On November 18th, 1985, during a broadcast of Monday Night Football viewed by an audience of  millions, Washington Redskins’ quarterback Joe Theismann sustained an injury that ended his career, and permanently changed how we view sports injuries.

A Rising Star

Before his injury, Joe Theismann was one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the NFL. He helped lead the Washington Redskins to two separate Super Bowl appearances with one victory, winning Super Bowl XXVII (twenty-seven), and earned the coveted Most Valuable Player award in 1983. Theismann had quickly become the face of the Redskins franchise, as well as a cornerstone of the entire NFL. By The 1985 season, the pressure was on. Joe had a tall order to fulfill, but nobody was able to see what was coming.

The Injury

On November 18th, 1985, with playoff season looming around the corner, the Redskins were set to take on the seemingly unstoppable New York Giants. During the second quarter of the game, Theismann stepped back to pass the ball. The Giants’ Lawrence Taylor, one of the best defensive players in NFL history, rushed forward, tackling Theismann from behind as another defender approached from the front. The result was immediate and obvious: compound fractures of the tibia and fibula in Theismann’s right leg. The injury was so intense that the sound of his leg breaking was allegedly audible on the field. Players and coaches waved frantically for medical staff, and the broadcast quickly cut away due to the brutal nature of the injury.

Doctor Charles Jackson

Theismann was rushed to the nearest hospital. Surgeons worked hard to stabilize the fractures in his leg and prevent further complications.

He was treated by Doctor Charles Jackson, a physician for the Washington Redskins.

“[He was] lying down. His knee was facing straight up, and his foot was flat with the ground” Said Doctor Jackson.

“So there is a tendency to want to straighten the leg out. But if it’s an open fracture, you can’t do that because of the risk of infection. What you don’t want to do is take a piece of dirt and pull it back up into the marrow of the bone. So we left his leg the way it was and splinted him right there on the spot.”

“We had him on the operating table about 40 minutes after he left the stadium. In a procedure like this, the first thing you do is clean the wound. You clean it, you clean it, you clean it. Next, you cut away anything,  like bits of skin, that looks like it might not live. You then put the bone back into its anatomical position. Finally, you put a packing in the wound, suture a couple of stitches in there, put a big sterile dressing on it, and put it in a cast.”

Leg Splints

Splints offer distinct advantages over casts in acute settings. This is especially true when significant swelling, evolving injuries, soft tissue compromise, or frequent reassessment seems likely. Unlike circumferential casts, which can increase the risk of compartment syndrome and other pressure-related complications, splints provide effective stabilization while allowing for soft tissue expansion and maintaining alignment. Their adjustable, removable design makes splints particularly well suited for the early phases of fracture management and postoperative care, especially in younger patients with strong healing and remodeling potential.

The recovery plan would include staying for 10-14 days in the hospital for immediate recovery, as well as being placed in a cast for roughly 3 months.

In the mid-1980s, sports medicine was a far cry away from the heights it has come to currently. Stabilization, infection prevention, and rehab were not just procedural, they were incredibly challenging to pull off correctly, especially in the world of professional sports and athletics.

While his leg was saved, the injury ended his football career at the age of 36.

Ramifications

Theismann’s injury was history making and generation defining. ESPN named it the second most important moment in Monday Night Football History. It stands the test of time as part of television history, but it’s also an important turning point in the history of sports medicine as a practice, and professional football as a whole. As a result of his injury, policies were put in place to improve emergency protocols on the field, train staff for faster response times to injuries, invest in safer equipment, and put a much higher emphasis on the greater company culture on injury prevention.

For the healthcare workers in the league itself, it ratified the significance of quick diagnoses, clear communication in trauma care, and the expansion of facilities for injury rehabilitation. All of these principles are present and clear in sports medicine to this very day.

What’s Next?

After retirement, despite the insurmountable weight of the injury, Theismann continued to thrive. He had successfully pivoted into broadcasting, and quickly became a revered member of the greater sports media apparatus. His story shows us that, while injuries can cause our world to come to a crushing hault, our paths can re-route and our lives can change in ways that allow us to maintain a positive outlook and appreciation for what we have.

If you or a loved one are seriously injured while playing a contact sport, seek treatment immediately. To avoid serious injury and prolong your sports career, visit Healthpointe today.

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