The Top Movie Cameos From NFL Stars

There is no doubt about the footballing ability of the players in the NFL, but have you ever wondered if they have other hidden talents?

While it's not quite a complete change of career, there are a surprising number who have stepped in front of the movie camera - but blink, and you might miss it. Here's a look at some of the best movie cameos from players you'd typically see on the field.

Something About Mary is a classic comedy that's become iconic. With a great cast, including Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon, footballer Brett Favre pops up with a fun cameo.

With such talented actors to pick up most of the work in his scene, Brett Favre doesn't have too much to do. His commanding physical appearance does most of the heavy lifting for his character, and he's very believable as an earnest suitor for "Mary".

Arguably one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Tom Brady is already a living legend. However, it seems that he was eager to try something new, and accepted an invitation from his pal Mark Wahlberg to feature in Ted 2. 

In the plot, a sperm donor is needed, so John and Ted plan on stealing some of Brady's. Inevitably things go wrong, and Ted is spectacularly launched out of the window by Brady, who harnesses his footballing ability to eject the intruder. 

Brady isn't about to win any Oscars for his role, but his appearance is a treat for big fans.

Not all movie cameos for NFL stars are for comedies, as Hines Ward proved when he appeared in The Dark Knight Rises. The moody Batman movie isn't played for laughs, unlike other versions of the Caped Crusader, so Ward was under pressure to be authentic. 

Luckily for him, the role simply required him to play football. Playing for the Gotham Rogues, Hines Ward is a football player who’s running along the field oblivious to the fact that the ground is collapsing behind him. 

Without too much required in terms of acting ability, it's a great cameo for Hines Ward that true NFL fans might have spotted.

J.J Watt has a pretty impressive record with Houston Texans, including four Pro Bowl appearances, but it seems he may be eying up a new career in the world of acting. 

With his part filmed over two days, Watt appeared in the popular Bad Moms alongside female co-stars Mila Kunis, Christina Applegate and Kristen Bell. He didn’t tell any of his teammates about his role as a youth soccer coach, letting them find out for themselves when they went to the cinema! Despite the surprise, Watt says that his fellow footballers have been pretty supportive of his performance, something he wasn’t expecting.

What may have helped is that Bad Moms wasn’t Watt’s first time in front of the camera. He also appeared in The League and New Girl, playing himself and later went on to play himself in And Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.