Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen has the funniest injury in football: He’ll be playing with turf toe on Saturday. Don’t worry, he’ll have a shoe insert for his big piggy so he won’t go wee wee wee all the way home.
But turf toe — a condition of pain at the base of the big toe — is a serious injury and is very common in football. It’s also a nagging injury that could stay with a player for the rest of his career.
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Deion Sanders probably had the most popular case. The injury plagued him for years and greatly reduced his playing time near the end of his career.
But the injury isn’t only reserved for flamboyant cornerbacks. Jack Lambert is known as one of the hardest hitting linebackers in the history of the NFL, but even he couldn’t shake turf toe. The Steelers Hall of Famer retired due to the reoccurring injury.
So this weekend when you watch Clausen hobble to the sideline — before you start laughing — think of the toothless grin of Lambert and his merciless battle with turf toe.
