Athletes Who Were Forced to Retire Early

1 Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig, nicknamed "the Iron Horse", was an American baseball first baseman who played his entire professional career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, from 1923 until 1939. Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him his nickname "the Iron Horse." He was an All-Star seven consecutive times, a Triple Crown winner once, an American League Most Valuable Player twice, and a member of six World Series champion teams.

2 Bo Jackson Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former baseball and American football player. He is the only athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football, and one of few to do so in two major sports.

3 Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons.

4 Sandy Koufax

5 Yao Ming Yao Ming is a Chinese basketball executive and retired professional basketball player who played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.

6 Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League.

7 Steve Young Jon Steven Young is a former professional American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League and is best known for his 13 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

8 Brandon Roy Brandon Dawayne Roy is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association.

9 Prince Fielder

10 Joe Theismann

The Contenders

11 Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck is a former American football quarterback who played his entire career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.