The Contentious Ten 8.29.12: Top 10 Football Players Turned Wrestlers

Last week was a first, and probably a last, as I managed to put together a list that sparked some discussion but not much criticism. There was some here and there, but it was mostly civil, which is a nice change. This week, I figured we could all celebrate the oncoming return of football season with a related top 10.Here is my criteria for the top football players to cross into wrestlingso that we’re all on the same page:

-Must have played American professional football
-Must have been a full time professional wrestler
-Combined success between the two sports dictate rankings.

The criteria listed eliminates guys like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who played in the CFL, but not in the NFL. It also eliminates guys like “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, who played football at Oklahoma, but never transitioned to the NFL or USFL. For that matter, virtually the entire West Texas State alumni are eliminated, despite boasting names such as Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Tully Blanchard, Ted DiBiase, Manny Fernandez, and Stan Hansen.

I didn’t include men like Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, or most of the Wrestlemania 2 battle royal participants for consideration, because they were special attractions, or one shot deals (RVD approved). Only full time wrestlers made the cut.

Finally, in terms of combined success, it’s a bit of a gray area. A guy like Goldberg was a larger star in wrestling than Brian Pillman was in wrestling and the NFL combined, so he’d naturally rank higher. He doesn’t outrank others that may not have been as big stars as he in the wrestling industry, but were much more viable on a football field and had solid careers for themselves in the ring. I’m sure that part of the criteria will lead to much name calling and debate. I’m prepared to deal with it.

(Moves/Wrestlers/Teams/etc.) that just missed the cut: Jim Duggan, Blackjack Mulligan, JBL, Brian Pillman

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Monty Brownsize=6>

Monty Brown should have been a bigger star.
-Four seasons in the NFL
-One Superbowl appearance
-Brief main event run in TNA, appeared on the ECW brand of WWE

Monty Brown was a solid football player, and as legend has it, signed with the New England Patriots in order to be closer to the WWE Headquarters. I’m not sure how true that actually is, no matter who says it, but it makes for a nice story. Monty Brown left the NFL after the 1996 season to pursue a career in wrestling. While moderately successful in the world of pro wrestling, Monty Brown should have been a bigger star. It was almost painful to watch Jeff Jarrett continually deny Monty Brown the NWA World Championship. It’s feasible to think that had TNA pulled the trigger on that title switch, they would have had a true “home grown” star years before Robert Roode broke through. Instead, Monty Brown left TNA and joined WWE, where he was stuck in the midcard on the third brand. He ended up leaving the sport to take care of family issues, and remains out of the business. As much as I would personally enjoy a comeback, Monty Brown is 42 years old and works as a personal trainer, so it’s not likely to happen.

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Alex Karrassize=6>

Karras was also the original Mongo.
-12 seasons in the NFL
-4 time Pro Bowler
-Feuded with Dick The Bruiser during an exodus from the NFL

Alex Karras’ stint in wrestling didn’t last long, but at the time he jumped, he was one of the best football players in the league. What makes Karras stand out is the fact that his wrestling career happened to land directly in the middle of his NFL career. Karras left the NFL due to allegations of being involved in gambling and organized crime. Without an NFL career to pay the bills, Karras joined the ranks of professional wrestling for about a year and a half before rejoining the NFL after reaching an agreement with then commissioner Pete Rozelle. Karras was also the original Mongo, starring as the character in the movie Blazing Saddles, before appearing as Webster’s father in the television show..well..Webster.

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Wahoo McDanielsize=6>

The Chief was a legitimate badass.
-9 seasons in the NFL
-23 tackles in 1 game vs. Denver Broncos
-5 time NWA United States Champion

Let’s get something straight right off the bat: The Chief was a legitimate badass. Never mind the fact that stories such as Wahoo running twenty miles between towns to work a double shot on a Sunday in Texas or drinking a quart of motor oil on a twenty dollar bet run rampant among the shoot interview circuit. The man cut his teeth as a linebacker in the NFL before joining the world of professional wrestling, and was tough as nails. He played in over 100 NFL games, scored a touchdown, had 13 interceptions, and amassed 23 tackles in one game against the Denver Broncos while playing for the New York Jets in 1964. Official tackle statistics weren’t kept at that time, though. If they were, it would be the second highest single game total ever, behind Brian Urlacher’s 25 in 2006. Wahoo would go on to have a very successful wrestling career, holding the United States title and being a major star for the NWA during the territorial days. It doesn’t hurt that he was also one of my dad’s all time favorites, right behind Bobo Brazil.

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Lex Lugersize=6>

Something about Lex Luger playing for the Showboats seems right.
-3 seasons in the NFL and USFL
-Played for the Green Bay Packers, Memphis Showboats, Jacksonville Bulls, and Tampa Bay Bandits
-Former WCW World Champion, 4 time US Champion

Lex Luger, back when he was Larry Pfohl, was something of a star. He was a standout high school football player before attending “The U” with Jim Kelly among others. He landed a roster spot with the Green Bay Packers, but spent the year on injured reserve and was then cut. He joined the USFL, splitting time among three teams, and was a temporary teammate of future WCW co worker Ron Simmons. Given his wrestling gimmicks of The Total Package and The Narcissist, something about Lex Luger playing for the Showboats seems right. Once Luger got into professional wrestling via Bob Roop, he was destined to be a star. He had the right look at the right time, and would go on to become a member of the Horsemen and a legitimate top of the card star in both NWA/WCW and WWE.

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Steve McMichaelsize=6>

If this list were just about great football players that wrestled, Mongo would be much higher.
-13 seasons in the NFL
-1 Superbowl win
-2 All Pro selections
-Member of the Four Horsemen and United States champion

Steve McMichael deserves to be remembered for so much more than arguably being the worst member of the Horsemen ever, or as a poor color commentator. If this list were just about great football players that wrestled, Mongo would be much higher. Arguably top three. Since both careers are taken into account, though, he lands here. Mongo was a legitimate force in the NFL, racking up over 830 tackles and 95 sacks. He was a huge part of Chicago’s defensive front that led the 1985 Bears to a Superbowl win, and has received praise from Mike Ditka as being “the toughest player I’ve ever coached.” Once McMichael transitioned to wrestling, he found a home as the “muscle” of one of the final incarnations of the Four Horsemen. As bad as Mongo was in the ring and on the microphone, I’d be lying if I said he didn’t look sort of natural holding up four fingers. Granted, he would have been much better suited to a role as a bodyguard and not a wrestler, but it is what it is. Mongo would briefly hold the United States title before leaving WCW in 1999.

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Ron Simmonssize=6>

Simmons never lived up to the hype as a football player, but exceeded it as a wrestler.
-1 season in the NFL, 2 seasons in the USFL
-WCW World Champion
-NWA and WWE World Tag Team Champion

Ron Simmons was a household name long before professional wrestling was an option for him. As a part of Bobby Bowden’s football factory at Florida State University, Simmons was a four year starter and a fringe Heisman candidate as a senior. His number 50 would be retired, only the third number in Florida State history to receive the honor. The Cleveland Browns drafted him, but Simmons never made it onto the field. He would end up in the USFL a few years later, but wrestling was where Simmons belonged. Simmons brought energy to the ring as a babyface, and by all accounts is one of the most freakishly strong wrestlers ever. He found success with Butch Reed as a tag team partner in Doom before becoming the first ever African American world champion in WCW by defeating Vader. After a short, ridiculous stint as a gladiator, Simmons headed up the Nation of Domination then went on to form another successful tag team, this time with Bradshaw. Simmons never lived up to the hype as a football player, but exceeded it as a wrestler.

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Big Van Vadersize=6>

Vader’s career in the NFL is something of a mystery.
-Four seasons in the NFL
– Three time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
-One of the greatest superheavyweights ever

Leon “Big Van Vader” White’s career in the NFL is something of a mystery. There’s been a few guys named Leon White, and so tracking down records on him can be tough. He spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, but it’s hard to determine just how much time he spent on the field. He did, however, represent the team at the NFL’s Arm Wrestling Championships, reaching the finals twice. His wrestling career is a little more defined. He captured three WCW World Heavyweight titles, and was as dominant from 1992 through 1995 as any superheavyweight has ever been. His path of destruction included Sting, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Cactus Jack, Ron Simmons, and poor jobber Joe Thurman. He was never really the same after Hulk Hogan no-sold his power bomb and WCW attempted a face turn with him. He jumped to WWE, but never captured the same magic that he had in WCW. His stardom in America was exceeded by his stardom in Japan, where his brutal matches with men like Stan Hansen and Antonio Inoki made him a legend.

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Bill Goldbergsize=6>

There are pictures and stats to prove he played in the NFL.
-3 seasons in the NFL
-WCW World Heavyweight Champion
-WWE World Heavyweight Champion

Bill Goldberg spent an unremarkable three seasons in the NFL. He played for my favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons. I can recount to you virtually every roster member the Falcons have had that got any sort of regular playing time back to about the 1987 season. I can defend the Brett Favre trade, because nobody knew that Chris Miller would end up getting 5 concussions in a single year. I can walk you through wide receiver and linebacker stats, coaching and coordinator changes, and virtually anything else you want to know about them. I don’t remember Bill Goldberg. He was there, though. There are pictures and stats to prove he played in the NFL. Much more evidence of his wrestling career abounds, and few fans need a reminder of who he is or what he did. While the “s”marks tend to decry Goldberg for his “lack of workrate” and kicking Bret Hart in the head, he was a phenomenon the likes of which we haven’t seen very often in wrestling. He tore through WCW and accounted for one of the most memorable moments of the Nitro era when he defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in, fittingly, The Georgia Dome. Should the match have been built better and happened on pay per view? Absolutely. Does a poor business decision on WCW’s part diminish the awesomeness of the moment? Not at all.

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Ernie Laddsize=6>

Until Hulk Hogan, Ernie Ladd was Andre the Giant’s greatest rival.
-8 seasons in the pre-merger AFL
-4 AFL All Star teams
-1 AFL Championship
-San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame inductee
-NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion as well as several other territorial championships nationwide
-WWE Hall of Fame inductee (1995)

There’s no way for modern fans of either football or wrestling to truly appreciate the greatness of Ernie Ladd. By today’s standards, Ernie Ladd would be a big NFL player. Standing 6’9″ tall and weighing 315 lbs, Ladd was almost freakishly large compared to players fifty years ago. For comparison’s sake, standout Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stands 6’4″ and weighs 305 lbs. Ladd was regarded as “the strongest man in football” by many, and was a key part of the San Diego Chargers’ “Fearsome Foursome” defense in the 1960’s. Ladd was influential in football as well, organizing a walkout in the 1965 AFL All Star game due to racism he and teammates experienced in New Orleans. For his efforts on the field, Ladd was inducted to the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1981. In the wrestling world, Ladd was something altogether different. His personality was even bigger than his physical stature, and he parlayed it into a wildly successful career. Ladd was the “Big Cat”, he was the “King of Wrestling”, and he was one of the first black wrestlers to successfully play the role of heel. Many of his mannerisms behind the microphone can be seen in The Rock, as Ladd took trash talking to a whole new level for his era. Until Hulk Hogan, Ernie Ladd was Andre the Giant’s greatest rival. He also feuded with Magnum TA, and formed an absurdly brutal tag team with Bruiser Brody. He would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995, long before the induction ceremony was a big deal. While a fitting honor, that’s a shame. Modern fans deserve to see how great Ladd truly was.

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Bronko Nagurskisize=6>

Bronko Nagurski was the face of the National Football League, and went on to be an NWA World Champion.
-9 seasons in the NFL
-Over 2,700 yards rushing
-Two retired numbers
-Namesake of NCAA’s Bronko Nagurski trophy for the best defensive player
-4 Time All Pro
-3 NFL Championships
-NFL Hall of Fame Inductee
-2 Time NWA World Heavyweight Champion

There’s not enough space here for me to tell you how awesome Bronko Nagurski was. There are so many stories from his college years – like dominating a game with a broken back – to his professional years – like returning to the league after 6 years to lead the Bears to a championship – to the professional wrestling world – like beating Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship – that I’d create an unreadable wall of text by the time it was through. Suffice to say that Bronko Nagurski was the face of the National Football League, then went on to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The parallel for that in today’s society is almost unthinkable. On one hand, it would be akin to Peyton Manning or Tom Brady walking away from football to become a multiple time WWE Champion. The difference is that Nagurski was a hardass, a physically dominant force that steamrolled people. Maybe if Ray Lewis had left the NFL after the Ravens won a Superbowl to become a multiple time WCW and/or WWE Champion, we’d have a similar story on our hands. As it is, Nagurski is one of a kind.

Who’d I miss? Who’s in the wrong spot? Who’s off the list entirely? As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback on this, and at some point I’ll join in the discussion in the comments section below. I’ll be back next week for another countdown. See you in 7.