Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers played pro football for the NFL Oakland Raiders, but not before rushing yard for the Aztecs at San Diego State University. In college, he majored in theater. He had one eye on the football and the other eye on Hollywood, as he has said. Acting won out.
He scored big with the Apollo Creed role on the epic Rocky film franchise. He always dreamed of being an actor while admiring Sidney Poitier’s films as a youngster. His dream definitely came true. He starred in numerous television and film roles and in Rocky until Creed’s death in Rocky IV.
Nina Dobrev
It's hard to say what exactly the Degrassi Next Generation and Vampire Diaries star, Nina Dobrev is better at. Being an all-star athlete or stealing our hearts from the silver screen. The actress has a pretty extensive background in the sport. As an enthusiast in basketball, soccer, volleyball, skiing, rock climbing, wakeboarding, and snowboarding, Dobrev has even become the official ambassador for the Reebok x Les Mills partnership.
In addition to that, The Flatliners actress has also spent many years as a gymnast before going full-force with acting. You can also find her appealing regularly at celeb sporting events such as the Celebrity Beach Bowl.
Jamie Foxx
Long before the actor hit the screens in critically acclaimed performances like Ray, Collateral Damage, Django, and more, Jaimie Foxx had his eyes elsewhere, in fact, on two places, the basketball court and football field. As a kid, Foxx, a straight-A student, attended Terrell High School. There, he played both sports. His goal was to graduate high school and eventually try out for the Dallas Cowboys.
Fox was the first player in the history of the school to pass over 1,000 yards. This multi-talented guy was also in a band called Leather and Lace. While life panned out differently for Jaimie, his passion for sports has not faded. You can still catch the actor shooting hoops and cheering for his team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Tom Cruise
Before becoming Hollywood's go-to leading man, Tom Cruise was a fierce little soccer player back in the day. You can even catch glimpses of his skills while playing with Cameron Diaz on the set of Knight and Day. You might notice that Cameron Diaz is pretty good herself. Cruise also has quite the bromance with David Beckham.
In addition to his soccer playing, Cruise was also a wrestler but was sidelined due to an injury. Being out of the game, he turned his attention to acting and auditioned for his high school's production, Guys and Dolls .
Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds’ true love was football. (Sorry, ladies). He first fell in love with the sport in high school, where the hunk’s performance earned him a scholarship to Florida State. Unfortunately, a knee injury compounded by further injuries due to a car accident crushed his dreams. His heart, however, stayed with the Florida State Seminoles, where he continued to hang out on the sidelines and donate large sums of cash.
At one point, he bought the entire Seminoles team new, snazzier uniforms, which they gratefully donned. The program adored their star athlete. But we know him best from blockbusters like Smokey and the Bandit, The Longest Yard, and Deliverance. Reynolds passed last year at 82. RIP.