List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers
Wikimedia list article
The following is a list of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers. People may appear on the list multiple times if they were signed to more than one league. For example, Clem Turner appears on the list five times because he was in five different leagues. Also, if someone's most common ring name is different than their real name, the ring name is listed in parentheses.
National Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Dick Afflis (Dick the Bruiser)
Kay Bell
Verlon Biggs
Monty Brown
Hank Bruder
Bob Bruggers
Lloyd Burdick
Nick Campofreda
Joe Carollo
Don Chuy
Darren Drozdov (Droz)
Bobby Duncum
A. J. Francis (Top Dolla)
Russ Francis
Bill Goldberg
Kevin Greene
Herman Hickman
Ernie Holmes
George Hultz
Walter Johnson
Adam "Pacman" Jones
Don Joyce
Alex Karras
Bob Konovsky
Nick Lassa
Len Levy (Butch Levy)
Gene Lipscomb
Al Lolotai
Gil Mains
Tony Matisi
Pat McAfee
Dustin McDonald
Mayes McLain
Steve McMichael
Art Michalik
Ron Mikolajczyk
Century Milstead
Bronko Nagurski
Leo Nomellini
Quinn Ojinnaka (Moose)
Brian Pillman
Sabby Piscitelli (Tino Sabbatelli)
Ron Pritchard
Am Rascher
Charley Robinson
Bob Sapp
Joe Savoldi
Dan Sileo (Bonecrusher Sileo)
Otis Sistrunk
Gus Sonnenberg
Don Stansauk (Hard Boiled Haggerty)
Sammy Stein
Frank Stojack
Woody Strode
Clem Turner
Art White (Tarzan White)
Reggie White
Josh Wilcox
Cy Williams
DeAngelo Williams
George Wilson
Jim Wilson
Lee Wykoff
Active roster but did not play
Chad Fortune
Nick McNeil (Percy Watson)
Lester Speight (Rasta the Voodoo Man)
Offseason, practice squad, or injured reserve
Jack Adkisson (Fritz Von Erich)
Babatunde Aiyegbusi (Commander Azeez)
Joe Anoaʻi (Roman Reigns)
Demitrius Bronson
James Duggan ("Hacksaw" Jim Duggan)
Doug Furnas
Verne Gagne
Jeff Gaylord
Jon Heidenreich (Heidenreich)
Bill Kazmaier
Jim Lanning (Soldat Ustinov)
John Layfield (Bradshaw)
Dean Muhtadi (Mojo Rawley)
Jim Neidhart
Paul Orndorff
Tom Pestock (Baron Corbin)
Larry Pfohl (Lex Luger)
Bronson Rechsteiner (Bron Breakker)
Bruce Reed (Butch Reed)
Sylvester Ritter (Junkyard Dog)
Joe Sculthorpe (Hank Walker)
Ron Simmons (Faarooq)
Eugene Snisky (Gene Snitsky)
Merced Solis (Tito Santana)
Shag Thomas
Randy Thornton (Swoll)
Leon White (Vader)
Del Wilkes (The Patriot)
Brennan Williams (Mace)
American Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Verlon Biggs
Bob Bruggers
Don Joyce
Bob Konovsky
Ernie Ladd
Don Manoukian
Wahoo McDaniel
Ron Pritchard
Clem Turner
Offseason, practice squad, or injured reserve
Wayne Coleman ("Superstar" Billy Graham)
Bill Watts
All-America Football Conference
Played in regular season or postseason games
Len Levy (Butch Levy)
Al Lolotai
American Football League (1926)
Played in regular season or postseason games
Century Milstead
Sammy Stein
Cy Williams
George Wilson
Canadian Football League
Note: This also includes the CFL's predecessor leagues the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union
Played in regular season or postseason games
Nick Albert
Joe Anoaʻi (Roman Reigns)
Joe Blanchard
Larry Cameron
Wayne Coleman ("Superstar" Billy Graham)
Lionel Conacher
Darren Drozdov (Droz)
Jeff Gaylord
Butts Giraud
Jon Heidenreich (Heidenreich)
Gene Kiniski
Glenn Kulka
Bob Lueck
Gil Mains
Ron Mikolajczyk
Angelo Mosca
Brian Pillman
Larry Pfohl (Lex Luger)
Marvin Pope
Ron Simmons (Faarooq)
Wilbur Snyder
Merced Solis (Tito Santana)
Woody Strode
Randy Thornton (Swoll)
Herb Trawick
Clem Turner
Mike Webster
George Wells
John Witte
Rich Young (Ricky Ortiz)
Active roster but did not play
George Momberg (Killer Karl Krupp)
Offseason or practice roster
James Duggan ("Hacksaw" Jim Duggan)
Bill Goldberg (Goldberg)
Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
Anthony Luke (Kam Hendrix)
Dan Matha
E. J. Nduka
Dan Sileo (Bonecrusher Sileo)
Eugene Snisky (Gene Snitsky)
United States Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Ed Gantner
Jeff Gaylord
Ron Mikolajczyk
Larry Pfohl (Lex Luger)
Ron Simmons (Faarooq)
Steve Williams ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams)
Offseason or practice squad
William Danenhauer Jr. (Dave Sullivan/Equalizer)
World Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Joe Carollo
Ron Mikolajczyk
Clem Turner
Offseason or practice squad
Paul Orndorff
Dan Spivey (Waylon Mercy)
XFL
Played in regular season or postseason games
Josh Wilcox
Rich Young (Ricky Ortiz)
World League of American Football / NFL Europe
Played in regular season or postseason games
Chad Fortune
Bill Goldberg (Goldberg)
Jon Heidenreich (Heidenreich)
John Layfield (Bradshaw)
Nick McNeil (Percy Watson)
Dan Sileo (Bonecrusher Sileo)
Randy Thornton (Swoll)
Josh Wilcox
Arena Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Thaddeus Bullard (Titus O'Neil)
Bobby Duncum Jr.
Jon Heidenreich (Heidenreich)
Kyle Rasmussen (Conrad Tanner)
Dan Sileo (Bonecrusher Sileo)
Josh Wilcox
Rich Young (Ricky Ortiz)
Offseason or practice squad
Shawn Hernandez (Hernandez)
Pacific Coast Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Mayes McLain
American Association
Played in regular season or postseason games
Mayes McLain
American Professional Football Association
Played in regular season or postseason games
Kay Bell
Pacific Coast Professional Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Kay Bell
Woody Strode
American Football League (1934)
Played in regular season or postseason games
Dustin McDonald
American Football League (1940)
Played in regular season or postseason games
Kay Bell
United Football League (1961–1964)
Played in regular season or postseason games
Jim Myers (George "the Animal" Steele)
Bill Watts
Atlantic Coast Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Wayne Coleman ("Superstar" Billy Graham)
Continental Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Wayne Coleman ("Superstar" Billy Graham)
Frank Goodish (Bruiser Brody)
Dusty Runnels (Dusty Rhodes)
Clem Turner
Buddy Wolfe
Texas Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Frank Goodish (Bruiser Brody)
North American Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
George Hultz
Ontario Rugby Football Union
Played in regular season or postseason games
George Momberg (Killer Karl Krupp)
The Spring League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Matrick Belton (Trick Williams)
Indoor Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
E. J. Nduka
National Indoor Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Nick Mitchell (Mitch)
German Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Babatunde Aiyegbusi (Commander Azeez)
Polish American Football League
Played in regular season or postseason games
Babatunde Aiyegbusi (Commander Azeez)
Brazil
Cezar Bononi
Ukraine national team
Oleg Prudius (Vladimir Kozlov)
College football only
Note: If people were in more than one division, they are only listed at the highest division.
Division I
Kevin Adkisson (Kevin Von Erich)
Matthew Anoa'i (Rosey)
Chuck Austin
James Bednarski (Scott Putski)
Mike Bell
Dick Beyer
Matt Bloom (Albert)
Josh Bruns (Josh Briggs)
Tully Blanchard
Cal Bloom (Von Wagner)
Parker Boudreaux (Harland)
Matt Cappotelli
Scott Colton (Colt Cabana)
Ettore Ewen (Big E)
Tevita Fifita (Camacho)
Greg Gagne
Donald Hager (Jack Swagger)
Charles Kalani (Professor Tanaka)
Kevin Kiley (Alex Riley)
Kenneth Layne (Kenny King)
Bruce Leaupepe (Toa Liona)
Andy Leavine
Keith Lee
Bill Miller
Wayne Munn
Omari Palmer (Odyssey Jones)
Michael Rallis (Madcap Moss/Riddick Moss)
Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt)
Frank Speer
Joe Spivak (Tank Ledger)
Jesse White (Jake Carter)
Division I FCS
Steven Anderson (Steve Austin)
Hank Avery Jr.
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