Athletes who became actors

Athletes are performers and used to plying their trade before the public, so it should come as no great surprise that some have been able to make the move from the jock kingdom to the small or large screen. Not everyone has been doing Shakespeare, of course, but a few have been able to make their mark (not to mention a decent living) in the thespian world.

Here are just a few who have successfully transitioned:

Jim Brown: NFL running back/The Dirty Dozen

Chuck Connors: MLB/The Rifleman

Fred Dryer: NFL/Hunter

Rick Fox: NBA/Oz, Ugly Betty

Alex Karras: NFL/Blazing Saddles, Webster

Howie Long: NFL/Broken Arrow, 3000 Miles to Graceland, Malcolm in the Middle

Ed Marinaro: NFL/Hill Street Blues

Merlin Olsen: NFL/Father Murphy

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Body builder/Terminator series

O.J. Simpson: NFL/Naked Gun series

Bubba Smith: NFL/Police Academy

Bob Uecker: MLB/Major League series, Mr. Belvedere

Carl Weathers: NFL/Rocky series

Fred Williamson: NFL/blaxploitation films, Starsky and Hutch