When you think of college football, movie stars and TV personalities probably aren’t the first people who come to mind. But you’d be surprised how many celebrities once wore helmets and pads before stepping into the spotlight. From action heroes to wrestlers, here are some famous faces you didn’t know played college football — and were actually pretty good at it! (via The CFB Network).
1. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – Miami Hurricanes
UFL owner Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock walks off the field before the game between the Arlington Renegades and the Birmingham Stallions at Choctaw Stadium. Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Before becoming a global superstar in wrestling and Hollywood, The Rock was a defensive tackle for the powerhouse University of Miami football team, where he played alongside NFL legends like Warren Sapp and was part of the 1991 national championship-winning squad.
2. Terry Crews – Western Michigan Broncos
Terry Crews walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Credit: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Terry Crews wasn’t always the flexing, comedic genius we know from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Old Spice commercials. In the late ’80s, he was a defensive end at Western Michigan University, where he earned all-conference honors, and he even made it to the NFL.
3. Joel McHale – Washington Huskies
Actor Joel McHale walks the red carpet before the NFL Honors awards special at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
You might know him for his sharp humor on The Soup or Community, but Joel McHale actually spent some time on the football field. He enrolled at the University of Washington as a rower but ended up walking on to the football team as a tight end.
4. Josh Duhamel – Minot State University
Josh Duhamel reacts after his putt on the first hole during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
Before lighting up the screen in Transformers, Josh Duhamel was calling plays as a quarterback at Minot State in North Dakota. He’s still proud of his football roots and has often credited the sport for shaping his work ethic and confidence.
5. John Cena – Springfield College
John Cena during Wrestlemania Night 1 at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
It’s no surprise that John Cena was a beast on the field. At Springfield College in Massachusetts, he was an NCAA Division III All-American center and served as the team captain.
6. Channing Tatum – Glenville State College
Grand Marshall and star of upcoming movie Logan Lucky actor Channing Tatum during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Before Magic Mike and Hollywood fame, Channing Tatum was on a different kind of grind—playing football at Glenville State College in West Virginia.
7. Tommy Lee Jones – Harvard Crimson
‘Finestkind’ a movie starring Tommy Lee Jones, filming at Supreme Coffee & Donuts, 741 Crescent Street, Brockton, on Monday, May 23, 2022. Credit: Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK
Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones played offensive guard at Harvard and was even part of the famous 1968 Harvard–Yale game, often called “The Game of the Century.” He earned All-Ivy League honors and graduated cum laude in English—talk about a scholar-athlete!
8. BigXthaPlug (Xavier Landum) – Crown College
BigXthaPlug performs at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Credit: Jake Crandall/ The Tennesssean / USA TODAY NETWORK
Before breaking out in the rap game, BigXthaPlug was putting in work on the football field. He played at Crown College in Minnesota and has talked about how the structure and discipline of sports helped him stay grounded and focused.
9. Phil Robertson – Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Television personality Phil Robertson (left) and NFL former quarterbacks Doug Williams and Terry Bradshow on the sidelines before the the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs game against the Tulane Green Wave at Joe Aillet Stadium. Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Long before Duck Dynasty made him a household name, Phil Robertson was a starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech. Fun fact: he played ahead of none other than NFL legend Terry Bradshaw. He turned down a shot at the pros to focus on hunting and his growing duck call business. That decision paid off, just in a very different way.
10. Burt Reynolds – Florida State Seminoles
Burt Reynolds will talk about his memoir Saturday, April 20 at the Norton Museum during the Palm Beach Book Festival. Credit: BRUCE R. BENNETT/palmbeachpost.com] via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Burt Reynolds was a star running back at Florida State University with dreams of going pro. Sadly, injuries cut his football career short, but that twist of fate led him to acting.
11. Sam Hunt – UAB Blazers
Sam Hunt will be a guest of the 2022 Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala. Credit: JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK
Before breaking hearts with country hits like “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt was breaking down defenses as a quarterback at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
12. Carl Weathers – San Diego State Aztecs
Actor Carl Weathers on the red carpet prior to the start of the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Carl Weathers, best known as Apollo Creed in Rocky, was a linebacker at San Diego State University. He even went on to play professionally with the Oakland Raiders before trading the gridiron for the big screen.
13. Roman Reigns – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Roman Reigns throws a punch at Jacob Fatu (right) on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Credit: Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Before dominating WWE as “The Tribal Chief,” Roman Reigns (real name Leati Joseph Anoa’i) was a defensive tackle at Georgia Tech. He was even a team captain and played alongside future NFL players like Calvin Johnson. Football gave him that signature toughness we see in the ring today.
Final Thoughts
Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle (94) Dwayne Johnson on the bench during the 1994 season at the Orange Bowl. Johnson went on to become a professional wrestler and actor known as “The Rock”. Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright USA TODAY Sports
So there you have it—proof that the path to fame isn’t always a straight line. Whether they made it to the pros or pivoted to something totally different, these celebs all share a common chapter: college football. It’s just one more reminder that before the red carpets and big stages, they were grinding it out like everyone else, just on the field.
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