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Former NFL players have long made the transition to professional wrestling. The two sports share similar physical attributes, skills, and culture, making the crossover a more natural progression for players looking to make the change. Active recruitment of NFL players by promoters has also provided a pathway and encouraged players to take the leap.
There are other factors at play here too. NFL careers can be notoriously short; therefore, the chance to become a professional wrestler and pursue another potentially lucrative path is an attractive proposition for many, especially for fringe players and free agents. Some players just want to remain in the spotlight a little bit longer and extend their careers for longer than would ever be possible in football.
Skills Crossover
American football and professional wrestling may look like very different sports, but there’s a surprising number of skills that both disciplines share. Strength and power are the most obvious. Football players use it for blocking, tackling, and breaking tackles, while wrestlers rely on it for takedowns, throws, lifts, and control.
Linemen in particular have multiple crossover skills. Their speedy reactions and upper-body coordination, plus experience of fighting for hand position, are similar to wrestlers fighting to establish grips and create openings. A lineman exploding off the line and a wrestler shooting for a takedown also require similar abilities.
Mental toughness is often overlooked, but to succeed in football or wrestling, athletes must be able to stay calm and focused under intense physical discomfort and fatigue. For footballers, that means taking the skills required to perform at the top level for Sunday Night Football in front of millions of fans and a packed stadium to the intense spotlight of competing in the ring in front of a sold-out arena on live TV.
Staying upright is important in both sports, despite opponents desperately trying to take you down. That’s why agility, footwork, balance, and body control are key skills in wrestling and football. The similarity between tackling and takedowns needs no explanation.
Success Stories
There are plenty of NFL players who didn't go on to become full-time wrestlers but made notable WWE appearances, including Lawrence Taylor, four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry. But some of the most successful wrestling stars to have ever entered the squared circle are former football players.
Gus Sonnenberg
Sonnenberg is regarded as the first prominent professional football player from the major era to successfully make the leap. He played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1923 until 1930, winning the 1928 NFL championship with the Providence Steam Rollers. Sonnenberg’s wrestling career proved even more successful.
Not only did he revolutionise the sport by introducing the "flying tackle", but he won the National Wrestling Association (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship in 1929 and held the title for two years. In 1939, Sonnenberg became the American Wrestling Association champion after defeating and unmasking Marvin Westenberg (“The Shadow”).
Ernie Ladd
Nicknamed "the Big Cat", defensive tackle Ladd was drafted in 1961 by the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL), winning the championship with them in 1963. Spells at the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers followed, but a knee injury curtailed his football career in 1969, and he took up professional wrestling.
As a wrestler, Ernie Ladd found fame playing a villain and fought with many of the biggest names around before retiring in 1986. His success saw him receive numerous accolades, including induction into the WCW Hall of Fame, the WWF Hall of Fame, and the NWA Hall of Fame.
Bill Goldberg
The defensive tackle's football career lasted five years and never reached the heights he would have hoped. But after brief spells at the Los Angeles Rams, BC Lions, Sacramento Surge, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers, professional wrestling beckoned.
Goldberg benefited from the wrestling boom of the 1990s and early 200s, and went on to become one of the most popular figures in professional wrestling. Goldberg rose to fame in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), becoming a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion.
After 12 years away from wrestling, he returned to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2016, winning the WWE Universal Championship in 2017 and 2020. He remains the only wrestler to win a world championship after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Quinn Ojinnaka (Moose)
Offensive lineman Ojinnaka was drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played for the New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams, and Indianapolis Colts. After his 2012 release from the St. Louis Rams, Moose turned his attention to wrestling.
During his career, Moose has worked for Ring of Honour (ROH), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW). He signed for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2016 and went on to become a two-time Impact Grand Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and two-time TNA World Champion.
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