With Tiki Barber‘s announcement to return to the NFL at age 36, it’s time to revisit some memorable sports comebacks. Here are five greats who returned with vastly mixed results:
5. Jim Palmer » Seven years after he retired, the Orioles’ Hall of Famer attempted a comeback at age 45. He gave up five hits in two innings in a spring training appearance, then retired for good.
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4. Bob Cousy » Seven years after he retired from the Boston Celtics, Cousy came back at age 41 with the team he was coaching, the Cincinnati Royals. In 34 minutes in seven games he still had his passing ability (10 assists), but scored just five points.
3. Michael Jordan » Four years after he retired from the Bulls, Jordan returned at age 38 with the Wizards. He had a few more pounds and a little less lift, but still could score. Two weeks after his 40th birthday, he dropped 39 points on the Knicks at the Garden.
2. Gordy Howe » When you retire at age 43, people figure you’re done, especially in a sport as taxing as hockey. But Howe returned at age 45 and played seven more seasons. He averaged 100.3 points in his first three years back, and finally quit for good at age 52.
1. George Foreman » At age 45, Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to regain the heavyweight title he lost 20 years earlier to Muhammad Ali. His rise might have been an indictment of the state of boxing, but it was still an amazing achievement.
