Jim Brown
Here’s another NFL star who joined the acting world. Jim Brown played eight seasons with the Cleveland Browns, becoming a champion in his seventh season, and started acting before his NFL career came to an end. His debut film was 1964’s Rio Conchos, which was a total bomb, but it wasn’t until the following decade that he began to blossom as a serious actor.
Jim attended Manhasset High School in New York, where he instantly became a city star. However, he was also a pretty good basketball player, averaging 38 points per game throughout his four years. He went to Syracuse University, where he continued to set records as a rusher.