Several athletes have started their careers in different places that we are used to seeing them; some might even surprise you.
Image this: one day you are a Denver Broncos safety or a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and next day you end up in the Summerslam fighting CM Punk. How is that possible? Well, a lot of past and current WWE stars have played in the NFL before they joined the wrestling world.
Let’s talk about WWE Superstars who played in the NFL before becoming professional wrestlers and shining in the ring.
Lex Luger
Lex Luger was among the most popular personalities in the WWE during his 11-year-long wrestling career. Born Lawrence Pfohl, Luger has shown great football player potential since high school; though he was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1982, he never got to play. Still, he spent two more years in college football, playing for the Tampa Bay Bandits, the Jacksonville Bulls, and the Memphis Showboats.
Luger currently works in the Wellness department against drugs sin the WWE, but he once was part of the famous Four Horsemen while working with Jim Crockett, and then won the 1994 Royal Rumble, sharing the victory with Bret Hart. After some years wrestling, he took some time off to become a bodybuilder.
Rob Gronkowski
Legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski retired for the first time in 2019 before making a brief comeback one year later. Notably, his time as a wrestler wasn’t as successful as he was while playing for the Patriots and Buccaneers when he won four Super Bowls.
He debuted in 2020 alongside Mojo Rawley, then hosted WrestleMania 36 and won the 24/7 Championship, but he parted ways with the WWE shortly after.
Mojo Rawley
Mojo Rawley might have been one of the biggest WWE fighters at the moment, but he could have had a different success in the NFL. Before becoming the multi-time 24/7 Champion, he had a brief stint with the Packers.
He was then signed by the Arizona Cardinals the following year; however, he got injured and was let go. By 2012, he joined the WWE, debuting fighting against Bo Dallas, and became known for his high energy.
Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg can call himself a wrestler, football player, and actor. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1990 before joining the Atlanta Falcons until 1994, playing a grand total of 14 games.
Shortly after getting signed and let go by the Carolina Panthers, Goldberg started his wrestling career in the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1997.
Ron Simmons
The leader of the Nation of Domination, Ron Simmons, once received the All-American achievement because of his performance in football. Simmons played football since high school, which got him drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1981, but he also spent some time with the Tampa Bay Bandits alongside Lex Luger, and played for the Dallas Cowboys.
Four years after leaving the NFL, he pursued a very successful career as a wrestler. He became the first black world heavyweight champion and was welcomed into the College Football Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame.
Steve McMichael
Steve “Mongo” McMichael still had a long relationship with the NFL before and after his days as a wrestler. McMichael wrestled from 1995 to 1999 and was known for his upper body strength; his contenders were Goldberg, Stevie Ray, and Jeff Jarret. He’s mainly known for his participation in the Four Horsemen and his victory in the WCW U.S. Championship; still, he was the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter for six years.
During his eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, McMichael became a Super Bowl champion in 1985, though he started his career with the New England Patriots. Still, he ended his NFL career after playing one season with the Green Bay Packers
Darren Drozdov
In 1998 and 1999, every WWE fan was familiar with “Puke” or “Droz.” Still, before getting famous for having the abbility to throw up on command, Darren Drozdov have some shinning moments in the NFL, as he spent three seasons as a football player in the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Denver Broncos.
Drozdov abruptly retired after he suffered a neck injury fighting against D’Lo Brown in 1999. The maneuver caused him to fall into his head and break two of his neck vertebrae, resulting in him being quadriplegic. He still worked with the WWE as a columnist and appeared in several media pieces until he died at 54 due to natural causes in 2023.
WWE and the NFL will continue to have a big connection, as the showmanship and athleticism are obviously there. Hopefully, we’ll get to see some more stars of the game continue their careers in a different endeavor once they’re ready to leave the gridiron.