10 Worst Injuries In The NFL, Including Damar Hamlin's Collapse [Videos]

The Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during the first quarter of their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

A brush with death can be terrifyingly inevitable in the brutal sport of football, which is susceptible to extreme player-to-player collisions and career-ending injuries. A history of gruesome injuries in the NFL can attest that football is not just a game to win but a game of life.

Read through this list of recorded 10 worst injuries in the NFL, ranging from broken limbs to body paralysis, that left many fans covering their eyes with heavy hearts.

1. Damar Hamlin

The 24-year-old Bills safety managed to stand up after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins before he collapsed and lay motionless on the field.

Hamlin's heartbeat was restored thanks to the immediate care of Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington, who quickly performed life-saving CPR on the field before the player was rushed to a Cincinnati hospital.

Despite his critical condition, Dr. Timothy Pritts of the University of Cincinnati Health shared the good news that he is neurologically intact. Hamlin reportedly asked the medical staff who won the game the moment he woke up in writing.

According to the physicians of the UC Medical Center, Hamlin has "shown remarkable improvement" in the past 24 hours and is making "steady progress" while his lungs are healing.

2. Darryl Stingley

The fans of the New England Patriots surely wanted a fun preseason game against the Oakland Raiders on Aug. 12, 1978, but the event turned into one of the most devastating moments in NFL history. At the age of 26, the late Patriots wide receiver Stingley never walked again after a violent hit from the late Raiders hard-hitting defensive back, Jack "The Assassin" Tatum.

Tatum broke Stingley's spine with one of the most notorious hits in NFL history, which left Stingley quadriplegic from the neck down. Stingley suffered a spinal cord injury and damage to the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae, according to Los Angeles Times.

3. Joe Theismann

The matchup between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants became an unforgettable game due to the career-ending leg injury of Theismann on Nov. 18, 1985.

Theismann's injury has to be one of the most severe and graphic injuries that fans and supporters will always remember every time a gruesome injury occurs in the realm of the NFL. Theismann was sacked by the former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, which caused him to fully bend backward. Theismann sustained a catastrophic fracture on his lower right leg, which led to a broken tibia and fibula, according to Bleacher Report.

4. Dennis Byrd

Another hair-raising injury happened on Nov. 29, 1992, when the late New York Jets defensive lineman Byrd crashed headfirst into the chest of his teammate Scott Mersereau, which paralyzed him.

His fifth neck vertebra was fractured, and he was left unable to move anything apart from his right biceps, according to Sports Illustrated. His spinal cord injury also caused him to develop Brown-Sequard syndrome, which required him to walk with a cane.

5. Napoleon McCallum

What happened to the former Los Angeles Raiders running back McCallum was a nightmare that still rattles NFL fans and supporters every time the game night on Sept. 5, 1994, is remembered.

In addition to sustaining a twisted left knee, he also suffered a ruptured artery, three torn ligaments, and ripped calf and hamstring muscles off the bone, as per Los Angeles Times, all of which played a part at the end of his NFL career.

6. Michael Irvin

For the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Irvin, "walking away from the game is hard, but walking away is a blessing," after deciding to retire in 2000.

Tim Hauck, a former defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles, made a vicious tackle on Irvin that sent him headfirst to the turf and ended up fracturing his cervical spine. This horrific NFL injury led to his bittersweet retirement from professional football.

7. Kevin Everett

Everett, a former tight end with the Buffalo Bills, was injured when he made a tackle on the former Denver Bronco wide receiver Domenik Hixon and landed headfirst on the ground during the first game of the 2007 season at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Though he was temporarily paralyzed from the life-threatening fracture and dislocated cervical spine injury, Everett miraculously recovered three months later, according to Bleacher Report.

8. Johnny Knox

It's not uncommon to experience hard body contact in the game of football, but it's always a spine-chilling sight, even from afar. The Soldier Field froze on Dec. 18, 2011, when the former Chicago Bears wide receiver Knox fumbled after colliding with the former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Anthony Hargrove. According to BVM reports, Knox fractured and dislocated his thoracolumbar spine.

9. Ryan Shazier

After a heavy tackle knocked Shazier down, the NFL star had to undergo surgery to stabilize his spine, according to ABC News. Shazier played for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 12, 2017. The injury left the former linebacker paralyzed in his lower extremities.

However, with the help of intensive rehabilitation, Shazier was able to regain mobility in his legs and even walked with his wife, Michelle Rodriguez, during the 2018 NFL draft, according to People.

10. Alex Smith

History eerily repeats itself.

The former Washington Redskins quarterback Smith sustained Theismann-like injuries against the Houston Texans on November 18, 2018. He was brought down by former Texans strong safety Kareem Jackson and former Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. This gave the "three-time Pro Bowl" quarterback a "spiral compound fracture of the tibia and fibula," according to Washington Post.