10 Wrestlers Who Played Professional Sports

Professional wrestling has always been a sideshow in the world of sports, drawing castoffs from other mainstream sports and allowing them to showcase their athleticism. For decades, wrestling has served as an Island of Misfit Toys for athletes who wished to compete physically but could not find a place in their originally chosen sport. 

Whether you think professional wrestling is a sport or not, there is not question that the workers who apply their trade in the ring are phenomenal athletes. Even though wrestling is a predetermined contest, only a special brand of athlete can compete in the ring and be successful at the same time.

Because of this, wrestling has always attracted athletes from other professional sports. Guest stars such as Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Dennis Rodman, and even Muhammad Ali have all tried their hand at professional wrestling at one point in their careers. These men mostly served as special attractions for one big event and then went back to their regular careers but some former professional athletes went on to become huge stars in the wrestling business.

However, there have been a handful of guys who previously played a professional sport and then went on to even bigger fame in the ranks of professional wrestling. Many fans might not even realize these wrestlers had a previous athletic career but all of them played professional sports before making their name in the crazy world of pro wrestling.

Before he was Roman Reigns, Vince McMahon's personal pet project and villain to the smart marks in the audience, he was Joe Anoa'i, football player.

Anoa'i began his football career in Pensacola, Florida, being named Defensive Player of the Year by the local newspaper and earning Division I scholarship in the neighboring state of Georgia. He played for one of the largest college football programs in the country at Georgia Tech and started on their defensive line for three years. He was also the team captain and named to the first All-ACC team his senior year. 

Anoa'i was not drafted in the 2007 NFL draft but was signed as a free agent by the Minnesota Vikings shortly thereafter. Once the Vikings cut him loose, he joined up with the Jacksonville Jaguars for a short time before heading where every NFL washout goes: Canada.

In 2008, Anoa'i signed with the fearsome-sounding Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and played one season for the squad. He mainly served as a fill-in when other players were injured but did manage to have a decent game against the Hamilton Tigers, forcing a fumble. 

Anoa'i finally realized that he wasn't going to achieve football glory and instead set his sights on the family business of wrestling. Anoa'i was trained by the Wild Samoans and made his ring debut in 2010 as Roman Leakee.