Franz Beckenbauer
The 1970 World Cup semi-final between West Germany and Italy will always be remembered for a variety of reasons. What most people will undoubtedly remember it for was Beckenbauer’s refusal to succumb to the pain of a broken clavicle.
After being fouled early on in the match it was clear that he was injured and the normal thing to do would have been to leave the field. Instead, the midfielder wrapped his arm in a sling, and played the entire 120 minutes, giving a master-class in passing and putting in a classy display in the heart of midfield.
Tiger Woods
Woods won his 14th major back in 2008 despite playing through the tournament with a double fracture in his tibia and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Throughout the tournament he could be seen hobbling from hole to hole, even using his clubs as crutches.
Woods fought bravely through 91 holes of golf over the course of five days, as he forced a play-off against Rocco Mediate, before beating his fellow American counterpart in a sudden death shoot-out at the seventh hole.
Bobby Baun
Playing for Maple Leafs in the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals, American ice hockey legend Bobby Baun was stretchered off the ice in the third period. He managed to return to the game in overtime however, and score the winning goal. It was only revealed later that day that Baun had suffered a broken leg during the game.
Kerri Strug
The 1996 US women’s gymnastics team have a lot to thank Strug for. Going into the final aspect of the team event, Russia and the US were both in with a chance of winning gold. Strug was the final member of the American team to take part, and on her first vault she badly sprained her ankle.
She was asked to continue on by her team-mates as she needed a score of 9.5 from her final rotation to ensure gold for her country. She managed to register a score of 9.712, but was visibly struggling to stay balanced as she saluted the judges. Once she was finished her move she collapsed to the floor in agony and was carried onto the podium to collect her gold medal.
Jack Youngblood
Youngblood played for the Los Angeles Rams throughout his career before retiring with a whole host of personal accolades. He was known for being extraordinarily tough, playing 201 consecutive games for the Rams, and only ever missing one NFL game in his 14 year career.
During the 1979 season he proved how dedicated he really was when he broke his leg during a play-off game against the Coyboys, before returning to the game with a brace on his leg and recording a sack on Roger Staubach. Youngblood went on to play in all of that season’s play-off games, and the defeat to the Steelers in Superbowl XIV.
Bert Trautmann
We live in a time when footballer’s randomly feign injuries and when they do receive a slight knock it’s blown way out of proportion to get your opponent a harsher punishment. In 1956, there was no such tactics used, Bert Trautmann is the perfect example of that.
Playing in the 1956 FA Cup final, goalkeeper Trautmann broke his neck with 15 minutes left to play. There were no substitutes allowed back in those days so the City keeper bravely played on, making two more saves to help his team to a 3-1 win.
Ronnie Lott
Lott takes the term ‘putting your body on the line’ very literally it seems. While playing for the 49ers back in 1985 the defensive back was involved in a collision that left his baby finger mangled and with parts of the bone and flesh sprawled across the pitch.
Following the game, Lott had to decide whether or not he would get complicated surgery on his finger that would result in him missing the rest of the season, or get the finger amputated and be able to play on immediately. He chose the amputation option, and helped to lead the 49ers to the play-offs that season.