This Athlete’s Stunning Comeback From Arrest and Injury to Victory

Many times in sports, teams or individuals fail to capture the crown, the ultimate contest, or the peak event in their careers. It is often thought that their chance to bring home the glory has ended. But to quote the once-New York Yankee legend, Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." When it comes to sports – and life – no truer words have been said. (Tiger Woods, who is featured here, is currently on the PGA Tour.)

Everyone loves a comeback, whether it's an individual athlete or a team, and many of us root for the underdog. Sometimes, it doesn't work out, like in the case of Yankee great Don Mattingly, who was an all-star at a time when his team wasn't playing their best. The team finally came out of their long-time slump in 1994 – what was to be Mattingly's last – in what was believed to have been their year to take it all. The remainder of the season was canceled by then-MLB commissioner Bud Selig, dashing players – and fans' dreams.

Other times, it works out phenomenally. To compile a list of the greatest comebacks in sports history, 24/7 Tempo consulted ESPN and other sports websites, as well as general-interest sources including the New York Times and The Guardian. This list isn't comprehensive but is meant as a tribute to certain individual athletes and teams who have delivered astonishing performances in their respective fields, making history in the process. (These are the 40 most successful athletes of the 21st century.)

Seven of the comebacks on our list involved championships in their respective sports and in the course of scoring their unexpected victories, some of these comebacks ended long championship droughts. But all the teams and individuals here are inspiring for their successes against the odds – and they all prove yet again how right Yogi Berra was. (Berra's given name was Lawrence Peter – "Yogi" is one of the 35 unforgettable nicknames in sports.)

West Germany

Sport: Soccer
Year: 1954
Comeback: Winning after being 2 goals behind in the first 8 minutes of the game
Ultimate prize: World Cup

In Bern, Switzerland, West Germany overcame a two-goal deficit to beat Hungary. The Hungarian team entered the tournament as one of the best in the world. Not only did they not lose a match in four years but had taken home their second Olympic gold medal during that time.

In the World Cup match, Hungary scored twice within the first eight minutes of play. West Germany stormed back to tie the match before the end of the first half. Six minutes into the second half, Helmut Rahn scored the difference-maker, winning the first of four World Cups for German soccer.

Ivan Lendl

Sport: Tennis
Year: 1984
Comeback: Overcoming John McEnroe in French Open final
Ultimate prize: Grand Slam Title

Lendl derailed the John McEnroe juggernaut in 1984 to win the French Open, the first of his eight Grand Slam singles titles. McEnroe had won 39 consecutive matches and took the first two sets of the French Open. Then Lendl rallied and gutted out a victory over McEnroe, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5.

Buffalo Bills

Sport: Football
Year: 1993
Comeback: Recovering from a 32-point deficit to win
Ultimate prize: AFC Championship

Playing in wintry conditions in Buffalo, the visiting Houston Oilers had built a 35-3 lead by the third quarter of the AFC wild-card playoff game behind four touchdown passes from future Hall of Famer Warren Moon. Back-up Bills quarterback Frank Reich engineered the comeback.

The Bills scored 35 unanswered points before the Oilers tied the game on a field goal in the final seconds of regulation. In overtime, Buffalo intercepted a Moon pass. The Bills got within field-goal range and kicker Steve Christie booted a 32-yard field goal to complete the record comeback victory.

Plano East Panthers

Sport: High school football
Year: 1994
Comeback: Reducing a 24-point deficit before losing
Ultimate prize: N/A

John Tyler and Plano East were two undefeated Texas high school teams known for their defense. So when the two powerhouses collided in a third-round playoff game at Texas Stadium in 1994, few expected offensive fireworks. Plano East rallied from a 41-17 deficit with just over three minutes remaining to take a 44-41 lead after three straight onside kicks were recovered.

But John Tyler fired the last arrow in its quiver when it scored on a kickoff return for a touchdown with 11 seconds left to win 48-44, winning the Region II semifinal, and going on to win the state championship.

Paul Lawrie

Sport: Golf
Year: 1999
Comeback: Winning after trailing by 10 strokes entering the final round
Ultimate prize: 128th British Open Championship

Scotland's Paul Lawrie made his nation proud in Carnoustie, Scotland, in stirring fashion during the championships. He rallied from 10 strokes behind French golfer Jean Van De Velde to force a playoff, which Lawrie won by three shots. It was the first time in PGA history a golfer had ever come back from such a large deficit.

The tournament is also remembered for Van De Velde's epic collapse as he carded a triple bogey on the 18th hole.

Cleveland Indians

Sport: Baseball
Year: 2001
Comeback: Winning after a 12-run deficit
Ultimate prize: Beating the top team in the AL Western Division

At Jacobs Field in Cleveland before a national television audience on August 5, 2001, the Cleveland Indians staged one of baseball's greatest comebacks. Down 14-2 through the sixth inning, Cleveland rallied for 13 unanswered runs to defeat the Seattle Mariners.

The Indians scored five runs in the last of the ninth to force a tie and won it in the bottom of the 11th. It was the third time in Major League Baseball history that a team had dug out of such a huge hole.

Indianapolis Colts

Sport: Football
Year: 2003
Comeback: Overcoming a 21-point deficit with less than four minutes to go
Ultimate prize: An improved record that eventually led to a postseason appearance

Helmed by quarterback Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to tie the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in regulation and won the game on a field goal in overtime. Indianapolis became the first NFL team ever to win after trailing by 21 or more points with less than four minutes to go in regulation.

Indiana Pacers

Sport: Basketball
Year: 1995
Comeback: Overcoming an 8-point deficit in 11 seconds
Ultimate prize: Advancing to the next round in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Reggie Miller was a target of New York Knicks fans' animus in the 1990s. The smooth-shooting forward for the Indiana Pacers became a nightmare for the Knicks in the first game of the semifinals, scoring eight points in 11 seconds to lead Indiana to victory.

With New York leading by six with 18.7 seconds left, Miller hit a three-point shot, stole the inbounds pass, and stepped back beyond the three-point line to hit another three to tie the game. After the Knicks missed two free throws and a shot to win it, Miller grabbed a rebound, was fouled, and sank both free throws to deliver the victory to Indiana.

Boston Red Sox

Sport: Baseball
Year: 2004
Comeback: Overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the New York Yankees
Ultimate prize: American League Championship, advancing to win the World Series

The Boston Red Sox became the first team in MLB history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series to defeat the New York Yankees in the ALCS. The Red Sox were on the cusp of getting swept when they faced Yankee closer Mariano Rivera in the last of the ninth and trailing by a run.

They tied the game after Dave Roberts stole second and scored on Bill Mueller's single and won it in the 12th inning. The Red Sox never lost in the postseason after that, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four to win their first World Series since 1918, breaking the "Curse of the Bambino".

Houston Rockets

Sport: Basketball
Year: 2004
Comeback: Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in 33 seconds
Ultimate prize: With a 51–31 record, it was their first 50-win season since 1997

In his first season with the Houston Rockets, Tracy McGrady poured in 13 points in 33 seconds to lift Houston to a comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs. McGrady hit four contested three-point shots and a free throw over that span and his heroics erased an eight-point deficit with 49 seconds remaining.

Liverpool

Sport: Soccer
Year: 2005
Comeback: Rallying from 0-3 in the first half
Ultimate prize: European Cup

Liverpool won its fifth title in a most unlikely fashion, rallying from three goals down to beat AC Milan in a match played in Istanbul. Italy was a strong favorite to win the cup and raced out to a 3-0 in the first half. Liverpool evened the game with three goals in the first six minutes of the second half before winning the match in the penalty shootout.

Afterward, an awed Diego Maradona said "The English club proved that miracles really do exist."

Michigan State Spartans

Sport: College football
Year: 2006
Comeback: Winning after trailing 38-3 with just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter
Ultimate prize: Bragging rights

A week after coughing up a big lead to Notre Dame, Michigan State basked in the glory of the greatest comeback in major college football history on Oct. 21, 2006, scoring 38 unanswered points to stun Northwestern, 41-38. The Spartans scored 24 of their points in the fourth quarter to erase the deficit.

Before Michigan State's feat, the biggest rallies in college football history belonged to Maryland and Ohio State, which each wiped out 31-point deficits to win.

Philadelphia Flyers

Sport: Hockey
Year: 2010
Comeback: Winning from being down 3-0 in the best-of-seven
Ultimate prize: Advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals

The Philadelphia Flyers picked themselves up off the mat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to stage a rally that wiped out a 3-0 deficit to the Boston Bruins to win the game and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers had been down 3-0 in the series but became the third team to erase that deficit and win an NHL series.

Oracle Team USA

Sport: Sailing
Year: 2013
Comeback: Overcoming an 8-1 deficit in a best-of-17 format
Ultimate prize: The America's Cup

Down 8-1 to New Zealand in the best-of-17 races for the America's Cup, Oracle Team USA won eight consecutive races at San Francisco Bay to capture sailing's most prestigious trophy. The American team faced adversity, overcoming one of the stiffest penalties in sailing history because the team had illegally modified its vessel. The team was penalized two points, and a sailor and two offshore crew members were expelled.

Boston Bruins

Sport: Hockey
Year: 2013
Comeback: Winning after being down 3 goals after 2 periods
Ultimate prize: Advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, and then advanced to the Stanley Cup finals

Trailing by three goals halfway through the third period, the Boston Bruins staged a frenetic rally to tie the Toronto Maple Leafs in regulation and then won in overtime to advance to the next round. Patrice Bergeron was the Bruins' hero, scoring a tying goal in regular time and the winner in overtime. Boston had avoided a repeat of a collapse from three years prior when the Bruins fell to the Philadelphia Flyers after holding a 3-0 series lead.

Chicago Cubs

Sport: Baseball
Year: 2016
Comeback: Coming back from 3-1 hole to win first World Series in 108 years
Ultimate prize: World Series Championship

The Chicago Cubs had had the longest championship dry spell among teams in the major sports. With the weight of a 108-year-old drought weighing on the franchise, the team surmounted a 3-1 disadvantage in the World Series to force a dramatic seventh game and won that contest in equally dramatic fashion, 8-7, to win.

Texas A&M Aggies

Sport: College Basketball
Year: 2016
Comeback: Scoring 14 points in 34 seconds
Ultimate prize: Advanced to the Sweet 16 in NCAA Championships

Texas A&M was trailing upset-minded Northern Iowa by 12 points with 34 seconds left in the second round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament when the Aggies rallied to tie the game in regulation. Northern Iowa repeatedly turned the ball over while trying to inbound the ball and the Panthers were out of timeouts. The Aggies would go on to win the game, 92-88, in double overtime.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Sport: Basketball
Year: 2016
Comeback: Winning from being down 3-1 in the best-of-seven
Ultimate prize: NBA Championship

By defeating the Golden State Warriors in the seventh game, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team ever to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. The championship was their first NBA title and the first title won by a Cleveland professional sports team in 52 years.

Golden State, which had won an NBA record 73 games in the regular season, had reached the finals by surmounting a 3-1 series disadvantage to beat Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.

New England Patriots

Sport: Football
Year: 2017
Comeback: Coming back from a 3-28 hole
Ultimate prize: The Super Bowl

In a career studded with memorable moments, quarterback Tom Brady had one of his greatest in 2017. He rallied the New England Patriots from a 25-point deficit midway through the third quarter of Super Bowl LI to tie the Atlanta Falcons in regulation – and then captured the Lombardi Trophy in overtime. Brady completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards and two touchdowns and was named the Super Bowl MVP.

Tiger Woods

Sport: Golf
Year: 2019
Comeback: First PGA Major in 11 years
Ultimate prize: Winning the Masters

Many believe Tiger Woods' improbable victory at the 2019 Masters was the greatest comeback story ever in sports. Given what preceded his emotional triumph at Augusta, it might be. After being the face of golf for years and boosting the sport to unprecedented popularity, Woods' life fell apart because of a painful and public divorce; an arrest for driving under the influence; automobile accidents; and a series of injuries. His was the ultimate story of redemption and perseverance.