NFL Players Who Became Pro Wrestlers: 10 Real Crossovers
On this page15
- 01NFL-to-pro-wrestling crossovers at a glance
- 02Bill Goldberg
- 03Big Van Vader (Leon White)
- 04Ron Simmons
- 05Ernie Ladd
- 06Steve "Mongo" McMichael
- 07Wahoo McDaniel
- 08Brock Lesnar
- 09Roman Reigns
- 10Kevin Greene
- 11Monty Brown
- 12How We Ranked These Crossovers
- 13Why Football Bodies Translate — And Why Some Don’t
- 14NFL Careers at a Glance
- 15Who Isn’t on This List
We ranked these crossovers by how far each one actually went on BOTH sides — a documented NFL career (team, position, years on record) plus sustained, championship-level in-ring work. World titles and years of ring time move a name up; a brief cameo or a tryout that never reached a regular-season roster moves it down.
NFL-to-pro-wrestling crossovers at a glance
| Rank | Name | Football résumé | Wrestling peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Goldberg | Rams, Falcons and Panthers defensive tackle | WCW and WWE world champion |
| 2 | Big Van Vader | Rams center | Multi-time world champion |
| 3 | Ron Simmons | Browns defensive tackle | First Black WCW world champion |
| 4 | Ernie Ladd | Four-time AFL All-Star | Hall of Fame heel |
| 5 | Steve McMichael | Super Bowl XX champion | WCW U.S. champion |
| 6 | Wahoo McDaniel | AFL/NFL linebacker and guard | Five-time NWA U.S. champion |
| 7 | Brock Lesnar | Vikings preseason roster | Multi-time WWE champion |
| 8 | Roman Reigns | NFL tryouts and CFL roster | Multi-time WWE world champion |
| 9 | Kevin Greene | Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker | Five WCW matches |
| 10 | Monty Brown | Bills and Patriots linebacker | TNA's Alpha Male |
- The headline act
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg is #1 because no other name on this list crossed over bigger. He played defensive tackle at Georgia, then bounced through the Los Angeles Rams, the Atlanta Falcons (14 games across three seasons), and the Carolina Panthers before an abdominal injury ended his NFL run. In WCW his kayfabe undefeated streak ran past 170 straight matches and turned him into a mainstream draw far beyond wrestling — reach that ranks him above even the more-decorated Vader.
He capped a nearly 30-year career with a retirement match against Gunther at WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event in Atlanta on July 12, 2025. He is a two-time world champion and a WWE Hall of Famer. See where he lands among the most popular WWE superstars.
NFL: DT — Rams, Falcons, Panthers · Wrestling peak: 170-plus match WCW streak · Final match: lost to Gunther, July 2025
- Most decorated in the ring
Big Van Vader (Leon White)
Vader ranks second because his in-ring résumé is the deepest here: a 12-time world champion who held the IWGP, WCW, and UWA World titles simultaneously in 1989. Only Goldberg's mainstream fame keeps him out of the top spot.
His NFL side was brief but real. Leon White was a third-round pick (80th overall) of the Los Angeles Rams in 1978 as a center, earned an NFC Championship ring during the team's Super Bowl XIV run, then lost the rest of his career to knee injuries. He entered the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022, four years after his death in 2018.
NFL: C — L.A. Rams (3rd round, 1978) · Wrestling peak: 12x world champion · Honor: WWE Hall of Fame 2022
- The barrier-breaker
Ron Simmons
Simmons earns third for a genuine first: in August 1992 he beat Vader to become the first Black WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He was a Florida State All-American who played for the Cleveland Browns in 1981 before stints in the CFL and USFL.
Unlike most one-promotion names on this list, Simmons had a long second act. He reinvented himself in the WWF/WWE as one half of the Acolytes Protection Agency alongside Bradshaw, won the tag titles three times, and entered the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
NFL: DT — Cleveland Browns · Defining feat: first Black WCW World Champion (1992) · Honor: WWE Hall of Fame 2012
- The original double threat
Ernie Ladd
Ladd sits at #4 as the pioneer who ran both careers at once, decades before Goldberg. A 6'9" defensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers, and Kansas City Chiefs from 1961 to 1968, he made four straight AFL All-Star teams and won the 1963 AFL Championship with San Diego.
He wrestled part-time throughout that run, then went full-time as a heel, feuding with André the Giant and becoming one of the first Black wrestlers to headline as a villain. He is enshrined in the WCW, WWE, and NWA Halls of Fame.
NFL/AFL: DT — Chargers, Oilers, Chiefs · Honors: 4x AFL All-Star, three wrestling halls of fame · Era: 1960s dual career
- Two-sport Hall of Famer
Steve "Mongo" McMichael
McMichael ranks fifth as the rare man decorated on both sides. He started 191 consecutive games at defensive tackle over 15 NFL seasons, anchored the Chicago Bears' 1985 Super Bowl XX defense, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. He died in April 2025 after a long battle with ALS.
His wrestling run was shorter than Vader's or Simmons', which keeps him below them: he joined WCW first as a commentator, then wrestled as a member of the Four Horsemen and held the WCW United States Championship.
NFL: DT — Chicago Bears, Super Bowl XX champ · Honor: Pro Football HOF 2024 · Wrestling: WCW U.S. Champion, Four Horsemen
- Wrestled on an NFL salary
Wahoo McDaniel
McDaniel places sixth on the strength of a sustained wrestling title run plus a genuinely unusual overlap. He played linebacker and guard for the Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins between 1960 and 1968 — and wrestled regionally the entire time, starting in the NWA's Amarillo territory to supplement his football pay.
After football he went full-time and won the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship five times. He is in both the WWE and NWA Halls of Fame.
NFL/AFL: LB/G — Oilers, Broncos, Jets, Dolphins · Defining feat: 5x NWA U.S. Champion · Note: wrestled during his NFL years
- Reverse pipeline, dual-sport champ
Brock Lesnar
Lesnar ranks seventh because his crossover ran the other way and his NFL side never stuck. Already a WWE Champion, he left wrestling in 2004 to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, only to be cut in preseason without a regular-season snap.
What lifts him above Reigns is what he did next: he won New Japan's IWGP Heavyweight Championship, then became UFC Heavyweight Champion, before returning to WWE as a marquee attraction — the only name here to hold both a pro-wrestling world title and a UFC title.
NFL: Minnesota Vikings, 2004 (cut in preseason) · Wrestling: multi-time WWE Champion · Also: UFC Heavyweight Champion
- Modern main-eventer
Roman Reigns
Reigns is one of WWE's biggest modern draws, but he ranks eighth because his football side never reached a regular-season roster — the opposite trade-off from Kevin Greene just below him. He starred at Georgia Tech, went undrafted in 2007, and signed with the Vikings before a physical revealed leukemia and he was released.
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed and cut him before the 2007 season; he then played a 2008 season with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos before turning to wrestling in 2010 and becoming a multi-time world champion.
NFL: Vikings/Jaguars (UDFA, released) · Also: CFL Edmonton Eskimos, 2008 · Wrestling: multi-time WWE world champion
- HOF linebacker, brief ring run
Kevin Greene
Greene has the strongest football credentials in the bottom tier — a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker with 160 career sacks across the Rams, Steelers, Panthers, and 49ers — but his wrestling was a short cameo, which is why he sits at #9.
He worked a handful of WCW matches in 1997–1998, often teaming with fellow NFL alum Steve McMichael, while still an active player. Contract limits capped him at roughly five matches. Greene died in December 2020 at 58.
NFL: LB — Rams, Steelers, Panthers, 49ers · Honor: Pro Football HOF 2016 · Wrestling: ~5 WCW matches, 1997–98
- TNA's Alpha Male
Monty Brown
Brown closes the list: a solid pro career on both sides without a major title on either. He signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted linebacker in 1993, appeared in the postseason run to Super Bowl XXVIII, and later joined the New England Patriots.
In wrestling he became one of TNA's top stars of the mid-2000s as "the Alpha Male," known for his "Pounce" finisher, before a WWE run on the ECW brand as Marcus Cor Von. For the money side of the business, see the richest wrestlers in the world.
NFL: LB — Bills, Patriots · NFL peak: Super Bowl XXVIII run · Wrestling: TNA 'Alpha Male' / WWE's Marcus Cor Von
Reader interaction
Build your ranking
Drag the names into the order you think is right — or use the arrows — then submit to see how your list compares with everyone else's.
- Bill Goldberg
- Big Van Vader (Leon White)
- Ron Simmons
- Ernie Ladd
- Steve "Mongo" McMichael
- Wahoo McDaniel
- Brock Lesnar
- Roman Reigns
- Kevin Greene
- Monty Brown
Audience ranking
How everyone ranked them
Built from reader rankings using position-based points.
Bill Goldberg walked out of a college football career at Georgia, took an NFL roster spot as a defensive tackle, and within a few years of leaving the league was headlining WCW pay-per-views. He is not an outlier — he is the most famous name on a roster of NFL players who built genuine second careers in professional wrestling, some of them decades before he was born.
How We Ranked These Crossovers
Two tests decided the order. First, the NFL career had to be documented — a real team, position, and years on record — which is why online-list regulars like Kevin Nash, who have no verifiable NFL playing record, are left off. Second, we weighted the wrestling career by depth: world titles, years of ring time, and cultural reach counted for more than a single cameo.
That is why Goldberg’s mainstream fame edges Vader’s heavier title count at the top, and why a Pro Football Hall of Famer like Kevin Greene ranks below multi-time wrestling champions — his five-match WCW run simply did not go as far in the ring. Where a placement is arguable, each card above says which nearby name it beats and why.
Why Football Bodies Translate — And Why Some Don’t
Defensive tackles and linebackers fill this list for a reason. The frame, the explosive first step, and the tolerance for repeated contact map neatly onto a wrestling ring. But the athletes who lasted all learned the part football never teaches: pacing a match, selling an opponent’s offense, and playing a character an audience will pay to boo or cheer.
That performance gap explains the spread here. Vader and Ernie Ladd became decade-long headliners because they mastered the craft; a physically dominant lineman who never learned to work a crowd tended to fade after a few matches.
NFL Careers at a Glance
This quick reference covers only the football side — the ring achievements are in the ranked cards above.
| Wrestler | NFL/AFL Position & Teams | Football Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Goldberg | DT — Rams, Falcons, Panthers | 14 games with Atlanta |
| Big Van Vader | C — Los Angeles Rams | NFC title ring, Super Bowl XIV run |
| Ron Simmons | DT — Cleveland Browns | FSU All-American |
| Ernie Ladd | DT — Chargers, Oilers, Chiefs | 4x AFL All-Star, 1963 AFL champ |
| Steve McMichael | DT — Chicago Bears | Super Bowl XX, Pro Football HOF |
| Wahoo McDaniel | LB/G — Oilers, Broncos, Jets, Dolphins | 9 pro seasons |
| Brock Lesnar | Minnesota Vikings | Preseason roster, 2004 |
| Roman Reigns | Vikings, Jaguars (UDFA) | CFL season, 2008 |
| Kevin Greene | LB — Rams, Steelers, Panthers, 49ers | Pro Football HOF, 160 sacks |
| Monty Brown | LB — Bills, Patriots | Super Bowl XXVIII run |
Who Isn’t on This List
Plenty of “football-to-wrestling” articles pad their counts with names that do not hold up. Kevin Nash is repeatedly tied to the NFL but has no professional playing record. The rule here was simple: no verifiable NFL or AFL playing time, no spot on the list, no matter how often a name circulates online. For the football side of every career above, browse our full NFL hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which NFL player became the most successful pro wrestler?+
Bill Goldberg. The former Rams, Falcons, and Panthers defensive tackle became WCW's biggest draw of the late 1990s on a kayfabe streak that ran past 170 matches, then headlined WWE. He is a two-time world champion and WWE Hall of Famer who wrestled his retirement match against Gunther in July 2025, ending a career that reached far beyond wrestling's usual audience.
Did any NFL player win a pro wrestling world title?+
Several did. Big Van Vader (Leon White) was a 12-time world champion across Japan, the U.S., and Mexico. Ron Simmons became the first Black WCW World Heavyweight Champion in 1992. Steve 'Mongo' McMichael held the WCW United States title, and Wahoo McDaniel was a five-time NWA U.S. champion. Brock Lesnar added WWE and UFC titles on the reverse path from wrestling into the NFL and back.
Did Roman Reigns actually play in the NFL?+
No regular-season games. Reigns starred at Georgia Tech, went undrafted in 2007, and signed with the Minnesota Vikings, but a physical revealed leukemia and he was released. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed and cut him before that season. He then played one 2008 season with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos before leaving football for WWE in 2010, so his gridiron résumé is tryouts and Canadian ball, not NFL snaps.
Did any NFL player wrestle while still active in the league?+
Two did. Wahoo McDaniel wrestled regional cards throughout his 1960s NFL career to supplement his salary, starting in the NWA's Amarillo territory. Kevin Greene worked a handful of WCW matches in 1997–1998, often teaming with Steve McMichael, while still an active NFL linebacker. Contract restrictions eventually shut Greene's run down, but both men genuinely balanced a pro football job with live wrestling dates at the same time.
Are Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns NFL players or wrestlers first?+
Wrestlers first, footballers second — the reverse of most names here. Lesnar was already a WWE Champion when he tried out for the Vikings in 2004 and got cut in preseason. Reigns wrestled after his college and CFL football ended. Neither played a regular-season NFL game, so they are wrestling stars who chased football rather than NFL veterans who later found the ring.
Why do so many NFL linemen and linebackers end up in wrestling?+
Size, explosive strength, and a high tolerance for physical punishment carry over directly, which is why defensive tackles and linebackers dominate this list. What football does not teach is the performance half of wrestling — selling moves, playing a character, and safely working a live match with an opponent. That learned skill, not raw athleticism, is what separated long-term stars like Vader and Goldberg from short cameos.
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