While there is a sizable number of great athletes in the professional ranks there are very few who have earned the reputation of being iron men in their respective sports.
Most of us associate the term iron man with the fictional superhero cartoon who possesses extraordinary abilities which far surpass that of mere mortals.
Another mental image that comes to mind upon hearing the word iron man is the grueling event wherein the participants must swim 2.
4 miles, bike 112 miles and conclude with a 26.
2 mile run.
The keyword to this event is endurance, and endurance is precisely what sets apart four athletes from four different sports who have seemingly mastered the art of endurance.
Canadian born Hockey star, Jay Bouwmeester belongs on the short list of longest active games played streaks at 471.
This resilient player has been able to avoid the serious injury that would sideline him for an extended period of time and play through the more minor injuries that he has incurred in his career.
In the field of Baseball, the Ironman status goes to Ichiro Suzuki.
Suzuki is a right fielder for the Seattle Mariners whose record of ten consecutive 200 plus hit seasons is the most of any baseball player.
The only other player who can match his streak is Pete Rose and his record is from non-consecutive years.
The NFL player Ryan Longwell owns the record for the most career points scored having kicked 226 field goals in his nine seasons of play.
Longwell is currently with the Minnesota Vikings.
Iron man, Derek Fisher, current guard for the Los Angeles Lakers has played in over 458 consecutive games over a 5.
4 year period, the longest in NBA history.
In sports where injuries tend to be part of the package, these four athletes have been amazingly successful at long-term success.