5 times WWE worked with NFL players

#3. NFL stars Chad Ochocinco and Ben Roethlisberger guest host WWE Raw

Back in 2009, WWE began implementing the concept of having a celebrity guest host episodes of Raw.

Much like the hosts for Saturday Night Live, WWE would bring in a celebrity in the midst of promoting a current project, a politician in a high profile election, or a pro athlete from the city they were currently performing. These hosts would be involved in the storylines of that week's show, acting as General Manager for the episode, and even participating in matches occasionally.

The October 5th, 2009 episode of Raw took place in Wilkes-Barre, PA, which is about four hours from Pittsburgh. WWE brought in Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as host - the night before, he led the Steelers to a 38-28 victory against the San Diego Chargers - and he brought his offensive line with him.

A little under a year later, WWE brought Raw to the home of one of the Steelers' biggest NFL rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. So WWE announced the biggest celebrity in the city at the time, Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Earlier in the year, Ochocinco gained mainstream recognition as a contestant on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

One of the biggest differences between the two episodes was the role of the host. Roethlisberger was considered the actual GM during the show, where as Ochocinco was considered a "guest star," though, as you can see in the clip above, he was given a little authority by the actual GM at the time.

Ochocinco (who has since reverted back to his original last name, Johnson) and Roethlisberger have, so far, been the only active (at the time) NFL players to host an episode of Raw. In 2013, New York Giants legend Michael Strahan hosted in episode, but had been well retired by that point. Both men are now retired, with Roethlisberger announcing his retirement this year.