Bart Starr Had Alabama Career Ruined By Brutal Hazing

Green Bay Packers legend Bart Starr had his Alabama Crimson Tide career derailed by a back injury before his junior year in 1954. The injury had been attributed to a punting exercise. But, Starr’s wife Cherry revealed to Al.com the injury resulted from a brutal hazing incident for initiation into the A-club.

"“But his back was never right after that,” Cherry Starr said. “It was horrible. It was not a football injury. It was an injury sustained from hazing. His whole back all the way up to his rib cage looked like a piece of raw meat. The bruising went all the way up his back. It was red and black and awful looking. It was so brutal.”"

The injury had a dramatic impact for both Starr and Alabama. Starr threw eight touchdown passes, leading Alabama to the SEC title his sophomore year. He was expected to be one of the nation’s best passers. But, he threw just two touchdown passes the rest of his career. The Tide went just 4-5-2 his junior year and 0-10 his senior year.

Starr was hospitalized and put in traction after trying to play during his junior year. His back was bad enough to disqualify him from military service. He played through back problems his entire NFL career. A crack in one of his vertebrae was not found until the 1980s.

Yet one more reminder that hazing is incredibly stupid.