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37. Ernie Stautner, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1950-1963)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Ernie Stautner comes in
the huddle, and his thumb is broken back against his wrist. There's a
tear near the break, and his bone is sticking out. He has a compound
fracture of the thumb. He takes his thumb in his hand and wrenches it
down into his fist. Doesn't show it to anybody. Doesn't say anything.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So he stayed there for the rest of the
series, and then we came off, and I'm watching him because I'm the only
guy who saw that he had a compound fracture. I saw the bone. So I'm
figuring now he's going to ask for the doctor, and he may have to go to
the hospital because this thing could get infected, and he says, “Give
me some tape.” So they throw him some tape and he just starts taping
this huge ball. He makes this big fist. Then we go back in. He plays the
entire game. Never misses a down. I'm just astounded, and he's using
this hand that is broken as a club. He's beating people with it. After
the game, we go into the locker room and he says, “Hey Doc, I think I
got a problem.” —Andy Russell, linebacker</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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http://bleacherreport.com...t-players-in-nfl-history</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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