Many people believe that athletes today are spoiled and will not play with injuries. In some cases that may be true. Boston Bruins forward Cam Neely, however, is not one of those players. In 1991 he suffered a severe knee injury that almost ended his career. Over two years Neely steadily worked his knee back into shape, and in the 1993-94 season he became only the third player in National Hockey League (NHL) history to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games. Neely was one of the hardest working players in the league until his body could not longer take the punishment and he was forced to retire.

Growing up

Close family

Cameron Michael Neely was born June 6, 1965, in Comox, British Columbia, Canada. He grew up in nearby Maple Ridge. Neely's father, Mike, had retired from the Canadian Air Force and worked in real estate; his mother's name was Marlene...