By now most of America has seen countless replays of Kevin Ware breaking his leg during the Elite 8 game between Duke and Louisville. If you haven't, you can view it here. I would advise against watching it though, very gruesome.
Louisville would eventually go on to beat Duke 85-63 and is now preparing to play in the Final Four. The injury got us thinking though, could Kevin Ware's tragic downfall actually help his team win? We offer three different examples of injuries that worked out just time for the injured player's teams.
The Replacement
Drew Bledsoe had been the New England Patriot's darling ever since he first came into the league in 1993. Though he never was an elite quarterback, Bledsoe always had a solid grip on the starting job. That is, until the second game of the season, when he suffered a sheared blood vessel in his chest and was replaced by "lowly" Tom Brady. Brady went on to lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory, and hasn't looked back since.
The Inspiration
Mateen Cleaves was the undisputed leader and soul of Michigan State's basketball team in 2000. He had been injured earlier in the season but provided all the spark and emotion he could from the bench. He got back in halfway through the season, and led his team to the National Championship game. Only to get injured again. With Cleaves on the bench in the second half with a bum ankle, he inspired MSU's players to pull away for the win.
The Hero
Kirk Gibson was the 1988 National League MVP and face of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had injured both legs and had a stomach virus at the start of Game 1 of the World Series that year, and was not expected to play at all. With a full count and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, one guy on base and gibson up to bat, he smacked a game-winning homerun to deliver his team the victory, making for one of the most memorable plays in all of sports.
Though it's unlikely that Kevin Ware will be able to play the hero like Kirk Gibson, his injury still could prove beneficial as seen in the other two stories. Louisville now has a cause to rally around and fight for, and who knows, maybe there's the next superstar for the Cardinals just waiting for his chance to shine
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