The 20 Greatest Injury Comebacks in Sports History

Comeback kids.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Injuries and comebacks are a part of sports, that's just the way it goes. Some athletes have suffered debilitating injuries that have robbed them of their athletic gifts, never to realize their potential, or others who were derailed in the midst of their primes, never to be the same as before. Then, every now and again, you have an athlete who comes back from a career threatening injury and takes over their sport such as Adrian Peterson. After shredding his knee last season, nearly every sports analyst said he would never be the same again. Surprise, surprise. They were wrong. AP had one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory. He led the planet in rushing and fell only nine yards short of Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record with 2,097 yards as the front runner for MVP and Comeback Player of the Year honors. Not all comebacks have to end in struggle, so to commemorate this one, we've compiled a list of The 20 Greatest Injury Comebacks in Sports History.

RELATED: The 25 Greatest Sports Careers Ruined by Injury

20. Jamal Crawford

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19. Chris Paul

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18. Willis Reed

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17. Grant Hill

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16. Adrian Dantley

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15. Bernard King

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14. Stephen Strasburg

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13. Amar'e Stoudemire

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12. Earl Morrall

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11. Joe Namath

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10. Tommy John

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9. Tom Brady

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8. Pele

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7. Drew Brees

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6. Jim Plunkett

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5. Chris Carpenter

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4. Joe Montana

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3. Mario Lemieux

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2. Peyton Manning

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1. Adrian Peterson

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