Athletes turned actors
omgjedi
Posts: 111 ✭✭✭
Surprisingly hard to find much on this when curiosity struck me, but what pro sport team would you say has had the most athletes try their hand at acting? I was wondering this after noticing how many Raiders have made quite the name for themselves in front of the camera. Just off the top of my head you have Fred Williamson, Carl Weathers, Ben Davidson, John Matuszak, Howie Long, Lyle Alzado, Bill Romanowski, and Bob Golic. Of course you have plenty of other big sports names who have made their way onto screens like OJ Simpson, Jim Brown, Terry Bradshaw, Brian Bosworth, Terry Crews, Bill Goldberg, and one of my favorite performances by an athlete turned actor Alex Carras as Mongo in Blazing Saddles. But this is just from NFL, which again leads me to wonder what franchise in sports do you think has had the most players turned actors? I would guess the Yankees may have a good shot at the title between their popularity in general and baseball just has more players per team than any other sport so better odds I would imagine. Doesn't have to be starring roles, but I think for sake of defining "actor" cameos as self should maybe be excluded unless the cameo plays a major role and wasn't just a "hey look it's someone famous for a few seconds". For example I would consider Kevin Garnett in Precious Gems would be considered more than just a walk on cameo if that makes sense even though he played himself.
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The Yankees were an important part of the series Seinfeld with many getting to crack a joke or two. In some episodes, like the one with Danny Tartabull, it was a major plot device. Some were definitely cameo style quality but with George working for the team for a few seasons I think they count. Certainly Keith Hernandez gets a nod from the series, also.
And I think we should mention Kareem Abdul Jabbar in Game of Death and Airplane.
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This thread could be epic. Lol
Fred Dryer, best known as Hunter
Sacks weren't a stat until after his retirement, but he had just north of 100. Only NFL player with two safeties in one game. Not in HOF. Should he be? Maybe that's a different thread? I don't know.
The Duke at USC
Without researching it, I feel very confident in saying that it would be the Dodgers/Rams. I don't think there a many older T.V. series that did not have Dodger/Ram players making guest appearances. Same for the movies where Dodger/Ram players did bit parts. Too many examples to cite.
chuck Connors the Rifleman
Roman Gabriel - Gilligans Island
@omgjedi I should have paid more attention. I was tricked by your title. You are really trying to determine which franchise had the most players go into acting or have at least a significant role. I posted Fred Dryer. Athlete turned actor. Didn't mention his team. And my buddy @Hydrant mentioned the Duke. Like I said, this thread could be "epic". Lol.
In all seriousness, this goes to show how quickly and easily threads go off the rails. In all honesty, that sometimes leads to the best forum threads in my opinion.
Yep. Connors was a Dodger and Gabriel a Ram. On and on...BTW, Roman Gabriel was a Hell of a ballplayer in his prime. He was a rock. Probably the strongest QB of all time. He played in the era when QBs were fair game. Someone should look it up but I seem to think that he did not get sacked for one entire season. Seems impossible and most likely I'm wrong. Either way he was very, very rarely sacked. He'd just shake 'em off. Never seen anything like it before or since.
Gabriel ended up being the head coach at my school, Cal Poly Pomona, 1980-82. It was wonderful because I always liked him as a player, so I got to meet him through the football program. Terrible teams. 8-24 record. The program was discontinued after that. Bad teams....empty stadium. Bye -bye Broncos!
Of course Kareem, and then you had Wilt in Conan the Destroyer. Then the Space Jam movies would include quite a bit and Shaq and Rodman had their own feature films. Fred dryer I felt bad for leaving off my list as mentioned yes he was an absolute beast on the field despite being such a "lightweight" passrusher and of course was maybe more in the spotlight in Hunter, but I always think the more iconic role was on cheers and he was notably turned down for Ted Danson's role on the show as well.
I could see Los Angeles teams having an advantage on getting bit by the acting bug. Then again back to my point of the Raiders having quite the list, they were an LA team for 12 years and not like Oakland is much of a drive or flight away. I also somehow forgot Bubba Smith who is best known for his role in the Police Academy movies as Hightower (and was a Raider). He also had a short stint on a show co-starring Dick Butkus called Blue Thunder. And with being reminded of the bears then you had Ditka in the Will Ferrell movie Kicking and Screaming.
The list could go on and on of pro athletes who have made their way onto the big screen, but again which franchise would you say is best for turning out the stars? I may be leaning towards the Raiders still, but probably biased since I am a fan. I will have to look more into Rams and Dodgers in film. There have been a lot more movies on baseball than football, so could imagine the list could get pretty long if pro's find their way onto those sets.
then there is a whole other thought that hit me thinking about franchises featured in films, Like Anaheim Angels in Angels in the Outfield, The Cleveland Indians in Major League, Miami Dolphins in Ace Ventura (and famously Dan Marino to add to the convo), and on and on. But what about a team completely founded off a movie? The Mighty Ducks being that franchise of course.
Dryer was a solid player. Very good but maybe/maybe not HOF material. Close call. He lived in a mini-van during his time with the Rams. Very interesting/ eccentric fellow!
He played in the era when QBs were fair game. Someone should look it up but I seem to think that he did not get sacked for one entire season. Seems impossible and most likely I'm wrong. Either way he was very, very rarely sacked. He'd just shake 'em off. Never seen anything like it before or since.
Can't find anything about a sackless season, but then again sacks weren't official stats until 82, well after Gabriel's career, so very possible and just got lost in the annuls of history without the stat keepers out there to reference it. But he was the first Qb of Filipino-American descent, and just have to throw in that he was also drafted by the Raiders, but remember this was when the draft was a different time when AFL and NFL each had their own drafts and the Rams had also drafted Gabriel For the NFL and the rest is history.
I think Gabriel did not get sacked one season. 1969?......But I could be am probably am wrong. But....I tend to remember things from long ago the way I want them to be. 👴 But,....he took over a Rams team that was totally terrible. Worst in the league along with the Steelers at the time. Two horrible teams. George Allen, as head coach, turned it around and worked miracles!...... Just one problem..... THE VIKINGS!.......They were awesome!
I don't want to get too off topic, so here's a photo of Roman Gabriel from the movie, "The Undefeated", a real bomb-aroo!
Now, back to football because that's what we really like around here.........Like I said in my previous post, George Allen took over a terrible Rams team as head coach....... His strategy for winning was this;......Go hard all the time. Never let up. Take it to the physical limit. Losing is not an option. That Rams team needed that message. They were lazy. So,.....he pushed them starting in the preseason....... Those preseason games were just as important as any regular season game......Win! Win! Win! They needed that. But the final result?..... By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Rams were a spent force.....tired, worn out. Oh, well......at least they weren't the bottom feeders that they were before he took over.
George Allen.... One of the best ever....just ask any Redskins fan!....Am I allowed to say that?......REDSKINS!
According to Pro-football reference, he was sacked 14 times in 69, which was the first year the stat was recorded (then added as a player per game stat in 81). So may have been 68 or earlier you are thinking of. Don't doubt you though with how tough he played.
I think you missed a big one, Babe Ruth!
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
Have looked into it a little more and Hydrant is definitely onto something with LA teams
Lakers - Kareem, Lebron, Shaq, Wilt, Rick Fox, John Salley, Magic, Dwight Howard, Kobe, Anthony Davis
Rams - Kenny Washington, Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch, and Fred Gehrke, Joe Scibelli, Roman Gabriel, and Bill Munson, Tom Mack, Don Chuy, Terry Crews, Bob Waterfield, Woody Strode, Lamar Lundy, Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier, Merlin Olsen, Fred Dryer, and even the Cheerleader "The Embracable Ewe's" had a few celebs with Patty Kotero (Apallonia from Purple Rain) and Jenilee Harrison
and the Dodgers - Enrique Hernandez, Steve Garvey, Clayton Kershaw, Kyle Farmer, Sandy Koufax, Leo Durocher, Vin Scully, Jackie Robinson, Mike Scioscia, Steve Sax, and even had the Dodgers stadium in Fleetwood Mac's Tusk Music video.
Probably missing plenty off these lists here even, but when comparing different online lists, I would find it hard to believe any other Franchise would be able to touch the amount of players LA teams have produced. Which makes sense with their close proximity to where most of the magic happens.
The Brady Bunch featured Deacon Jones, Joe Namath, Wes Parker, and Don Drysdale. I believe Roman Gabriel got mentioned once, but did not appear.
Mr. October dabbled a bit in acting.
Shows you what I know!!!! Oh,.....youthful memories die hard!....As a kid, you see what you want to see, and when you get old, you remember what you want to remember!..... It's kinda nice that way!......I knew I was wrong..... But 14 sacks!!.....OMG!...Thanks for destroying part of my childhood fantasy, omgiedi! ....Oh,well, I asked for it!!!!!😂😵😂😵!!!! Ever heard the saying, "I got egg on my face?"..... Well, that's ME!
P.S. Thanks for doing the research......NOT REALLY!!!
I'm pretty sure that nobody has ever gone an entire season without being sacked. And I'll point out that in 1969, when Gabriel was sacked 14 times, he led the league with the lowest sack percentage, and he was in the top 4 two other seasons. Gabriel was very hard to take down, you just set your sights a little too far with no sacks at all.
All that said, QB sacks is mostly an offensive line stat. Gabriel had a great line with two HOFers and another coulda been HOFer in front of him. Gabriel got sacked 12 times his last season on the Rams, and then 31 times the next season on the Eagles. No HOFers - nobody I've ever even heard of - on that Eagles line.
Dan Marino owns the NFL record for consecutive games and consecutive passes without a sack, and no other quarterback before or since has ever even been in the same ballpark. Marino got sacked on September 25, 1988 in Indianapolis. He then played 19 consecutive games without getting sacked. He wasn’t sacked again until October 29, 1989 in Buffalo. Between sacks, he threw an incredible 759 passes.
So may not have been all in one season but still an impressive run well over a season worth of games. And should mention he holds the league record for least amount of sacks in a season with 6 in 1988.
Wow! You guys are great! Digging deep! This place is great!..... Can't wait until next season!!! Stay tunedl!
To be fair on the Marino details, that would be after it was an official stat, also Marino is pretty much credited for there being the intentional grounding rule. And yes I cannot wait for the season to start. Us Raider fans always get excited to wait for disappointment, but like every year this will be our year!
Go Raiders!
i believe Marino was in ace ventura.
....
Do you root for more than one team? I guess that's a rhetorical question, because I've seen you do it... Good gravy, think of the children... 😂
I've never been a die-hard Raider fan, but those Raider teams back in the mid-70's? were and probably always will be my favorite team to watch....can't exactly put my finger on it but there was just something about those teams, win or lose that was just downright exciting to see. Stabler was a scrapper! Blintinkoff was, I think, one of the all time best recievers, and Ray Guy was, no doubt the best punter of all time. That man could pin point place that ball anywhere he wanted it! It was amazing! On and on.
But adding to it all was just the atmosphere of being at the games. The weather in the Bay Area during football season is perfect football weather! The cool clear blue skies and those long dark shadows that the players cast down on the field during late afternoon were just visually fantastic! Best setting I've ever watched football being played!
And of course the fans.....Raider Nation! Say whatever ever you will about them,.....they loved those Raiders! Went to many, many games there. Always exciting! Go Raiders!
During that time period, mid-70's/ early 80's, I was a Weekend Road Warrior. Drove an 18 wheeler up to the East Bay for a Monday morning delivery. Every week. So, I'd leave SoCal on Saturday and be there ready to catch either the Raider or Niner games on Sunday! What a deal! Getting paid to do what I like best! Watch football! And,....Montana was just coming into it all then. He was one of the best. Only problem was I didn't get to go to the Rams games. Oh, well......they weren't any good back then anyway..... Can't have it all.
Ray Guy.......hands down all time best. Nobody else comes close!
Yeh, I wasn't alive for the Madden era, or even Flores for that matter, but the team that Madden and Davis built is still fun to watch old footage of. The 70's were arguably the greatest era of football with the hard hits and toughness players showed. Yeh the 60's and earlier had hard hits and just mean players as well, but the 70's really started the modern style of football with less rushing and more passing, the start of the gunslingers really. And of that era I think Raiders had a lot of people paying attention for a few reasons. Not only did they draft well but they also weren't afraid of going after the rejects of the league. Guys like Matuszak, Hendricks, Plunkett, Blanda and later on Alzado, were considered washed or not compatible and they showed up to the franchise and had some of their best years. Then of course they had the 11 angry men (67 defense), The Soul Patrol (Tatum, Skip Thomas, Willie Brown, and George Atkinson), and of course the easy to admire, unkempt, tomato faced Madden running up and down sidelines screaming at ref's. Just a great era and some great nicknames and the best underdog stories all culminate to a lot of Raider nation's love for the Raiders.
Also couple fun facts about Ray Guy for those who may not know of the legend. He was regularly accused of putting helium in the balls since his hangtime (a term credited to be coined by guy himself) was so long. During the 75 prowbowl (played in 76) in The Louisiana Superdome, on a kickoff he nailed the gondola that hangs above the field estimated 90 feet in the air, and the ball still was ascending when it struck. The rules from that kick forced him to re-kick, on the next play he nearly struck it again. When the Raiders were there for superbowl XV 5 years later, the gondola was raised an additional 50 feet higher as Guy was still on the team. Besides being the first and still only true punter elected to the HoF, most people don't realize he was a terrific athlete all around. While he only played as a kicker in the NFL (was an emergency backup behind Blanda), he played QB and DB in college recording 8 interceptions as a DB (a record at USM) and was named All-American Defensive back, and was said to be able to toss the pigskin over 70 yards. He also played basketball and baseball in high school, scored 39 points in a basketball game the day after playing in the state championship football game, and pitched for 15 scoreless inning during the state playoff semi-finals. Truly a legendary athlete all around.
Just too bad he didn't get into acting haha.
A bit off subject but in reading about the multiple sporting exploits of the greatest punter I've watched in my lifetime (Ray Guy) it made me think of Earl Anthony, who in my opinion, is the greatest bowler ever. But Anthony was a minor league baseball player in the Orioles organization at one point in his younger years and is documented to have been a near scratch golfer.
Some people just have amazing natural talent, the real life superheroes.
So now that the topic seems sort of settled with LA teams having a pretty big advantage on which franchises turn em out, and having a pretty big list to already choose from above, who would you consider being the most accomplished athlete/actor? Someone who is easily recognized for both on screen and athletic performances, or even just your favorite. For me that would exclude the big movie stars that dabbled in sports but found bigger success in acting even if people have the trivia knowledge in their pockets that they are former athletes.
Without having any ties to one team opens up for more sports as well. For instance Wrestling (if you consider that a sport and not acting already) has some very familiar faces to both wrestling fans and cinephiles. Like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena. Also, you have the world of bodybuilding with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. UFC Fighters have been making waves in Hollywood like Rhonda Rousey, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, and Gina Carrano. And can't bring up fighting without bringing up world famous martial artists like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris and Jet Li.
Really surprising once you start to look at it how often and long lasting this crossover trend has taken place.
Who can forget Ben Davidson in BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR with Ms ivory soap.
Hydrant. How could you forget Merlin Olsen in "Little House On The Prairie" and "Father Murphy". For shame. You dissed one of the "Fearsome Foursome".
Ali, in his biopic movie "The Greatest".
Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf in "Jerry Maguire". Albeit both were playing themselves as broadcasters.