Actors Who Could Have Been an Athlete
Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell, who was a top star for Disney studios in the '70s and went onto star in films like "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Miracle," was also an extremely talented baseball player. He was signed by the California Angels in 1971, and as a second baseman played for four of the Angels' minor league affiliates, becoming a league All-Star in his first year. In 1973 he led the Texas League in hitting with a .563 batting average in his first 16 at bats and was said to be a shoe-in for the majors. Unfortunately, a torn rotator cuff took him out of the game and the rest is history.
Lee Majors
In the starring role on the 1970s "The Six Million Dollar Man," television series, Lee Majors was one of the hottest celebs around. He also starred in the "Fall Guy" during the '80s, and " Big Valley " back in the '60s. But he originally planned on a career in the NFL, attending Indiana University on a football scholarship. A back injury nixed that idea, but he transferred to Eastern Kentucky University after his back healed and played football there where he was offered a tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals during his final year. The now 76-year-old decided to turn it down because he didn't feel he was physically up to the challenge and decided to pursue acting instead
Taylor Kitsch
Canadian actor best known for his role as Tim Riggins in "Friday Night Lights," grew up loving hockey - as so many from the Great White North do. The 33-year-old played junior ice hockey for the Langley Hornets in the British Columbia Hockey League, but he suffered a career-ending knee injury that forced him to consider another route. Taylor moved to New York to pursue modeling with IMG and began studying acting which led him to where he is today.
Ed O'Neill
"Modern Family" star Ed O'Neill may be hard to picture as a star athlete - unless you happen to remember that in his famous role as Al Bundy on the TV show "Married...With Children," his character played high school football. The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor attended Ohio University on a football scholarship and later transferred to Youngstown State where he was a defensive lineman. In 1969, O' Neill was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers but was cut during training camp. He may have been disappointed at the time, but looking back it's probably easier to see that most things happen for a reason.
Dean Cain
Dean Cain, best known for playing Superman on the television series "Lois & Clark" actually was an NFL player, if only for a very short time. The actor accepted an athletic scholarship to Princeton University and played safety for the football team. He set an NCAA Division 1-AA record for the most interceptions in a season with 12, and was signed by the Buffalo Bills immediately after graduation in 1988. After suffering a knee injury during training camp, his football career came to a quick end and the "Smallville" actor ultimately took a different path to stardom.
Jason Statham
Before becoming a successful action star, Jason Statham, best known for his roles in Guy Ritchie's crime films, was a competitive diver. He participated as a member of the British National Diving Squad for 12 years and even placed 12th in the world for diving in 1992. He did a little modeling for a while too, but as diving and modeling weren't paying the bills, he followed in his dad's footsteps by hustling on the streets of London . It was this "career" that actually helped him land his debut role as a conman in Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."
George Clooney
It's hard to imagine George Clooney not being on the big screen - a number of his films definitely wouldn't have been the same without him, like "O, Brother Where Art Thou," "Ocean's Eleven," and "The Descendants," but that came very close to happening. The Oscar-winning actor was a star baseball player in high school and was even asked to try out for the Cincinnati Reds in 1977. Obviously it wasn't meant to be as he never did get signed - lucky for the film industry and his countless fans.
Burt Reynolds
Legendary actor Burt Reynolds was an all-star high school fullback and earned a football scholarship to Florida State University . He played running back for the Gators in 1954, and drew the attention of the Baltimore Colts who reserved a spot for him in their training program while awaiting his graduation. Unfortunately, in the middle of the season he was involved in a bad car accident that worsened a prior injury, ending his dream of joining the NFL.
Mark Harmon
Before Mark Harmon was cracking cases for "NCIS," or even playing doctor on "St. Elsewhere, he was a starting quarterback for UCLA. In the early '70s he took the Bruins to a 17-5 record and helped the team upset the defending champs, the Nebraska Huskers in his very first season. Instead of joining the NFL, Harmon considered careers in advertising and law, but ultimately became an actor who spent much of his career portraying law enforcement and medical personnel.
Steve Carell
Did you ever notice that former "The Office" star Steve Carell always seemed to find a way to squeeze in a scene of his character Michael Scott ice skating or playing hockey? Apparently he used to play, and quite well at that, at least in high school. After he was cut from his college team he decided to go in a different direction but he stills finds any opportunity he can to play. The "Get Smart" actor is frequently seen playing in charity games, and on TV, whether or not the plot really calls for it.
M.C. Hammer
M.C. Hammer is a lifelong Oakland A's fan, and at a young age he could often be seen beat boxing and dancing at the stadium where the team plays baseball. He was discovered there at the Oakland Coliseum and joined the organization as a bat boy. He even hung out with execs and helped the team with a variety of tasks. He got his nickname, "Hammer," because someone thought he looked like Hank Aaron who had the same moniker. Eventually the rapper tried out for the San Francisco Giants on the other side of the bay, but he didn't make the cut and fell back on his musical talents instead.
