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Wrestling and NFL are the two sports that the majority of people love. So, when an NFL athlete decides to leave some of the best NFL coaches and teams to expand their skill into the wrestling ring, there is nothing but excitement for the season that follows. Here is a list of just those joyful moments.
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From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, Mexican-American professional wrestler Merced Solis, better known by his ring name Tito Santana, was a hugely successful wrestler.
Before this, after graduating, Santana attended training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and played one season for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.
Alexander George "Alex" Karras, an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his ring name "The Mad Duck," is most remembered for appearing in the 1974 comedy picture Blazing Saddles.
The Detroit Lions picked him in the first round of the 1958 NFL draft, and he spent 12 seasons with the organization in two stints, from 1958 to 1962 and again from 1964 to 1970.
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Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i, better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, was a well-known American professional wrestler. He was a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team member during his collegiate years.
Reigns was then signed by the Minnesota Vikings before being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars and then back to the Edmonton Eskimos in 2008.
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne, a retired American professional wrestler, was the previous owner of the American Wrestling Association, located in Minnesota. During his college football career at the University of Minnesota, he was named to the All-Big Ten Team.
The Chicago Bears selected him in the 16th round of the 1947 NFL Draft.
Brock Edward Lesnar, an American professional wrestler, is currently in his fourth reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He had a short but fantastic season at the NFL Combine and finally joined the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Brock Lesnar played football for a brief period before turning to fight, and it was not a good profession for him.
He was later invited to play for the Vikings as a representative in NFL Europa.
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Lawrence Julius Taylor, a Hall of Fame retired American football player and professional wrestler, defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event at WrestleMania XI.
He was a linebacker with the New York Giants his whole professional career and is regarded as one of the finest players in football history.
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl, known in the ring as Lex Luger, is a retired American professional wrestler working on WWE's health policy.
Wrestling Illustrated named him the Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1993. He also played for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.
He then joined the National Football League's Green Bay Packers.
William Anthony Perry, a former American professional football player, is also a professional wrestler. Because of his vast size, fans refer to him as "The Refrigerator."
He was a defensive lineman in the National Football League for ten seasons in the 1980s and 1990s.
During his active American football career, he played for the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is a retired American professional wrestler and football player best known for his appearances in the WWF and ECW. Under the ring name Faarooq Asaad, he also competed in the World Wrestling Federation. The Cleveland Browns picked Ron in the sixth round of the 1981 NFL Draft.
Between 1983 and 1985, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Bandits.
Monty Brown, a former linebacker and retired professional wrestler, spent five seasons with the Buffalo Bills. In 1994, he played for the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Fans may also recognize him by his ring alias, Marcus Cor Von. On April 17, 1996, he signed as a restricted free agent with the New England Patriots. Soon after, he had 23 tackles in two games.
Due to an ankle injury, he quit football and entered the wrestling business.
James Edward "Jim" Duggan Jr., better known by his ring name, "Hacksaw," is an American professional wrestler and former football player contracted under a Legends contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.
After graduating from high school, he went on to play football at Southern Methodist University. He rose through the ranks to become the varsity team's captain.
The world of NFL and wrestling is often seen as the apex of male sports. So, when an athlete crosses from one game to the next, it excites the audience and only creates further love for the athlete transitioning. While there is occasionally a person here or there that is upset that their fantasy football team requires adjusting, on the whole, seeing your favorite NFL player step inside the ring is a thrilling experience for everyone else.
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