Most Dangerous Positions in Sports

It has happened to all of us. You're playing the sport you adore and suddenly, a quick thought of doubt flashes before your very eyes - the thought of never being able to play again. With this cloud of doubt trapped in your mind, your next move is carefully thought through, causing unforeseen flaws in your gameplay; you think to yourself, "This is not how I play." Well, that's a sign that the threat of danger has taken control, making you think twice about the next move.

In sports, danger constantly lurks, whether it's an injury that may put you on the sidelines for a few weeks or even worse, for good. Surely, every athlete has heard the saying: "Play like it's your last game." However, no other athletes from the five major sports have said this more than the players in the following positions:

Football: Kick Returner

 Imagine having 11 football players running at you at full speed, and their sole focus is to tackle the snot out of you. Sounds kind of like the hundreds of thousands of Persians attacking the 300 Spartans, am I right?

Don't believe me, just ask former Titans RB Chris Henry during this 2007 game against the Colts. Hold on to your helmets for this hit:

    

Basketball: The guy being dunked on

You don't want to be that guy that is situated right in front of the basketball hoop, especially when you see a player in your path that has the capability of endangering your career. Unfortunately, Pistons PG Brandon Knight experienced just that the other night against Lob City: 

Hockey: Goaltender 

You have to be nuts to be a goaltender in hockey. These guys fear nothing, even when a 100 mph slap shot is fired their way; it is casual for them to get in front of the puck's way and block/deflect it out so it doesn't go into the net.  These guys are the ones who should be saying "NBD" (No big deal), and then brush the dust off their shoulders.

Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff took a slap shot to the face, which knocked the mask off of his head. No complains there from Kiprusoff as he grabbed his helmet and went back to work:

Baseball: Catcher

Being in a kneeling position for a long period of time is quite uncomfortable, and may I say, stressful on the knees. That is not the only thing stressful about the catcher position in baseball; they have to worry about high-speed pitches zooming straight at them as well as runners sprinting in from third base, looking to nail a good lick on the catcher as he/she concentrates on catching and holding onto the ball to tag the runner out at home plate. 

Here's a segment from the "The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants" when catcher Buster Posey was involved in a scary collision:   

Soccer: Goalkeeper

To be a goalkeeper in soccer, you have to fear not of the ball ricocheting off your face, or ribs or dare I say, the nads. As the lion from "The Wizard of Oz" learned, being brave is a necessity. Scenarios such as a 50/50 ball between a forward and a goalkeeper are won through sacrifices to the body like diving at the legs of a forward to retrieve the ball at all means. 

Watch this studs up sliding tackle USA goalkeeper Tim Howard absorbs against England during the 2010 World Cup: