7 Celebs Who Have Also A Career In Sports

Since the world of sports is a competitive and pressured place to succeed, much like the life of a superstar in Entertainment, it is not surprising that there is a connection between the two professional paths. While some famous people find playing sports throughout high school a huge challenge, others continued playing into college and beyond. Some A-listers even have a career in sports.
There are many celebrities that can talk about their sporting achievements in an interview, whether it be from college all the way up to the Olympics, from pro wrestling or track glory to starring on the big screen or becoming a reality star. For example, "Orange is the New Black" star Uzo Aduba was a standout sprinter at her university, while Terry Crews was an NFL player before becoming a comic actor.
Here are 7 famous people that may surprise you by having played sports professionally.

#1 Caitlyn Jenner

Source: BBC

Caitlyn Jenner was already well-known before becoming a huge star thanks to her athletic career, which included an Olympic gold medal in the men's decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Since then, Jenner has established herself as a television personality, appearing in Keeping Up with the Kardashians. In 2015, she came out as transgender and launched her own series, I Am Cait, which followed her process of gender change.
The Republican, who is 72 years old, has also been active in politics. In the unsuccessful 2021 California recall election for governor, she ran as a substitute candidate, but she only earned 1% of the vote.

#2 Cody Simpson

Source: NZ Herald

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Australia was represented by Cody Simpson, who won gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle swimming relay. But in addition to his current swimming prowess, the Australian is also a well-known singer who has released four solo studio albums: Paradise (2012), Surfers Paradise (2013), Free (2015), and Cody Simpson (2022).
Talk about coming full circle, Simpson even performed "I Still Call Australia Home" for the Queen at Buckingham Palace and took part in the Queen's Baton Relay to mark the start of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

#3 Jason Statham

Source: Watchrs Club

Before he started acting in action movies, Jason Statham was recognized for his role as Deckard Shaw in the Fast & Furious movie series.
After developing a passion for diving as a child, the 55-year-old made it onto the British national diving team. He competed in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Henderson, New Zealand, but finished last. The actor was formerly ranked as high as No. 12 in the world for platform diving, but he was disqualified from the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
In a 2003 interview with IGN, Statham called his 12 years on the national team "a great experience" that "teaches you discipline, focus, and certainly keeps you out of trouble."

#4 Terry Crews

Source: Hollywood Walk of Fame

Terry Crews attended Western Michigan University on a full football scholarship before playing the lovable Terry Jeffords in the sitcom Brooklyn 99. When the Los Angeles Rams selected him in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft, the 54-year-old began his professional football career. He also played for the San Diego Chargers and the Washington Commanders before quitting and pursuing a career in acting.
Among Crews' well-known parts are those of Julius Rock in the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris and of White Chicks in 2004 and the Expendables series in Movies,(2010–2014). The actor started hosting America's Got Talent in 2019 as well as the spinoff series America's Got Talent: The Champions.

#5 The Rock

Source: talkSPORT

Many people will recognize Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from his professional wrestling days, even though he may be a well-known face on the big screen. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he was one of the top WWE performers, he won 10 world championships, gave himself the ring name "The Rock," and became well-known for his magnetic trash-talking.
Johnson departed WWE in 2004, but he made a comeback as a part-time performer from 2011 to 2013 until retiring in 2019. But before he started wrestling, Johnson played football and attended Miami Hurricanes on a full scholarship. He played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League but was cut after two months due to an injury, yet things turned out well for him in the end.

#6 Uzo Aduba

Source: Twitter

For her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, Uzo Aduba won two Emmys and two SAG awards, but the actor also has a history in sports. The 41-year-old was a member of Boston University's track and field team during her undergraduate years, where she was "one of BU's all-time top sprinters" and came very close to breaking the 55-meter record of 7.03 seconds, coming in at 7.07 seconds.
After graduating from college, Aduba continued to run by competing in the 2013 New York City Marathon and the 2015 Boston Marathon.

#7 Vinnie Jones

Source: Para Eles

In addition to appearing in movies like Snatch (2000), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Mean Machine (2001), and Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Vinnie Jones also had a reputation as a tough guy on the football field, where he played as a defensive midfielder. The 57-year-old played for Queens Park Rangers, Wimbledon, Leeds United, and Sheffield United during his 15-year career.
However, Jones is best known for his time spent playing for Wimbledon, where he showed a willingness to make violent tackles as a member of the Crazy Gang era and helped the team win the 1988 FA Cup.