Numerous NFL legends have joined the world of film in addition to their success on the field.
NFL stars have played a wide range of roles, from singers in a cappella groups to, appropriately enough, football players and coaches.
In many cases, NFL players appear in movies while playing in the league. Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs is one such example. While none of his movies have been released yet, he has been making his mark in Hollywood by acting in television shows, such as the premiere series “Grotesquerie” and the film “Loose Cannons.”
Many NFL stars have appeared in popular films, including, from left, Brett Favre, Terry Bradshaw and Tom Brady. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic and Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Friars Club and Nic Antaya/UFL/Getty Images)
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Check out some of the NFL stars you can expect to see on the big screen.
- Clay Matthews
- Dick Butkus
- Ray Nitschke
- Dan Marino
- Brett Favre
- Terry Bradshaw
- Bubba Smith
- Tom Brady
1. Matthews Clay
Clay Matthews had to warm up his voice for his appearance on “Pitch Perfect 2.”
The former NFL linebacker spent 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and one with the Los Angeles Rams.
Matthews' film moment came in “Pitch Perfect 2,” where he led an a cappella rendition of the song “Bootylicious.”
Clay Matthews stole the show, briefly, as a singer in “Pitch Perfect 2.” (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Matthews had the support of his teammates for his Hollywood debut, as four Packers offensive linemen can also be seen as part of the singing group.
Also appearing on the scene is Jordan Rodgers, the younger brother of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Jordan was a contestant on the reality show “The Bachelorette,” where he met his wife, JoJo Fletcher.
2. Dick Butkus
The late Dick Butkus had a couple of memorable movie moments outside of his NFL career.
Butkus was a Chicago Bears linebacker who was a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Before joining the professional league in 1965, he played for the University of Illinois, where he won the Heisman Trophy.
Dick Butkus played mostly football-related roles, such as in Any Given Sunday and Necessary Roughness. (Getty Images)
Butkus has appeared in several television shows and films over the years. His first film appearance was in the emotional sports film “Brian's Song,” where he made a brief cameo in 1971.
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One of his most memorable film roles came in 1991, when he played a football player on a team full of inmates in “Necessary Roughness” alongside other NFL stars including Earl Campbell and Jerry Rice. In the 1999 film “Any Given Sunday,” Butkus played a football coach.
In addition to these film and other roles, Butkus also appeared in many television shows throughout his life, including “My Two Dads,” “MacGyver” and “Hang Time.”
3. Ray Nitschke
NFL linebacker Ray Nitschke was in the league for 15 years, playing for the Green Bay Packers.
In 1978, Nitschke was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Nitschke appeared in two films, the comedy “Head” in 1968, when he played a football player, and another football comedy, “The Longest Yard,” in 1974.
Ray Nitschke was a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. He also appeared in the original version of “The Longest Yard.” (Getty Images)
The original film starred Burt Reynolds. Reynolds also starred in the 2005 remake, which starred Adam Sandler. The remake also featured NFL players Brian Bosworth and Michael Irvin.
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Nitschke died in 1998, aged 61, of a heart attack.
4. Dan Marino
Dan Marino is a former NFL quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins. He retired from professional football in 2000 and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2005.
Marino is still involved with the team today as a special advisor to the Dolphins.
Dan Marino appeared in the popular comedy “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” in 1994. (Rich Story/Getty Images)
As for Marino's film roles, the list begins with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” in 1994, when he made a brief appearance as himself.
He also played himself in the 1998 film “Holy Man” and “Bad Boys II” in 2003.
5. Brett Favre
The Green Bay Packers have had many players who are also actors. Brett Favre is another member of the professional team who has also been on the big screen.
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The former NFL quarterback spent 20 seasons in the league, primarily with the Packers, with a Super Bowl victory in 1997.
Brett Favre was in the movie “There's Something About Mary” in addition to his successful football career. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Favre's most popular role was in the film “There's Something About Mary,” where he briefly appeared as an ex-boyfriend of Mary, played by Cameron Diaz.
6. Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw is a former NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since retiring from the NFL, he remains involved in sports through his role as co-host of “Fox NFL Sunday.”
Bradshaw's time in the league allowed him to achieve impressive accomplishments, including winning four Super Bowls in just six years with the Steelers, in 1975, 1976, 1979 and 1980.
Bradshaw played Matthew McConaughey's character's father, Tripp, in the 2006 romantic comedy “Failure to Launch.”
Terry Bradshaw was in “Failure to Launch,” a popular romantic comedy with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. (Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for the Friars' Club)
Sarah Jessica Parker and Bradley Cooper are also among the stars of the popular film.
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Over the years, Bradshaw has also appeared on several television shows, including “Married…with Children,” “Modern Family” and “Last Man Standing.”
7. Bubba Smith
Bubba Smith was an NFL defensive end. He was the first overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft. He played for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers during his professional football career, which lasted from 1967 to 1976.
During this time, he had a Super Bowl victory with the Colts.
As an actor, Smith is known for his roles in the “Police Academy” films, appearing in six of the seven films in the franchise.
Bubba Smith, right, had a role in almost every “Police Academy” film. (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
The first of the films was released in 1984. “Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment” was released in 1985, followed by “Police Academy 3: Back in Training” in 1986 and “Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol” in 1987.
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Smith's last two films were “Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach” in 1988 and “Police Academy 6: Under Siege” in 1989.
Smith died in 2011 at the age of 66.
8. Tom Brady
Last but not least, the former NFL player considered the “greatest of all time” has also appeared in several films.
Tom Brady spent the majority of his professional football career with the New England Patriots before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady won seven Super Bowl rings (six with the Patriots and one with the Buccaneers) before his retirement in 2023.
In 2023, a full-length movie based on Tom Brady was created, called “80 for Brady”, about a group of friends' journey to the Super Bowl. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Brady first appeared in the 2003 comedy “Stuck on You” with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. He later appeared as himself in the 2015 film “Ted 2” with Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane, who voiced the talking teddy bear.
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The NFL star was also in the 2023 film “80 for Brady,” a movie starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field.
