Tiger Woods' incredible return to golf this week at The Masters has prompted some to say his effort is unprecedented. While it's obviously impressive, and perhaps even his greatest moment, there have been plenty of mind-bending sports comebacks from injury. Woods' status as one of sports' immortals puts this in rarefied air. But, prior to Woods' comeback, here are the greatest ever. Editor's note: We've passed over Lance Armstrong's return from testicular cancer, because of how complicated and controversial his career was.
No. 5: Dave Dravecky -- After seven seasons in Major League Baseball, doctors discovered a tumor on his pitching arm. He underwent surgery to remove half of his deltoid muscle and freeze the humerus bone to remove cancerous cells. Doctors told him to skip all of the following season, but he was determined to pitch sooner. In 1989, Dravecky made a triumphant and remarkable comeback. Within 10 months, he was pitching in the big league again and returned with an eight-inning victory over the Reds. In his next start, his arm began tingling, and in the sixth inning threw a pitch that snapped the bone in his arm. The break could be heard throughout the stadium. Dravecky never pitched again, but the performance in his debut after cancer surgery was a national headline.
No. 4: Bo Jackson -- He was an athletic Superman, leaping linebackers and outfield walls in a single bound. When he was tackled awkwardly during a 1991 playoff game, no one could've figured it'd be his last play in football. His hip was dislocated, and Jackson says he popped it back into the socket on the field. Doctors didn't find proof of that, but in the aftermath of the injury, his blood vessels in the area were damaged. There was a fracture in the hip as well, and soon after, he was diagnosed with a degenerative disorder of the hip joint. He'd also lost all cartilage around the hip. He missed most of the 1991 MLB season with the injury, then all of 1992 while having it replaced. But Jackson's greatness wasn't completely extinguished yet. He returned in 1993 with the White Sox and won AL Comeback Player of the Year, despite playing only half the season. In one of his greatest moments, Jackson smashed a home run in honor of his recently deceased mom, in his first at-bat following the hip replacement.
No. 3: Kevin Ware -- In the 2013 Elite Eight, Ware awkwardly landed on his leg. The jolt caused a fracture where the bone broke several inches through the shin. The Louisville players and coaches on the floor were visibly shaken. The gruesome sight left bystanders sickened. Ware was carried off on a stretcher and to the hospital, where doctors performed a two-hour surgery to stabilize the leg with a metal rod. Ware would rehab and ultimately return to the floor with the Cardinals before transferring to Georgia State. Two years after his ghastly injury, he was named MVP of the 2015 Sun Belt tournament, in which he led Georgia State to the title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In the Big Dance, they upset 3rd-seed Baylor in the first round. Ware is still playing professionally overseas, nearly a decade after his incident.
No. 2: Alex Smith -- The top overall draft pick in 2005 had already played 13 seasons in the NFL. In a game against the Texans, Smith suffered a spiral and compound fracture to the tibia and fibula in his right leg when he was sacked. After surgery, Smith developed a life-threatening infection that resulted in 17 more operations. Doctors suggested amputation above the knee might be his only option, and at times, feared for his life. They ultimately performed skin grafts and transferred muscle from his left quadriceps to save it. Impossibly, Smith came back in 2020 and led Washington to the playoffs by winning five of his six starts. He was the obvious choice for Comeback Player of the Year, and notched a place in NFL history for his resiliency.
No. 1: Ben Hogan -- 75 years ago, golf's greatest player also returned from a life-threatening car accident. By 1949, Hogan had won three majors and was the reigning PGA Player of the Year. But on a foggy night, on his way home from the Phoenix Open, Hogan suffered a horrific crash. A bus was trying to pass another vehicle on a small bridge in Texas, and hit Hogan's car head-on. He threw himself in front of his wife to save her life. But the accident left him with a double-fracture of the pelvis, fractured collar bone, left ankle fracture, chipped rib, and near-fatal blood clots. He'd suffer lifelong circulation issues, and like Woods, his doctors said he might never walk again. Incredibly, Hogan returned not only to competitive golf and the Tour, but won six more majors. He took home three majors in his historic 1953 season, the sport's "triple crown." It's undoubtedly the greatest comeback from injury in sports history.