It's not an absurd statement. Deadlifts improve so much musculature in your body which resolves/prevents injury. I had a 3+ year long knee injury from running and the only remedy was heavy squats. I was considering surgery and experimental stem cell injections since nothing was working. Thankfully I tried strength training before the alternatives.

It's important that people understand proper deadlift form though. It's a bit more complicated than just picking the barbell up off the ground.