What injuries do an "injury prone" player get? (1 Viewer)

[JBTV]

I was reading in the Adrian Peterson thread that some people thought that a broken collarbone and sprained ankle weren't injuries that you'd connect to an "injury prone" player...which got me thinking. In your mind, what types of injuries do indicate that a guy is injury prone? Is there a specific pattern of injury that makes a guy jump out in your mind, or is it just the number of problems, regardless of what they are?

My $.02 is that things like ankle and knee sprains, obviously tendonitis, shoulder injuries, things like that are the flags. Having had a lot of ankle problems myself, I know that the more a joint gets injured, the more it gets weakened and becomes prone to injury. You lose some of the joint's natural balance, stability, and strength, which leads to more problems. Also, a guy that tends to come back on the longer side of the scale (usually misses 4 weeks when diagnosed at 2-4 weeks, etc) is a guy that scares me. Finally, a history of muscle pulls (especially hamstrings) sets off flashing red lights for me.

That's just my thoughts as nothing close to a medical expert. I'd love to hear what some people that know a little more about medicine think about this. Obviously it's nearly impossible to predict injuries, just thinking about what should and shouldn't go into the labeling of a guy as "injury prone."

 

[juveduke]

Osteoporosis.

 

[Slum Lord]

Injury prone i've seen as always something different. If you always have a bad left knee, no one usually will call you injury prone, just label you as 'bad knees'. But when its a knee, then ankle, then hammy, then lower back, then shoulder, then ribs (Davenport comes to mind to Packer fans) that guys got the bug.

 

[mlball77]

This is a tough one to really answer. It could mean a whole host of different things for different players. You make some good points in your original post though, especially about ankle/joint issues (I've sprained my left ankle 3 times badly and one more time decently... after one very bad sprain its never the same).

In my view, injury prone players not only get the big injuries on occasion (that all players are susceptible to), but they also always miss time for little things like hamstring problems and turf toe. Sometimes I feel like people with the "injury prone" tag are players that lack toughness and let little things keep them out of games. If they aren't 95-100% healthy then they can't go (or something such as that). Since NFL players are rarely 100% healthy, those that can't tough out minor nagging injuries rarely play more than 13-14 games in a good season, it seems to me... something always makes them miss at least a little time.

Just my opinion.

 

[qimqam]

Hamstrings are usually chronic

Back and neck problems are usually chronic

Concussions

 

[msommer]

What I wouldn't consider injury prone is someone that breaks a collar bone, then breaks a leg, then blows out a knee, then breaks an arm - ie. single big incidents. I'd consider that player really unlucky. I might still avoid him like the plague in my auctions unless he comes at a hefty discount.

The injury prone huy s the guy who is alway questionable with some ailment or another, ankle, knee, wrist, shoulder, and even worse someone who regularly doesn't finish games.

This is not an exact science, e.g. DeShaun Foster could easily fit in the first category, but maybe lately he is debunked into the second.

Chris Brown certainly comes to mind for the second - but turf toe is a ##### - maybe they just need a new surface in the Colloseum...

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Does anyone have any evidence that 'injury prone' is anything more than a superstitious label?

I haven't seen anything yet that suggests a player who is fully recovered from a previous injury at the start of the season misses more games than you'd expect by random chance.

 

[smcindoe]

There are a few different ways to be "injury prone":

- You could have some sort of chronic condition that's known to be at high risk of recurring. For example, concussions, back problems, certain knee problems, etc.

- You could play a style that naturally leads to more injuries than normal. A smaller player who plays bigger than he is could be an example, or a QB who's poor at sensing the pass rush and holds the ball too long. In other sports, look at a guy like Lindros who skates with his head down.

- You could be a "soft" player who doesn't get hurt any more often than anyone else, but who doesn't seem to play through injuries like others do.

- You could just be plain old "injury prone", which typically means you're perceived as being a guy who just gets hurt more often -- any and all injuries included.

It's the last one that I think you could argue doesn't really exist. Yes, some guys get hurt more often, just like you'd expect in a typical random distribution. Some of those guys get labelled as injury prone when in reality they're probably just unlucky. The fact that you broke your leg last year and broke a collarbone this year doesn't necessarily mean you're more likely to sprain an ankle next year.

 

[Jene Bramel]

I agree that the "injury prone" label gets applied to too many situations that are nothing more than bad luck. But there are body types and playing styles that are more prone to injury. Upright running styles, uncontrolled tackling styles, and undersized players who aren't particularly elusive are probably more likely to be injured. Players that don't know how to take a fall correctly are rare in professional sports but are also likely more prone to injury.

Certain body types are probably more likely to be injured. Players that are "too tight" and not particularly flexible may be more prone to muscle and tendon strains. Players that have lax or loose joints, more than just normal flexibility, may be more prone to sprains.

I don't have any evidence to back the above anecdotal feelings up, , but I think they're all reasonable assertions.

 

[On The Rocks]

if "lazy" could be called an injury, I would say that.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

GREAT discussion so far, most of what I would say has already been said. I'll add:

Quick/Slow Healer. Some guys just have trouble getting 100%, some guys consistently beat even the most optimistic guess at their return.

 

[aposulli]

There are a few different ways to be "injury prone":

- You could have some sort of chronic condition that's known to be at high risk of recurring. For example, concussions, back problems, certain knee problems, etc.

Example: Dan Morgan

- You could play a style that naturally leads to more injuries than normal. A smaller player who plays bigger than he is could be an example, or a QB who's poor at sensing the pass rush and holds the ball too long. In other sports, look at a guy like Lindros who skates with his head down.

Example: Eddie George

- You could be a "soft" player who doesn't get hurt any more often than anyone else, but who doesn't seem to play through injuries like others do.

Example: Kevin Jones

- You could just be plain old "injury prone", which typically means you're perceived as being a guy who just gets hurt more often -- any and all injuries included.

Example: DeShaun Foster

It's the last one that I think you could argue doesn't really exist. Yes, some guys get hurt more often, just like you'd expect in a typical random distribution. Some of those guys get labelled as injury prone when in reality they're probably just unlucky. The fact that you broke your leg last year and broke a collarbone this year doesn't necessarily mean you're more likely to sprain an ankle next year.

 

[Gr00vus]

Soft tissue injuries are a red flag in my opinion. As mentioned before they tend to be degenerative when they happen in the area that they happen, but it also seems that some people are more prone to that kind of injury and have problems with that in multiple areas.

I'm talking high ankle sprains, ligament damage, etc. Once a guy gets one of those I consider him a more likely candidate for that kind of injury going forward. Terry Allen is the poster child for this.

Also if a guy has broken bones more than once or twice, especially if it's not far between incidents, I'd consider him brittle and a good candidate for that problem chronically.

Finally guys who suffer serious injuries and have long rehab times when they're young (in college for instance), make me nervous as well. If they're getting major injuries already at that point when they have the highest level of healing ability and elasticity that they will in their lives I think they're more likely to have trouble down the road as well.

 

[crystal]

ball cancer

 

[Todem]

Soft tissue injuries are a red flag in my opinion. As mentioned before they tend to be degenerative when they happen in the area that they happen, but it also seems that some people are more prone to that kind of injury and have problems with that in multiple areas.I'm talking high ankle sprains, ligament damage, etc. Once a guy gets one of those I consider him a more likely candidate for that kind of injury going forward. Terry Allen is the poster child for this.Also if a guy has broken bones more than once or twice, especially if it's not far between incidents, I'd consider him brittle and a good candidate for that problem chronically.Finally guys who suffer serious injuries and have long rehab times when they're young (in college for instance), make me nervous as well. If they're getting major injuries already at that point when they have the highest level of healing ability and elasticity that they will in their lives I think they're more likely to have trouble down the road as well.