You wouldn’t think it today watching Ryan Seacrest interview thousands of stars and starlets on the red carpet, but before he became our celeb middleman, Ryan Seacrest was busting faces on the football field. In the early 90s, he was a defensive back for two years before graduating from Dunwoody High school. Dunwoody is known for winning the state AAAA championships in 1993. Was that thanks to Ryan?
in 2013, The TV personality made his way back into the sports world when he hosted NBC’s coverage of the NFL game between Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos. Was he feeling nostalgic?
George Clooney
The silver fox Geoge Clooney can just about ace anything. The accomplished actor turned director had his shot at being an athlete back in the day when he tried out for the Cincinnati Reds. We're talking way before E.R here. In 1977, a 16-year-old George dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Unfortunately for him, but certainly fortunately for us, Clooney didn't manage to score a contract with the team after a tryout.
Told that he couldn't quite make that curveball, Clooney looked elsewhere. However, things turned around for him when he auditioned for the role of Dr. Doug Ross on our favorite hospital drama. As a fictionalized doctor, he knocked out a lot of women in the 90s, and then in the 2000s, and then just, well, he's still got it.
Amy Adams
If you've ever seen Amy Adams in Drop Dead Gorgeous, you would immediately recognize that she is a dancer through and through. Her kickflips and jumps as the nutty fame-hungry teen could only be from her background in athletics and dance. While Adams didn't end up going to college, she did almost get a track scholarship.
In the end, those plans were abandoned, and she pursued dancing. Guess she found a better route and proved to be a phenomenal actress.
Merlin Olsen
Football Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen needs little introduction. With history-making football skills, the player soon found out he had a fantastic TV presence and wound up as a broadcaster a successful actor. In fact, you might find more images of the man with a microphone in hand than a football.
With big roles in "Father Murphy" and the classic "Litle House on the Prairie," Olsen did not become just another forgotten retired football player, but rather a legendary athlete turned iconic actor.
Alex Karras
Like his fellow athlete stars, Karras struck it pretty big for some time during the '70s and '80s. The young football player found his way into the spotlight with his odd sense of humor. It even landed him a role as Webster in the classic Mel Brooks comedy "Blazing Saddles."
The actor went on to appear in several other television series and films such as "M.A.S.H," "The Odd Couple," and more.