Anyone who currently watches WWE can probably name a handful of active athletes who’ve recently participated in an event, albeit from the crowd, as opposed to jumping in the ring. However, there are definitely quite a number of professional football players who also took on the world of professional wrestling, albeit to the displeasure of their hardcore football fans.

So without further ado, here’s my take on the 10 Greatest Professional Football Players turned Wrestlers.

10.  Harvey Martin
He was a prominent member of the Dallas Cowboys famed “Doomsday Defense,” and was a four-time Pro Bowl / All-Pro defensive end. In addition to that, he participated in a “Football Players versus Wrestlers” Battle Royal at WrestleMania Two, which was won by Andre the Giant. I know it’s not much, but at the same time, there’s no way I was leaving out the MVP of Super Bowl XII.

9.  Lawrence Taylor / Reggie White
These Hall of Famers had brief professional wrestling stints that were good for a chuckle; but that’s about it. Taylor wrestled Bam Bam Bigelo at WrestleMania XI, while White lost his lone match against Steve “Mongo” McMichael.

8.  Steve “Mongo” McMichael
The two-time Pro Bowler made his wrestling debut in 1995, as a guest commentator for WWF Raw. He also appeared at ringside during WrestleMania XI, as an enforcer for Lawrence Taylor. He disappeared from WWF airwaves after that event, but reemerged in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) a few months later. Even though he started as a commentator, McMichael eventually became a full fledged combatant, and feuded with the likes of Ric Flair, Jeff Jarrett, Eddie Guerrero and Bill Goldberg. He was never a champion or even that relevant, but did manage to lose his wife to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

7.  Lex Lugar
Unlike the previous selections, you’ll definitely recognize Lugar as a wrestler before seeing him as a professional football player. Having said that, he was a Guard at the University of Miami in 1979, but eventually saw his scholarship terminated for disciplinary reasons. He spent the 1982 season on the Green Bay Packers’ injured reserve, and had a pair of brief stints in the USFL, where he played for the Memphis Showboats and Tampa Bay Bandits. His in-ring debut came in 1985, and he managed to stay relevant until his retirement in 2006. 

6.  Brian Pillman
He was a star defensive tackle at Miami University (the one in Ohio), where he established records for “tackles for loss” and became a two-time Second Team All-American. He joined the Bengals as an undrafted rookie in 1984, participated in preseason action for the Buffalo Bills in 1985, and eventually finished his professional football career with the Calgary Stampeders in 1986. Pillman’s mostly remembered for playing the role of a “Loose Cannon” throughout his professional wrestling career, which came to an untimely end in 1997, when an undiagnosed heart condition resulted in his tragic death.

5.  Ron Simmons
Although wrestling fans might not know this, Simmons was a two-time consensus All-American at Florida State University, he refers to Coach Bobby Bowden as a “second father,” his FSU jersey was retired in 1988 and he was recently elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He played for the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Bandits and Memphis Showboats throughout a short professional career, and has been a mainstay in professional wrestling since 1986.

4.  Bill Goldberg
Goldberg was an All-SEC and All-American Nose Guard at the University of Georgia before becoming a member of pop-culture and wrestling lore. Life after being a dominant Bulldog led him to a short stay with the Los Angeles Rams and a World Bowl championship as a member of the Sacramento Surge. He joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 and played three “successful” seasons before tearing his abdominal muscle. The injury sidelined him for the entire 1994 season, and while he did sign with Carolina in 1995, the injury was simply too much to overcome. He became a professional wrestler in 1997, and the rest, as they say, is pop-culture history.

3.  Ed “Wahoo” McDaniel
Old school fans of the Oklahoma Sooners might remember McDaniel’s senior year under Bud Wilkinson, where he somehow managed to be one of the team’s top players, while simultaneously getting into trouble for drinking after games and never going to class. He eventually played Linebacker for the AFL’s Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos. McDaniel became a fan favorite after being traded to the New York Jets in 1964, and is still remembered for a 23-tackle performance against his former team, the Denver Broncos. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 1966 AFL expansion draft, but wore out his welcome by 1968, after knocking out two police officers. McDaniel was traded to San Diego after the incident, but never played a game with them, instead electing to become a professional wrestler. The Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American went on to become a legend in the industry, and if you’re curious, both Joe Namath and Larry Csonka printed stories about him in their autobiographies.

2.  Ernie “Big Cat” Ladd
His collegiate career was remarkable enough to earn him a spot in the Grambling State University Hall of Fame, not to mention being the 15th overall selection of the AFL’s 1961 draft. Selected by the Chargers, this original member of the “Fearsome Foursome” helped lead them to an AFL title in 1963. He spent the 1966 season on the Houston Oilers and joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967. It was here where he joined Buck Buchanan to create one of the biggest defensive end tandems in the history of the game, and the two were a major reason for the team bringing home an AFL title. Ladd was an All-Star from 1962-1965, and became a member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame in 1981. Although some would argue that he started wrestling as a publicity stunt, it’s hard to argue with how significant his impact really was. Aside from being a huge draw, Ladd was one of the first African-American wrestlers to portray the “heel” role, and did so very well. He retired in 1986 and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995.

1.  Bronco Nagurski
Simply put, he’s a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been elected in 1963. “The Sporting News” ranked him as the 35th greatest player in football history, which makes him the highest-ranking foreign-born player. As if that weren’t enough, he was voted the second-greatest Minnesotan sportsman of the 20th century by sportswriters of the “Star Tribune,” and in case you’re wondering, number one was Kirby Puckett. What makes Nagurski even more amazing is the fact he was also a damn good professional wrestler during an era where it wasn’t super fake. He won the World Heavyweight Championship on multiple occasions, and was also a Tag-Team Champion with Verne Gagne.

HONORABLE MENTION

Kevin Greene
He joined McMichael’s early on, but was forced to call it quits when NFL teams implemented a “no wrestling” clause in his contract.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
I know he’s arguably the most recognizable guy on the list, but the closest he ever got to the NFL was being replaced by Warren Sapp after an injury at the University of Miami.

That’s what I’m bringing to the table, and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing about anyone I overlooked. So bring on the comments, suggestions and insults, because we absolutely love that stuff here.