Sorry, Gronk youve got nothing on these NFL actors

Publish date: 2024-04-17

Forget the release of “Casablanca” — Friday is the greatest day in cinema history. Why? New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski returns to the big screen — not playing himself as he did in “Entourage,” but as a tough-talking cop in the straight-to-the-bottom-of-your-garbage-pile “You Can’t Have It.”

The NFL party boy appears in the movie’s utterly confusing and all-around terrible trailer, proclaiming near the end, “Someone needs to do some explaining. What’s going on?” It’s a sentiment you’ll share after watching it.

Gronkowski isn’t the only football hero to go from the gridiron to Hollywood. Here are some of the biggest crossover stars and their film scores.

Rob Gronkowski

The overgrown frat boy is a one-man roving fiesta. But Gronkowski, 27, can back up his party stats with his play: The New England tight end has made four trips to the Pro Bowl and has 68 touchdowns.

Gronk could have a costly fumble with his role as Officer Weadon in “You Can’t Have It.” But perhaps it isn’t his fault. Co-star Joanna Krupa has said he was distracted by all of the hot chicks on set. He had another chance to redeem himself as an actor in the February thriller “American Violence.” Let’s just say … he didn’t.

Score: Gronk’s movie career is destined for the DVD sales rack at Duane Reade. Half a football

Bubba Smith

The late Bubba Smith was the No. 1 pick in the 1967 NFL draft and played defensive end for nine NFL seasons. The 6-foot 7-inch Texan was a two-time Pro Bowler and won Super Bowl V with the Baltimore Colts.

Smith and his handlebar mustache earned their stripes in the role of Officer Hightower in the “Police Academy” franchise, where they had a few run-ins with cars.

Score: What Smith lacked in range was made up for with screen presence: Three footballs

Joe Namath

The pride of Beaver Falls, Penn., Joe Namath is a vaunted figure in the Jets franchise. After all, the Hall of Fame quarterback grabbed the team’s only Super Bowl title, in 1969.

The now-73 year old was host of an eponymous TV talk show and starred in the 1970 movie “C.C. & Company” alongside Ann-Margret, where he kicked some serious butt as a heroic motorcycle mechanic caught up in a biker gang. These days, the most screen time he gets is when he plays himself, like he did in the 2015 comedy “The Wedding Ringer.”

Score: Namath’s acting career, which started off hot, has fizzled: Three footballs

O.J. Simpson

Before O.J. Simpson starred in the most sensational real-life murder case of the late 20th century, he was a Heisman trophy winner and NFL Hall of Fame running back with the Buffalo Bills.

There is no need to comb through The Juice’s IMDB page. The only role that matters is that of clumsy Detective Nordberg in “The Naked Gun” franchise, where he always ended up in wheelchairs or hospital beds.

Score: Out of pure respect for the slapstick comedy of “The Naked Gun,” we’ll give this noted felon some slack: Two footballs

Terry Crews

Drafted in a late round by the Los Angeles Rams in 1991, Terry Crews had an unremarkable gridiron career. The linebacker bounced around to the Redskins and Chargers before retiring in 1997.

Crews began his comedy movie career with the comedy flick “Friday After Next” in 2002, which he followed up with “White Chicks” in 2004 and 2005’s “The Longest Yard.” He also played a tough-talking boot-camp instructor in “Bridesmaids” (2011). His IMDB credits are pretty extensive, and include memorable TV roles such as the stoic father in “Everybody Hates Chris.” Currently, Crews plays a detective on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and has two more comedy movies in the can.

Score: He’s no future Hall of Famer, but he’s the most successful ex-player on screen: Five footballs

Brian Bosworth

During the 1980s, no one courted controversy both on and off the field like Brian Bosworth. With his signature shaved mullets and big mouth, the stand-out college linebacker, known simply as “The Boz,” wrote checks his body couldn’t cash: He only played three seasons for the Seahawks before retiring in 1989.

In 1991, Bosworth starred as a tough cop infiltrating biker gangs in the movie “Stone Cold,” in which he had a pet lizard and sweet fight scenes. He was also in 2005’s “The Longest Yard” and, in 2015, he showed off his dramatic chops in “Do You Believe?,” a faith-infused movie where he plays a man who finds God.

Score: He would have notched more if he’d kept his mullet: Four footballs

Terry Bradshaw

The beloved Steelers quarterback-turned-broadcaster has four Super Bowl rings and two Super Bowl MVP trophies that he collected over 14 great NFL seasons.

The 68-year-old Fox Sports co-host kicked off his acting career with a role in 1978’s “Hooper,” and has a long list of TV credits. His biggest role: playing Matthew McConaughy’s father in the 2006 romantic comedy, “Failure To Launch.”

Score: With a “Cannonball Run” credit to your name, no one can dispute your greatness: Four footballs

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