Top 10 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon

The Top Ten
1 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.
2 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 ...read more.
3 Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
4 Pat Tillman
5 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.
6 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.
7 Derrick Thomas
8 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.
9 Gale Sayers Gale Eugene Sayers, also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for seven seasons during the 1960s and early 1970s.

He was the bright light in a dark age for the Chicago Bears (1964-1983). It was in a clean tackle in 1968 that changed the course of his career and eventually his life 5 decades later. Sayers had it all and his quick elusive moves we're seen on TV during the 1960s first in black and white and later in color. His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 was well celebrated as George Halas put it "His like will never be seen again." Then along came a guy who like Sayers was elusive and good. He was Walter Payton.
Its Joeysworld

10 Sandy Koufax
The Contenders
11 Len Bias Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first-team All-American college basketball forward at the University of Maryland.

This guy literally died and was said to be the next Michael Jordan.

12 Alan Kulwicki

His was a Cinderella story. A driver without a sponsor and a team with no chance to succeed but he never stops believing he would be a great. When 1992 came, he had a sponsor in Hooter's. But still he was chasing against Davey Allison, Darrell Waltrip and Bill Elliott for the championship. He somehow was in contention and having a great year, by the final race of the season he had a chance to become a Legend by winning the season championship. By luck, his dream came true and snatch Allison from behind and became a champion for all times.
Its Joeysworld

13 Marco van Basten Marcel "Marco" van Basten is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played for Ajax and Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team, in the 1980s and early '90s as a forward.
14 Just Fontaine
15 Andrew Bynum Andrew Bynum is an American former professional basketball player. He played the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.
16 Chris Bosh Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association.
17 Renyel Pinto
18 Rob Gronkowski Robert Paxton Gronkowski, nicknamed "Gronk," is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. After retiring at the end of the 2018 NFL Season, Gronkowski came out of retirement to play with former Patriots teammate Tom Brady for the 2020 NFL season.
19 Kei Igawa
20 Payne Stewart
21 Davey Allison
22 Tony Lema
23 Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won three Formula One world championships for McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991 and is regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He was killed in an accident while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand ...read more.
24 Mark Fidrych
25 Maurice Stokes
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