The 5 Second NFL Career

Reading the " The 10 Best and Worst One-Game Careers in NFL History " by Ryan Winn reminded me of what may be the shortest one-game career in NFL History. On November 30, 1998, Ryan Sutter was activated from the Carolina Panther's practice squad for his first NFL game. The Panther's were hurting at safety and the local media presented the situation as "an average Joe finally gets a chance." Sutter's NFL career began with the opening kickoff and ended about 5 seconds later. During the kickoff Sutter raced down the field and tried to arm tackle the return man. This resulted in a major injury to his shoulder. After the game, Sutter was put on injured reserve. He was never able to make a successful comeback. In the movie "Field of Dreams," and the book "Shoeless Joe," Moonlight Graham was the featured real-life baseball player who only played one major league game and never batted. While Moonlight Graham went on to lead an ordinary, but important life, Sutter's life has been anything but ... (link)