, the Hero World Challenge. “I’m lucky to be alive but also still have the limb, to not only be here but also to walk without a prosthesis,” he further said.
“I won’t have the opportunity to practice, given the condition of my leg, and build up. I just don’t. I’ll just have a different way of doing it, and that’s okay. I’m at peace with that. I’ve made the climb enough times,” Tiger Woods assured listeners. Should all these be the case, though he is out of the woods now, we can assume retirement is the more imminent eventuality for him now.
Athletes who have retired unexpectedly due to injuries
Apart from injuries sustained from his recent accident, Tiger Woods has struggled with many injuries over the years. He has had five back surgeries and five knee surgeries in his day, all of which have inadvertently taken a toll on his game. If such a situation can be so described, the leg injury from the crash is just a cherry on the injury cake.
More often than not, optimal performance in any sport requires a body in tiptop shape. But, injuries are an unavoidable plague of any sport, and they have halted the careers of many athletes across time. Here, we look at 5 athletes who have had cause to retire earlier than usual due to injuries.
Read also: Ole Gunnar Solskjær And Other Sacked Managers In 2021/2022 Season.
Andrew Luck – American Football
Former NFL star Andrew Luck was the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. By year six of his professional career, he had thrown for 4,593 yards. In the year he retired, Luck had 39 touchdowns, just shy of his career-highs set in 2014. He was only into the third year of his six-year contract when he retired in 2019. Luck had replaced Hall of Famer Peyton Manning by putting together four Pro Bowl seasons since being the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. By his third NFL season, he was leading the league in passing touchdowns and had become the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 370 yards, four touchdowns, and have a completion percentage of at least 70 percent in consecutive games. His decision to retire was resultant of lingering injuries.
