Lights, camera, action: NFL players who've gone from the gridiron to the big screen
Most NFL players get famous by playing football on TV. Some stay on TV or the big screen when their careers are over. Check out some famous players who stayed popular after their careers and some actors you may not have known were football stars back in the day. (NOTE: There may be some NSFW language in some of these clips.)
Bubba Smith
Teams: Colts, Raiders (1967-1976)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Good Times," "Open All Night," "Police Academy"
Smith took his massive frame and poked fun at it in this clip below.
Carl Weathers
Teams: Raiders (1970-1971)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Predator," "Tour of Duty," "Rocky" films, "Arrested Development"
Weathers' NFL career didn't last long, but his appearances in "Rocky" and "Predator" next to the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger will help him live on forever in big-screen lore.
Ed Marinaro
Teams: Vikings, Jets, Seahawks (1972-1977)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Laverne and Shirley," "Hill Street Blues," "Blue Mountain State"
Marinaro actually has 58 credits listed on IMDb, and is going strong. "Blue Mountain State" is going from the TV screen to the big screen this year. But his big break came on "Laverne and Shirley."
Fred Williamson
Teams: Steelers, Raiders, Chiefs (1960-1967)
Famous on-screen appearances: "MASH," "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Starsky and Hutch"
Williamson has an illustrious IMDb resume which we'll let you peruse for yourself, but most recently he had a nice role in the "Starsky and Hutch" remake.
Jim Brown
Teams: Browns (1957-1965)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Mars Attacks!," "Any Given Sunday," "The Dirty Dozen"
Brown's role alongside Al Pacino in "Any Given Sunday" was one of his most memorable.
Lawrence Taylor
Teams: Giants (1981-1993)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Any Given Sunday," "The Waterboy," "Shaft"
Taylor didn't venture far from roles that had him cast as a football player, but at least he had a chance to make fun of himself.
Merlin Olsen
Teams: Rams (1962-1976)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Little House on the Prairie," "Fathers and Sons," "Father Murphy"
The tenacious Ram played some interesting roles once he hung up his cleats. "Little House on the Prairie" and "Fathers and Sons" were some of his more notable.
O.J. Simpson
Teams: Bills, 49ers (1969-1979)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Capricorn One," "The Towering Inferno," "The Naked Gun" and "Naked Gun 2½," Hertz commercials
Aside from the main reason Simpson was on TV in the 1990s, the Juice was actually quite well known for his roles, but his Hertz commercials kept him relevant long after his playing days were over.
Terry Bradshaw
Teams: Steelers (1970-1983)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Malcolm in the Middle," "Failure to Launch," "Las Vegas"
Bradshaw took his talents from the FOX Sports studio and to the movie studio when he played Matthew McConaughey's dad in "Failure to Launch."
Terry Crews
Teams: 1991-1995 (Rams, Chargers, Redskins, Eagles)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Everybody Hates Chris," "Bridesmaids," "Are We There Yet?," "The Newsroom," "Arrested Development," "Brooklyn 99"
Crews' on-field career didn't amount to much, but with commercials and some prominent roles alongside some famous actors, he's done well for himself.
Dan Marino
Teams: Dolphins (1983-1999)
Famous on-screen appearances: "Ace Ventura," "Bad Boys II"
How could we ever let Marino forget this classic "Pet Detective" moment with Jim Carrey?