NFL Players Becoming Actors

From the Oct. 11, 2012, Northwest Herald (Il) "Players and Actors."

This came about with the death of former Detroit Lion Alex Karras.

1. CARL WEATHERS--  played 7 games for the Raiders before becoming Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" series.  Also was Chubbs in "Happy Gillmore."

2.  FRED WILLIAMSON--  "The Hammer" played for the chiefs in Super Bowl 1 and later co-starred with George Clooney in "From Dusk to Dawn."

3.  BUBBA SMITH--  Defensive linebacker player Hightower in the "Police Academy" movies and also had some hilarious "Easy Opening Cans" Miller Lite commercials.

4.  JIM BROWN--  Former browns RB retired early to become an actor and had roles in "The Dirty Dozen" and "Any Given Sunday."

5.  ED "TOO TALL" JONES--  In that great Pepsi commercial with the jersey. Also in "Necessary Roughness" and "Married...with Children."

I can also think of O.J. Simpson in the HBO series "First and Ten" and some of those spoof movies.  That is, before he got away with murder.

Also, Merlin Olson on "Little House on the Prairie."

Who Says Football Players Can't Act?  --Cooter