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Sports requires hard work, talent, and consistency. Professional players who excel in their game are revered across the globe. Pele, Maradona, Michael Jordan, and others became legends in their field of endeavour.
There are few players who excel at two or three sports at the professional level. A lot of wrestlers in the world of pro wrestling also excelled at other sports. They were fierce, competitive, and hard working. Here are six such wrestlers.
#6. Ron Simmons (Football)
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Ron Simmons was an exceptional football player, who played nose guard at Florida State University. He played a vital role in bringing his team to the Orange Bowl twice. Simmons was such an incredible player that he finished ninth in the Heisman voting in 1979. Later, in 2008, he was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame.
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In the NFL, he played for USFL’s Tampa Bandits and Cleveland Browns for two seasons each. Simmons started out as a decent player but later faded away in the pro football world.
His professional wrestling career took off when he defeated Big Van Vader for the WCW championship in 1992. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
#5. Marcus Cor Von (Football)
Born as Monty Brown, he was a former NFL linebacker who played for Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl XXVIII. Brown then switched his team to the New England Patriots so that he could stay closer to WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. He was named the 'Most Valuable Player' of the Ferris State Bulldogs.
His ankle injuries took a toll on him, and he hung up his boots to pursue a career in wrestling. They nicknamed him 'The Alpha Male,' as he wrestled for TNA and WWE. He was known for the power of his pounce.
#4. Bobby Lashley (MMA)
Bobby Lashley is a top MMA fighter along with being a professional wrestler. As an amateur wrestler, he was chosen to represent the USA in Olympics, but a knee injury forced him out of the squad. Like Brock Lesnar, he juggles between his WWE and MMA career.
Lashley is a four-time TNA World champion and two-time WWE ECW champion. He has won nine championships in TNA and WWE. He seemingly halted his MMA career when he returned to WWE in 2018, but his professional MMA record of 15-2 is impressive nonetheless.
#3. Kurt Angle (Amateur Wrestling)
Kurt Angle won his gold medal in amateur wrestling when he represented USA in the 1996 Olympic games held at Atlanta, USA. As a youngster, he was a three-time NCAA Division I Champion and won the gold medal at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships. He was inducted in the 'International Sports Hall of Fame' for his amateur wrestling achievements in 2016.
When Angle decided to enter the field of professional wrestling, Vince McMahon welcomed him with open arms. He has won WCW championship once and WWF/WWE championship four times. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
#2. Bill Goldberg (Football)
Bill Goldberg started his amateur career with Georgia Bulldogs at the college level. He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in 1990 and played until 1995. His stint in professional football was not a successful one hence he decided to quit, but not before winning the World Bowl of the World League of American Football.
Goldberg was one of the most famous professional wrestlers in the 1990s. He became World Heavyweight Champion once and United States Heavyweight Champion for WCW twice. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.
#1. Brock Lesnar (MMA and NFL)
Brock Lesnar is perhaps the greatest WWE athlete of the modern era. He played football, MMA, and professional wrestling. He also played football by trying out with Minnesota Vikings in 2004. Lesnar was a decent player but could not attain much success.
He participated in MMA by signing with UFC in 2008. After an initial loss against Frank Mir, the Beast Incarnate became the heavyweight champion twice. He still juggles his career between MMA and WWE with great vigour and tenacity.
His natural athleticism and 'never-say-die' spirit make him such a wonderful athlete in almost any sport he plays.
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