These 11 Sports Megastars Starred in Some Pretty Good Movies
- By CBS Sports Staff
Before becoming an Internet punchline, the mixed martial arts master karate chopped his way through Delta Force, Missing in Action, The Way of the Dragon and Firewalker - not to mention kicking butt on TV's Walker Texas Ranger.
Credit: Archive Photos, Getty ImagesFormer NFL defensive end and Super Bowl champ Bubba Smith eventually went on to star in the 1984 hit Police Academy and so many sequels. Smith appeared in a ton of Miller Lite commercials as well.
Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd., WireImageHowie Long played 13 seasons on the defensive line of the Oakland Raiders before retiring. He then switched careers to acting where he performed in Firestorm and Broken Arrow. If two successful careers weren't enough, Long now is a studio analyst for Fox NFL.
Credit: Maddie Meyer, Getty ImagesFormer New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor is a triple threat: An all-pro NFL star turned actor turned dancer. Taylor film credits include Any Given Sunday and The Water Boy and he also appeared on The Sopranos. L.T. made his TV dancing debut on Dancing with the Stars and lasted seven weeks before getting sacked by the judges.
Credit: Mike Powell, Getty ImagesWhen Jean-Claude Van Damme started karate at the age of 11, he probably didn't know it would be his claim to fame. And when the Belgian martial artist took his talents to the big screen with films such as Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Time Cop and The Expendables 2 his career was literally kick-ass.
Credit: ChinaFotoPress, ChinaFotoPress via Getty ImagesAh-nuld started his career as a bodybuilder and gained notoriety after winning Mr. Universe and appearing in the documentary Pumping Iron. He became a household name in Conan the Barbarian, Total Recall and The Terminator, lending a whole new meaning to the phrase "flexing his acting muscles."
Credit: Michael Ochs Archives, Getty ImagesDwayne Johnson played football at the University of Miami and went on to play in the Canadian Football League, but athletically he is best known for his WWE career. But we've continued to smell what the Rock was cooking on the big screen in Tooth Fairy, Game Plan and Fast and the Furious 5.
Credit: Getty ImagesShaquille O'Neal had a hugely successful NBA career, but his acting career? Not so much. Take Kazaam. Please. The upshot: O'Neal has since appeared in commercials.
Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler, NBAE/Getty ImagesBob Uecker was a successful mid-level MLB player with the Milwaukee Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. And the self-deprecating athlete's show-biz career has been equally solid. He appeared in Major League, Fatal Instinct and Homeward Bound 2. Not to mention starring on TV's Mr. Belvedere.
Credit: G Fiume, Getty ImagesOnce the captain of the Welsh National Soccer Team, Jones played for top teams including Chelsea and Sheffield United. He easily made the transition from rough-and-tumble midfielder to rough-and-tumble heavy in movies like Snatch, Swordfish and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Credit: Chris Cole, Getty ImagesIt's hard not to be recognized when you're over 7 feet tall, so of course NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar starred as himself/co-pilot Murdock in Airplane! But Kareem also appeared in Game of Death with Bruce Lee, so his cool quotient is very high even if his acting roles have been few and far between.
Credit: Dick Raphael, NBAE/Getty Images