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#3 - Tony Romo
Tony Romo is one of the greatest quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history. In nine seasons as the starting quarterback, he was selected to four Pro Bowls and eclipsed 4,000 passing yards five times. He finished in third place in the NFL MVP voting for the 2014 season before an injury ended his 2015 season early.
Romo recovered from the injury and was looking forward to another year prior to the 2016 season before a back injury during the preseason knocked him out once again.
Rookie Dak Prescott took over as the starting quarterback and never looked back, leading the Cowboys to the playoffs after a 13-3 season. When Romo was healthy, Dak Prescott kept the job, and Romo decided to retire a little early.
#2 - Chris Spielman
Chris Spielman was once one of the best linebackers in the NFL. During his first seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, he was selected to four Pro Bowls and chosen for three All-Pro teams.
He remained healthy during his first nine seasons in the league, missing only four total games in nearly a decade.
Disaster struck for Spielman prior to the start of the 1997 NFL season, his 10th in the league. He suffered a frightening neck injury following a helmet-to-helmet hit during a preseason game that left him paralyzed on the field for several minutes.
He incredibly walked off under his own power and returned to the field later that season, but it would be his final year after learning he would require spinal surgery.
#1 - Darryl Stingley
Darryl Stingley tragically suffered one of the worst injuries in NFL history. His career as a wide receiver was on the rise with the New England Patriots, until a brutal hit immediately ended his career and changed his entire life.
During a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders prior to the 1978 NFL season, Stingley took a vicious hit from Jack Tatum while running a route across the middle of the field.
He lived the rest of his life as a quadriplegic, being paralyzed in all four limbs. The hit was legal at the time, but served as a catalyst for rule changes focused on player safety.
