Athletes Turned Actors: Sports Stars Who Lit Up the Silver Screen

Becoming a professional athlete is not for everyone. It involves hard work and dedication to your craft, training almost non-stop to be in peak condition, not taking no for an answer, and pushing through trials and tribulations, from injuries and overtraining to the many sacrifices made for the love of the sport. For many sports stars, once they've reached the pinnacle of their athletic career – winning gold, getting the championship ring, claiming the title – they've decided it's time to move on and seek other challenges.

Some sports stars return to school, either completing degrees started earlier or earning new ones, like Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Sarah Hughes who got her undergraduate degree and went on to obtain her law degree; some remain in the field they excelled at, becoming sports commentators, like Michael Strahan; and others turn to the bright lights of Hollywood.

To compile a list of sports stars who lit up the silver screen, 24/7 Tempo consulted a section on the subject on IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon. The list includes several famous basketball and football players – and an infamous one. Several other major sports are also represented. In some cases, athletes have portrayed themselves on screen. In others, they've had brief blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos.

Transitioning from the playing field or court to a soundstage may not be too difficult for some athletes who are used to giving their all in front of large crowds and know how to take direction. Turning to the movie or TV business is a good way for these often beloved public figures to stay in the public eye. (These are the 100 top-grossing movies of all time.)

Here are sports stars who took a shot at the silver screen.

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball
• Signature screen performance(s): Himself in "Space Jam"

• Noted former profession(s): MMA judoka and mixed martial artist; WWE wrestler
• Signature screen performance(s): Kara in "Fast & Furious 7"

• Noted former profession(s): NFL – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
• Signature screen performance(s): Al in "Failure to Launch"

• Noted former profession(s): NFL – Oakland Raiders linebacker
• Signature screen performance(s): Al Dillon in "Predator;" Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" franchise; Jericho "Action" Jackson in "Action Jackson"

• Noted former profession(s): Right wing for the Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins
• Signature screen performance(s): Sea Bass in "Dumb and Dumber;" "Me, Myself & Irene;" and "Dumb and Dumber To"

• Noted former profession(s): NFL defensive end for the Oakland Raiders, Houston Oilers, Kansas City Chiefs
• Signature screen performance(s): Lotney "Sloth" Fratelli in "The Goonies"

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball center for the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
• Signature screen performance(s): Roger Murdock in "Airplane!"

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and (currently) L.A. Lakers
• Signature screen performance(s): Himself in "Space Jam: A New Legacy;" himself in "Trainwreck"

• Noted former profession(s): Fullback for the Cleveland Browns
• Signature screen performance(s): Robert T. Jefferson in "The Dirty Dozen;" "Dreems" in "Fingers;" "Fireball" in "The Running Man"

• Noted former profession(s): Baseball for the Milwaukee Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves
• Signature screen performance(s): Harry Doyle in "Major League"

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Seattle SuperSonics, the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat
• Signature screen performance(s): Jesus Shuttlesworth in "He Got Game"

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball – Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics
• Signature screen performance(s): John Henry Irons ("Steel") in "Steel;" Kazaam in "Kazaam"

Known as one of the greatest NBA players ever, "Shaq" played for six teams in his 19-year career on the court, and is a 15-time NBA All-Star. He's now a TV sports analyst.

• Noted former profession(s): Figure Skater
• Signature screen performance(s): Alexis "Lexie" Winston in "Ice Castles;" Bibi Dahl in "For Your Eyes Only;" Jan Curtis in "The Watcher in the Woods"

• Noted former profession(s): basketball with the Washington Bullets/Wizards and the New Jersey Nets
• Signature screen performance(s): My Giant

• Noted former profession(s): Football player for the Seattle Seahawks
• Signature screen performance(s): Detective Joe Huff / John Stone in "Stone Cold"

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics
• Signature screen performance(s): Chick Deagan in "He Got Game;" Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston in "Holes"

• Noted former profession(s): Heavyweight boxer
• Signature screen performance(s): Himself in "The Hangover"

• Noted former profession(s): Basketball with the legendary Harlem Globetrotters; Philadelphia Warriors/San Francisco Warriors, 76ers, L.A. Lakers
• Signature screen performance(s): Bombaata in "Conan the Destroyer"

• Noted former profession(s): Mixed martial artist, fitness model
• Signature screen performance(s): Angel Dust in "Deadpool"

• Noted former profession(s): Soccer defensive midfielder with Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers
• Signature screen performance(s): Big Chris in "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels;" Bullet Tooth Tony in "Snatch"

• Noted former profession(s): Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers
• Signature screen performance(s): Himself in "There's Something About Mary"

• Noted former profession(s): Defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions
• Signature screen performance(s): Mongo in "Blazing Saddles;" "Squash" Bernstein in "Victor/Victoria"

• Noted former profession(s): Running back with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers (also noted for the murder of his wife and her friend for which he was acquitted; later convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping)
• Signature screen performance(s): Detective Nordberg in all three installments of "The Naked Gun"

• Noted former profession(s): New York Giants outside linebacker
• Signature screen performance(s): Luther "Shark" Lavay in "Any Given Sunday"

• Noted former profession(s): Defensive end for the Baltimore Colts, the Oakland Raiders, and the Houston Oilers
• Signature screen performance(s): Cadet Moses Hightower in the "Police Academy" franchise