10 Wrestlers Who Played Professional Sports

As the first ever African-American WCW world champion, Ron Simmons was a very popular wrestler for much of the 1990s. But before he was powerslamming Vader or taking out the trash alongside Bradshaw as a member of the Acolyte Protection Agency, Simmons was busy getting jersey retired at Florida State University.

Named to the All-State team by the Atlanta newspaper, Simmons was widely recruited out of college and landed at Florida State University. Simmons easily lived up to the hype, becoming an All-American defensive lineman under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden, who Simmons described as a "second father". The Seminoles were extremely successful during Ron's time there, going to the Orange Bowl in back-to-back seasons and holding a record of 39-8.

Simmons also finished 9th for the Heisman Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding college player in the country. His number 50 jersey was eventually retired by Florida State, making Simmons only the third person to have that honor in school history. Simmons was also induced into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame and the Florida State Hall of Fame.

Simmons went on to be picked in the 6th round of the 1981 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played two seasons in Cleveland before moving on to the USFL and playing for Tampa Bay alongside Lex Luger.

With his football career coming to an end, Simmons trained to wrestle and debuted with the NWA in 1988.