Marquis Daniels' Neck Injury Reminds of Us of Other Scary Sports Moments

On Sunday, Boston Celtics' reserve Marquis Daniels injured his neck as he drove to the basket in a game against the Orlando Magic. It appeared that Daniels collided with Orlando's Gilbert Arenas and then collapsed to the floor. While the extent of Daniels' injury was not immediately known, the awful spectacle of his crumpling to the floor brought to mind other frightening sports injuries. Here are some that immediately came to mind.

Joe Theisman Breaks His Leg
When Lawrence Taylor snapped Theisman's leg in two on "Monday Night Football" in 1985, all who watched were immediately sickened, and yet we sat through endless replays. The aging Theisman was unable to heal quickly or thoroughly enough to ever play in the NFL again.

Dave Dravecky Breaks His Arm
Dravecky snapped his humerous bone while throwing a pitch to Tim Raines in 1989, less than a year after having a cancerous growth removed from his deltoid. Dravecky's arm and shoulder were eventually amputated, but his faith and perseverance have made him an inspiration for millions.

Darryl Stingley Breaks His Neck
During a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders in 1978, the New England Patriots' Stingley, a wide receiver, was hit by Jack Tatum, shoulder pad to head, and went down. Stingley was paralyzed from the neck down and never walked again or fully used his arms again. Both Stingley and Tatum are gone now, but this hit lives on in infamy.

Dennis Byrd Breaks His Neck
Byrd, a New York Jets defensive lineman, collided head-to-chest with a teammate during a sack attempt in 1992. His C-5 vertebra fractured, Byrd was temporarily paralyzed but eventually regained the ability to walk through extensive and excruciating physical therapy. He never played again.

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There have been, of course, many very scary moments involving sports injuries over the years. The ones listed here have remained fresh in our minds because they had such devastating and lasting effects. Hopefully, Daniels' injury will fade view quickly as he makes a full and speedy recovery.