Ten Best Movie Appearances by Sport Star Athletes

Sure they could play ball, jump high, throw a good punch and run real fast. But did you know they could act? So here it goes.

10) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in "Game of Death" - He was funny in "Airplane", but it was his role against Bruce Lee in this martial art classic. Who could forget his kick while sitting down that knocked the Martial Arts Superstar on his back. The 7'2 Kareem's shows off some great moves and gives Lee's character a run for his money before Lee kills him off.

9) Jim Brown in "The Dirty Dozen" - Yeah, he left his career while he was still in his prime. But he had a successful career in the movies. While "Original Gangsters" was blot on film resume, it was his role in "The Dirty Dozen" with an all-star cast that people will be remembered as Brown's finest role.

8) Lee Trevino in "Happy Gilmore" - This former Professional golfer doesn't have much of a role in this move except for popping up in certain places as comic relief. This Adam Sadler's movie about a former hockey player with anger issues turned pro golfer garnered some good laughs. It also featured the perhaps best performance by a golfer since John Daly faked sobriety.

7) Dave Hanson, Jeff Carlson and Steve Carlson in "Slapshot" - This hysterical movie about minor league hockey starred Paul Newman and a couple spectacled nerds that end up kicking the $^# out of any opposing hockey team. Those nerds were real professional players who in real life, beat the $$^@ out of opposing hockey teams.

6) Tommy Morrison in "Rocky V" - This movie is the one that Sylvester Stallone hopes that fans of the series forget. Morrison was an actual boxing champion in this movie who takes on Rocky in a street fight. In real life, Morrison was hyped to be a great fighter but only had modest success. In the mid-nineties Morrison made news when he announced that he had contracted HIV. Allegedly he is still in good health.

5) Hulk Hogan in "Rocky III" - I know what you're going to say. Professional Wrestling a sport? It may be scripted but these performers are in great shape and take a lot of punishment. Hogan (Terry Bollea) was already a well known heel in his profession but his role as the professional wrestler "Thunderlips" made him a familiar face to many that refused to watch wrestling. One of the best scenes of the movie is when Hogan's character throws a panicked Rocky Balboa out of the ring.

4) John Matuszak in the "Goonies" - He was unrecognizable in the mask he wore but he ends up saving the day in this 1985 movie with a cast full of emerging names (Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Robert Davi). Starred in other films such as North Dallas Forty and Caveman. The former football star was known as being a fearsome player that lived his life in the fast lane. He died at the age of 38 of heart failure.

3) OJ Simpson in the Naked Gun series - The "Juice" always had charisma and a natural ability to act. He played the perfect friend (victim) to Leslie Nielsen's character in this slap stick humor series. Who could forget OJ rolling down some stadium steps in a wheelchair and flung in the air only to come crashing down to the ground. I'm sure many people wished it was the real thing. No doubt, OJ's most memorable performance, if you don't count his trying on those gloves at his trial for killing his ex-wife and Ron Goldman.

2) Terry Bradshaw in "Failure to Launch" A veteran of movies and television Sunday Football shows, Terry Bradshaw is no slouch when it comes to acting. This Hall of Fame quarterback has a good sense of humor and his buck naked scene in this film is still widely remembered. I just want to say this scene for me was quite memorable. Not enjoyable.

1) Any Bruce Lee Movie - He didn't compete professionally but he was a martial arts expert and competed in amateur boxing matches and street fights. An icon and a legend, more than thirty years later people still marvel at his stunts and athleticism. Okay, maybe he couldn't recite some of Shakespeare's best lines. But could Shakespeare do a flying kick to the head?