7. Mike Utley (1991)
The human body is incredibly fragile. Utley found this out in the most horrible manner possible. He was playing for the Detroit Lions when the worst possible thing happened to his body. It was his third season with the Lions and he expected to enjoy several more years in the NFL. But nothing in life is guaranteed as Utley discovered after a game against the St. Louis Rams.

Utley damaged several vertebrae in his spine after a tough tackle. Medics stretchered him off the field but he raised his thumb to the crowd to signal that he was ok. However, he wasn’t. Doctors told him that the game had permanent life-threatening consequences on his health. The hit paralyzed him from the chest down and totally altered his future. It was a lesson for every NFL fan.