Rob Gronkowski retired from the NFL at age 29 on Sunday. Hs decision sparked memories of other superstars who left their games what felt like far too soon.
Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers set a rookie record with 22 touchdowns as a running back and a kick returner. The Kansas Comet made the Pro Bowl five times and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer despite playing less than 70 games. After battling back from a number of serious knee injuries, Sayers called it quits in 1971 at only 28.
Barry Sanders
A 10-time Pro Bowler and NFL MVP in 1987, Barry Sanders rushed for 15,269 yards on 5.0 per carry. He retired at age 31 after playing his entire career with the Detroit Lions, who selected him No. 3 overall in 1989.
Jim Brown
The legendary running back of the Cleveland Browns, Jim Brown redefined the running back in the NFL. He played nine seasons and 118 games and started every one of them. Brown scored 106 TDs and rushed for 12,312 yards at 5.2 a clip. He led the league in rushing in eight seasons and retired at age 29 after the 1965 campaign.
Calvin Johnson
Another Detroit Lion who left the game early. Calvin Johnson, Megatron, came out of Georgia Tech and was a potent force at wide receiver. He played nine seasons in the powder blue and went over the 1,000-yard mark in seven of them. Johnson retired at age 30 after the 1985 season.
Patrick Willis
A seven-time Pro Bowler out of Ole Miss, Patrick Willis was the 11th pick in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2007. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Willis retired after the 2014 season. He retired at age 30 in March of 2015.
Bo Jackson
A star in baseball and football, Bo Jackson’s career was cut way too short by a hip condition. Bo Jackson was a legend and star in two sports.
Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber played 10 seasons for the New York Giants and rushed for more than 10,000 yards. He left the game after the 2006 season without having won a Super Bowl.
Ken Dryden
Brilliant on and off the ice, Ken Dryden starred for the Montreal Canadiens from 1970-79 and helped them win five Stanley Cups.
Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr changed the game of hockey for defensemen. He was an offensive force on the back line. He played 10 seasons with the Boston Bruins and helped change the dynamic of the franchise. Knee injuries forced his retirement after spending some time with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Mike Bossy
The Islanders’ great Mike Bossy was forced to retire at age 30 after scoring 553 goals in 10 seasons. A bad back — and some knee woes — proved his undoing.
Bjorn Borg
Bjorn Borg was the stuff of tennis legend. He left the game well before the age of 30, citing burnout. He won five Wimbledon titles in a row and six French Opens.
Justine Henin
A seven-time Grand slam singles champion, Justine Henin was forced to retire from the game before her 30th birthday due to a chronic elbow injury.
Robert Smith
In eight NFL seasons, Robert Smith rushed for 6,818 yards and 32 touchdowns. He walked away from the game to pursue a career in medicine as well as to avoid any serious injuries.
Billy Sims
A great running back from Oklahoma, Billy Sims is another Detroit Lion on the list of players who exited far too soon. Sims was a three-time Pro Bowler during his career, which lasted from 1980-84. A brutal knee injury ended his career in the middle of the ’84 season. He had rushed for better than 5,000 yards to that point.
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano was 49-0 with 43 KOs when he left boxing as the undefeated heavyweight champ in 1956. Unlike other boxers, who retire only to return, Marciano never fought another round. He flirted with a return in 1959 but it never happened.
Brandon Roy
Brandon Roy was a three-time All-Star for the Portland Trail Blazers and 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year. He also appeared in a handful of games for the Minnesota Timberwolves before knee injuries that plagued him throughout his career ended it.
Yao Ming
A fantastic big man, Yao Ming was an eight-time NBA All-Star playing for the Houston Rockets from 1997-2011. Numerous foot and leg problems led to his career being cut short. He averaged 19 ppg and 9.2 rpg.
Lorena Ochoa
A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Lorena Ochoa won 27 of her 30 tournaments on the LPGA tour. She was Player of the Year four straight seasons from 2006-09. She retired in 2010, stating, “I just want to be honest with all of you. I went to Asia, and after two or three days of being in Thailand, it was really easy to me – it was really clear to see that I didn’t want to be out there, you know. I just was thinking of other things. I wanted to get home. I wanted to start working on the foundation. I wanted to be here close to my family.”
Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards had 28 wins in the Monster Energy Series before he stepped away from the driver’s seat in January of 2017.
