The Top Ten: Football Players Turned Actors

The Super Bowl has come and gone, but I'm still not ready to let the season go. It all happened way too fast, and dagnabbit, I don't want to get all warm and fuzzy for Valentine's Day just yet. Therefore, I’ve decided to cook up a little list paying homage to the ten greatest football players turned actors in a vain attempt to keep the season alive — if only in my head.

In order to have made the list, each candidate had to have played professional football on some level — be it the NFL, CFL, NFL Europe, etc. Arena Football doesn’t count, because it’s not real football, I don’t care what you say. Oh, and you can’t have killed someone… or two. Sorry OJ, them's the rules. I didn't weigh strength of football career against strength of acting career, because that would have made my brain explode.

While doing research for this list, I was amazed at just how many former pro-football players have tried their hand at acting — and even more surprised at just how good a lot of them are. When I set out to do this list, I had no idea it would turn out to be as difficult as it was. Just to show you how tough it was, here’s a short list of the guys that didn’t make the cut, and the reasons why:

• Mike Ditka - One movie under his belt. While very funny, not enough to warrant a spot on the list.
• Terry Bradshaw - See Mike Ditka.
• Michael Irvin - See Mike Ditka.
• Bill Romanowski - See Mike Ditka.
• Brett Favre - See Mike Ditka.
• Alex Karras - Moderate success on television, but no big screen success.
• Bill Goldberg - Could have placed on the list near the bottom, but I chose to go with guys I believe have contributed more to film via memorable movies and performances. This is completely subjective.
• Bob Sapp - See Bill Goldberg.
• Fred Dryer - A significant acting career, could have easily made the list, but again, most of his work was done on the small screen, therefore, I chose to bump him. Yet another completely subjective selection.
• Howie Long - Had an impressive supporting role in the John Travolta action blockbuster Broken Arrow, and even starred in his own Guy Movie with Firestorm, but he hasn't done anything since, choosing to pursue a career as an analyst. Hey, I can't fault him for that, but I can't reward him either.
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson - Never played in the NFL, but did manage two months on a CFL team before being cut. While my criteria was that each man listed have some kind of pro-football career, I didn’t want to take the easy way out and list Rock in the top spot…because if he were going to be on this list, that’s exactly where he’d be, based on the strength of his film career.

As you read you'll notice many of these guys are ex-Raiders, and that several of them appeared in Adam Sandler's The Longest Yard remake. Not a big deal or anything — although it's some nifty info for any of you who'd like to play a couple drinking games while reading the list! I'll even play along — now let's get started... The 11th Man: Lyle AlzadoPro-Football Career: Fifteen seasons in the NFLTeams Played For: Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Raiders (DRINK!)I might catch flack for leaving the late Mr. Alzado off the list, but note that it’s not a slight — it’s just a really tough crop to choose from! Looking over his career as both a football player and an actor, I can’t help but think of the great things he could have done on the big and small screens had he not died so young. I used to watch his sitcom Learning the Ropes as a lad, was thrilled by his evil shenanigans in Destroyer via USA Up All Night, and hated his guts as I rooted for Ernest P. Worrell to kick his butt in Ernest Goes to Camp.

Article Author: Junior Bruce

Junior Bruce has questionable tastes when it comes to films. He tends to like well-made movies, and love terrible movies. John Carpenter is his cinematic Jesus, and Bruce Campbell can do no wrong. If that sounds like you, you're welcome to call him friend. …

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