Real McClappy Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Never heard or seen this until reading this article. https://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/index.ssf/2018/07/buffalo_bills_hof_rb_thurman_thomas_played_entire_career_with_partially_torn_acl.html Just truly insane how good he was. "Some news that Thomas shared on social media recently should have fans even more impressed with his career. It turns out that Thomas played his entire career on a partially torn ACL. When a fan asked how long Thomas played with the torn ACL, Thomas responded by saying he played the rest of his career with the injury. He'd later add that his ACL was about 85 percent torn." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyBatty is alive Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Pretty amazing. I can certainly believe the entire career with a partially torn ACL but I cant believe it was 85% torn that entire time. He always was more of a straight ahead runner. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real McClappy Posted July 18, 2018 Author Share Posted July 18, 2018 3 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said: Pretty amazing. I can certainly believe the entire career with a partially torn ACL but I cant believe it was 85% torn that entire time. He always was more of a straight ahead runner. His career would be top10 all time to GODLIKE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 yeah right... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chandler's Hands Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 (edited) Having lived with a partially torn ACL for several years (before completely tearing it away) I would just comment that so long as what remains is structurally holding things in place, it doesn't really affect you. Also, some people can live normal, active lives (like downhill skiing active) with no ACL anymore, just because of how they are built. So I don't really know what to make of the 85% torn claim as it relates to what his performance would have otherwise been if not torn at all. It strikes me that it might not have been any different. Edited July 18, 2018 by Bob Chandler's Hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushypeaches Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 30 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said: Pretty amazing. I can certainly believe the entire career with a partially torn ACL but I cant believe it was 85% torn that entire time. He always was more of a straight ahead runner. Ummm... I'm not sure I would ever characterize him that way. He wasn't Earl Campbell or OJ Simpson and straight-ahead was absolutely not the way he got the majority of those tough extra yards. Not all the way on the other end of the spectrum like a Barry Sanders, but you get the point. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsbackto81 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Kinda hard to believe. Thurman may not have been a juke you out your shoes RB but to accept that he played his entire HOF career taking the pounding RBs of that era had to absorb feels like a bit of a stretch. I love the guy but c'mon man. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Looks like all the other teams that didn't draft him because of concerns his knee didn't heal completely after his college injury were correct. Who'd've thunk it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Formation Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Cow patties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Sack Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 The amazing thing is he kept Barry Sanders on the bench in ‘87. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffAlone Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 1 minute ago, Dr.Sack said: The amazing thing is he kept Barry Sanders on the bench in ‘87. What a backfield that was. 85% torn ACL would've benched him for a whole season in modern times. That whole team was a bunch of tough SOB's! Shame they couldn't get at least one of those SB rings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 55 minutes ago, Real McCoy said: His career would be top10 all time to GODLIKE. I love Thurman..he had many unique qualities and was a great RB. But not top 10.Come on man. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 old news... there are a number of nfl players that played without acl including thurm Elway Hienz Ward Joe Namath logan Mankins drew Stanton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsbackto81 Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 6 minutes ago, Tcali said: I love Thurman..he had many unique qualities and was a great RB. But not top 10.Come on man. You can make the argument. Thurman along with Roger Craig were kinda the first dual threat RBs before it became commonplace in the NFL. Top 10, maybe not. But, Top 10 dual threat RBs of all time? Definitely! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 57 minutes ago, Bob Chandler's Hands said: Having lived with a partially torn ACL for several years (before completely tearing it away) I would just comment that so long as what remains is structurally holding things in place, it doesn't really affect you. Also, some people can live normal, active lives (like downhill skiing active) with no ACL anymore, just because of how they are built. So I don't really know what to make of the 85% torn claim as it relates to what his performance would have otherwise been if not torn at all. It strikes me that it might not have been any different. This is more or less what I was thinking. I.E., the percentage is not relevant. What is relevant is your knee either working correctly, or not. Whatever he had going on in there was obviously working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Buffalo Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 8 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said: You can make the argument. Thurman along with Roger Craig were kinda the first dual threat RBs before it became commonplace in the NFL. Top 10, maybe not. But, Top 10 dual threat RBs of all time? Definitely! Marcus Allen also became that later in his career too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 I think 85% of the time, Thurman is 50% correct... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah John Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 It's hard to evaluate TT accurately because he played on such great offensive teams. They were great in part because of him, but they had everything particularly a great O line. I saw a feature online recently showing all of his TDs in a particular year. In most of them he had to be elusive but not insanely so -- he'd put a little head bob or a half step sideways or delay a beat, and he'd get the opening he needed. This is not a criticism in fact it's high praise for a guy who had such a great feel for the game. But, without that great O line and the passing game at the same time, it's easy to see how a defense could have taken him out of the game. OJ, on the other hand, excelled even though everyone knew the Bills were going to run -- of course he had a great O line too. I've always thought OJ was the best Bill of all time, and was the best runner of a long list of great RBs. With Cookie #2, TT #3, Shady #4, and a bunch of other guys who were all really good making up the rest of the top 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrownBear Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Wow! He may have run for 100,000 yards if not for his torn ACL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Look up in the sky, its a bird, its a plane ? NO ITS THE THURMONATOR !!!!! Faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive , Able to leap defenders with a single bound & juke them out of their shorts with a torn ACL !! WOW ! Now that just adds to his legacy !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthNYfan Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 "Thomas told the fan that it was actually a brace that he wore after tearing his ACL in 1986. The back would undergo an arthroscopic procedure that year, but avoided major knee surgery. Thomas said he wore the brace as a way to avoid having major surgery and missing time. " He also claims it was "85% torn" and that he only had it scoped. If it was 85% then he certainly finished off the tear sometime that year or early on in the NFL. That's just a medical fact, it would have finished off. Playing without an ACL is very possible, and over strengthening the surrounding muscles (namely the hams, gastroc, and imo) can make up for that lack of ligament stability, the issue is it presents a huge risk when your muscles are fatigued to the other structures (PCL, MCL, LCL, popliteal muscle, meniscus primarily). His way of describing it just sounds like Uncle Rico throwing a pigskin a quarter mile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 2 hours ago, Bob Chandler's Hands said: Having lived with a partially torn ACL for several years (before completely tearing it away) I would just comment that so long as what remains is structurally holding things in place, it doesn't really affect you. Also, some people can live normal, active lives (like downhill skiing active) with no ACL anymore, just because of how they are built. So I don't really know what to make of the 85% torn claim as it relates to what his performance would have otherwise been if not torn at all. It strikes me that it might not have been any different. This is true. I haven’t had an ACL in my right knee since 1987. I am still an active person. Obviously not on a professional athlete’s scale but, none the less, I have been very active for the past 31 years with no side effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 5 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said: This is true. I haven’t had an ACL in my right knee since 1987. I am still an active person. Obviously not on a professional athlete’s scale but, none the less, I have been very active for the past 31 years with no side effects. The physical therapist who treated my son after his torn ACL/MCL had no ACL’s. Played OLine for UCF back in the day. AMAZING therapist. Still very active with mountain biking and certain other activities. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Process Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 12 hours ago, T master said: Look up in the sky, its a bird, its a plane ? NO ITS THE THURMONATOR !!!!! Faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive , Able to leap defenders with a single bound & juke them out of their shorts with a torn ACL !! WOW ! Now that just adds to his legacy !! So.....that's how he found his helmet.....x-ray eyes seeing through sideline equipment zeroing in on his. Always wondered that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeGOATski Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 He used to run up and down that field in the snow and uphill both ways!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Deek Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 My MCL is keeping me from my morning run...but you don’t hear me whining about it. Going to work like always. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripple Creek Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 15 hours ago, Mr. WEO said: I think 85% of the time, Thurman is 50% correct... You booed during Kelly’s speech last night, didn’t you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Cripple Creek said: You booed during Kelly’s speech last night, didn’t you? I missed it (and I also missed the point of your post). Jim’s a great guy suffering from a bad disease. Nobody is booing him. stay focused Edited July 19, 2018 by Mr. WEO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripple Creek Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 10 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: I missed it (and I also missed the point of your post). The point is, I do not believe I have ever seen you post a positive comment on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your Brown Eye Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 17 hours ago, Real McCoy said: His career would be top10 all time to GODLIKE. You mean he wouldn't have lost his helmet in the Super Bowl or have his untimely fumbles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice bowl 67 Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 That is amazing. Most everyone else would have missed lots of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJS Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 I ripped something in my knee as a teenager. It causes me some pain occasionally, but otherwise does not limit me in the slightest. I'm very active, and played a lot of football. You can have some knee damage and still be able to perform very close to 100%. It all depends on where the damage is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real McClappy Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 5 hours ago, LeGOATski said: He used to run up and down that field in the snow and uphill both ways!! Bare foot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Cripple Creek said: The point is, I do not believe I have ever seen you post a positive comment on this site. You choose not to see them. You seen only what you want to see. I can't fix that for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopey Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 This is the reason we lost 4 straight SB's. If he had just gotten that thing fixed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatdrought Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 I have a partially torn ACL (Not sure how far as I have never gotten the MRI and the diagnosis just came from the doc and PT feeling the looseness of my knee) and I still get around fine, but i can tell it's more loose. I have a brace like you see all these players wear (one of the ones that looks like it should add speed and jumping skills) and I can tell the difference when I wear it vs. when I dont. Biggest issue is just the fear of going the rest of the way. It does ache every once in a while after extended use or when a storm is coming in, but that might have more to due with the Torn meniscus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dablitzkrieg Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) Flame away.....but do we really believe that someone could play an entire career on an "85% torn ACL"? Just for S&G's (I'm not a doctor obviously), but where does the # even come from? Wouldn't his knee just blow out from the amount of beatings he took over his career? Just doesn't hold water for me. Love the player, but don't buy the story. Another thing to consider is that Thurman has admitted to having possible CTE issues. He might be confabulating a bit, not even realizing he is making up stories. Not trying ot be rude for all of you sensitive people out there. Just an observation. Edited July 19, 2018 by Dablitzkrieg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTimeAFLGuy Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Dablitzkrieg said: Flame away.....but do we really believe that someone could play an entire career on an "85% torn ACL"? Just for S&G's (I'm not a doctor obviously), but where does the # even come from? Wouldn't his knee just blow out from the amount of beatings he took over his career? Just doesn't hold water for me. Love the player, but don't buy the story. Another thing to consider is that Thurman has admitted to having possible CTE issues. He might be confabulating a bit, not even realizing he is making up stories. Not trying ot be rude for all of you sensitive people out there. Just an observation. ...WHY?......I agree that it seems pretty far fetched......and why risk more damage versus surgical repair?...makes no sense especially when he came out of college with a knee injury, falling to the 2nd.......... Edited July 19, 2018 by OldTimeAFLGuy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hebert19 Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 On 7/18/2018 at 4:15 PM, mushypeaches said: Ummm... I'm not sure I would ever characterize him that way. He wasn't Earl Campbell or OJ Simpson and straight-ahead was absolutely not the way he got the majority of those tough extra yards. Not all the way on the other end of the spectrum like a Barry Sanders, but you get the point. He was like bell from the Steelers. Patient and waited for play to develop then hit the hole. Bell is closest thing I've seen to Thurman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 On 7/18/2018 at 1:58 PM, billsbackto81 said: You can make the argument. Thurman along with Roger Craig were kinda the first dual threat RBs before it became commonplace in the NFL. Top 10, maybe not. But, Top 10 dual threat RBs of all time? Definitely! you cant make the argument. and i love roger and thurman---but the 1st of that kinda RB was Lydell Mitchell. thurman an absolute Hof famer but nowhere near top 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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