NFL and college football stars are always unique physical specimens who command attention whenever they are on camera, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that many of them transition so well onto the big screen.
For decades no other sport has consistently churned out quite so any Hollywood stars, which makes you wonder if franchises offer acting lessons as part of their lucrative player contracts.
Here are five of the most successful football players ever to break into the Hollywood big time.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Who would have thought that a football player turned wrestler would one day become the highest paid actor on the planet?
Well, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson never seemed to doubt it was possible, deciding to give up on his dream of one day featuring in the NFL odds lines, in order to entertain the public in other ways.
He earned his acting stripes in the bizarre world of the WWE and then found that his raised eyebrow and bulbous muscles could be even more productive in Hollywood. All his movies are pure trash, but film execs do not seem to mind and neither do his fans.
Caption: Football players are well used to lights, camera and action
Tom Brady
To call Brady an actor would be something of a stretch because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has only ever played himself when appearing in Hollywood hits Ted 2 and Entourage.
He is perhaps better known for his showings on television, where the self-deprecating star has come across well on the likes of Saturday Night Live. For now, he should definitely stick to throwing footballs.
Caption: Quarterbacks are such recognizable personalities that they often make good TV stars
Carl Weathers
When Carl Weathers retired from the NFL in 1974, he’d had an underwhelming stint as a linebacker.
However, his acting career was the polar opposite, as he landed the iconic role of Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of movies. Hollywood legend has it that he only got the part after criticizing Sly Stallone’s acting ability, his honesty appealing to the movie’s headline star.
O.J. Simpson
No list such as this would be complete without old OJ, whose movie career ended up descending into a soap opera both on and off the screen.
Simpson was a prized running back in the NFL and then moved over into movies with aplomb, starring in many hit titles as well as having his own production company for a time.
