10 NFL Players Who Became Pro Wrestlers

Considering the size and strength you need to be a pro wrestler, it is no surprise that many NFL players turn to the profession when their time on the field is done. While some may not be familiar, there are others that became bigger stars in the ring. 

If you’re familiar with past NFL betting upsets, some of these names may have even been the cause of them. Here are ten former NFL players that made a name for themselves in the squared circle. 

Goldberg

Goldberg is a wrestling legend who has been a fan favorite from the moment he stepped into the ring. His size and almost superhuman strength put him on the map, and his longevity has kept him there. 

Goldberg spent five seasons in the NFL before heading to wrestling, playing for the Rams, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Carolina Panthers. 

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns is the current WWE and Universal Champion, but many don’t know he had a short stint in the NFL too. He played college football with Georgia Tech; but, unfortunately, went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft. 

However, he would go on to join the Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars, being part of their off-season and practice squad setups. 

Mojo Rawley

A wrestler that many think hasn’t reached his full potential yet, Mojo Rawley has enjoyed time in the WWE on both the WWE and NXT rosters. However, Rawley began his professional sports career back in 2009. 

Like Roman Reigns, Rawley went undrafted in 2009 but was picked up by the Green Bay Packers and, subsequently, the Arizona Cardinals to be part of their off-season and practice teams between 2009 and 2010. 

Faarooq

Ron Simmons, also known as Faarooq during his wrestling career, is a legend of the sport who spent 23 years wrestling across multiple promotions, most notably in the WWE and World Championship Wrestling. 

Simmons played football for a few years during the mid-80s, suiting up for the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers between 1981 and 1985. 

Vader

Big Van Vader was one of the stars of the then WWF during the late 80s and early 90s. Recognizable by his enormous size and distinctive mask he always wore, he was a fixture on almost every pay-per-view card. 

Vader, surprisingly, didn’t have a long NFL career at all. Playing at Center, he was drafted in the third round of the 1978 Draft and would play only one season for the Los Angeles Rams. 

Brock Lesnar

If a sport needs you to be a man-monster and have the strength of a bull, then Brock Lesnar can probably succeed in it. Lesnar has spent 17 years as a pro wrestler, and between WWE stints, he had nine fights in the UFC octagon. 

Before his fighting career took off, though, Lesnar played defensive tackle for his college football team. He went undrafted in 2007 but was signed by the Vikings in 2004 to their practice squad. 

Brian Pillman

Brian Pillman is a name many modern wrestling fans may not recognize, but he started his career in 1986 with Stampeded Wrestling before heading to the WCW and finally the WWF in 1996. 

Pillman went undrafted in 1984 but was signed by his hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals, in 1984. He would then have a short stint with the Buffalo Bills, where he was part of their off-season and practice squad. 

Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd is arguably one of the most successful football players turned wrestler. He wrestled from 1961 until his retirement in 1986, all while maintaining his professional NFL career. 

Ladd played for the San Diego Chargers, the Houston Oilers, and the Kansas City Chiefs between 1961 and 1968, winning an AFL Championship with the Chargers in 1963. 

Lex Luger

Lex Luger had a fairly underwhelming wrestling career considering the push he got and being billed as the “next best thing” in wrestling. The tall and muscle-bound wrestler spent 20 years in the business and probably has the shortest NFL career of anyone on this list. 

He was signed by the Packers in 1982 and spent a season with the team, although an injury kept him on the sidelines for almost all of it. 

Jim Duggan

Hacksaw Jim Duggan is another legend in wrestling circles. He has been wrestling professionally since the late 70s but rose to fame during his time in the WWF and WWC, where he spent most of his career.  

Duggan, like Lex Luger, was signed to a pro team, the Atlanta Falcons, but he was plagued with injuries and was later released.