With the NFL lockout set to end any day now, why not have a little fun recounting some of the NFL's best contributions to Hollywood?
Keep in mind that the term "best" is used very loosely. While some of the cameos on this list are actually examples of decent acting, others were so bad that you can't help but watch them over and over laughing your head off.
Hut one! Hut two! Action!
Brett Favre, "There's Something About Mary"
What were the directors of There's Something About Mary thinking?
Brett Favre was quite terrible in his role as the former love interest of the Mary.
Watching the clip might make you feel uncomfortable similar to how you feel when you see a guy get turned down after a marriage proposal.
It's just awkward.
Terry Bradshaw, "Failure to Launch"
Terry Bradshaw, while a great quarterback, is one of the worst co-anchors in NFL history.
He lets his love of the game get of head of his mouth, brain, and whatever else he might use in communicating.
Failure to Launch was a terrible movie already, so no skin off Bradshaw's bald head.
Brian Bosworth, "Stone Cold"
Brian Bosworth was one of the biggest flops in NFL history.
Stone Cold was a B-grade action film to any and all.
Bad combo.
Dan Marino, "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective"
Finally! A decent comedy that has lived on for years.
Dan Marino was neither good nor bad in his brief appearance after being kidnapped.
Luckily, he still made it back for the big game.
Deion Sanders, "Celtic Pride"
Deion "Primetime" Sanders didn't quite live up to his self-imposed nickname with his Celtic Pride cameo.
In the final scene, he is shown waking up to intruders who want to keep him from playing against their beloved New England Patriots (we assume).
Take a look at his turn in the video link.
Emmitt Smith, "The Little Giants"
I gotta be honest. I don't even remember Emmitt Smith being in The Little Giants.
But he's the most prolific rusher of all time, and that movie kicks ass.
He has my vote for a nice cameo.
John Madden, "The Replacements"
John Madden's placement on this list could've been applied to any number of movies, but his cameo in The Replacements sticks out. I really enjoyed that movie.
Madden's voice is iconic with football, football video games, and to some extent, football movies.
I can dig it.
Roy Williams, "Friday Night Lights"
This is I like a lot.
Roy Williams made a cameo as a coach for Midland Lee in Friday Nights Lights the movie.
Williams is an alumnus of Permian, the rival of Midland Lee as well as the subject school for the move.
Mike Ditka, "Kicking and Screaming"
Kicking and Screaming sucked, but Mike Ditka did a decent job alongside Will Ferrell.
It's rare when a former player and coach can perform individually in the movie itself.
Props to the Chicago Bear.
Lyle Alzado, "Ernest Goes to Camp"
Lyle Alzado, former Super Bowl champ, stayed in great shape after his NFL career was over.
Unfortunately, this was made possible by his constant use of anabolic steroids which led to his untimely death.
At least he left us with this gem in a classic movie, Ernest Goes to Camp.
Fred Williamson, "From Dusk Till Dawn"
Fred Williamson's mediocre career in the NFL was dwarfed by an exceptional career as an actor, director and producer.
One of his better movies was Quentin Tarantino's 1996 horror film From Dusk Till Dawn.
Rent it at your local Blockbuster...hahahahahaha.
Howie Long, "3000 Miles to Graceland"
Howie Long is a great Hall of Fame lineman.
3000 Miles to Graceland is a great action film that has to do with Elvis.
Perfection on the big screen.
Ray Nitschke, "The Longest Yard"
Ray Nitschke was one of the guards in the epic guards versus inmates football game in the original The Longest Yard.
His injury-inflicting block on the Mean Machine running back rallied the inmates to a major upset in a great movie.
Yatta boy, Nitschke!
Bill Romanowski, "The Longest Yard"
The 2005 version of The Longest Yard sucks.
Bill Romanowski was pretty badass though in his 'roid-fueled rage.
Adam Sandler for Burt Reynolds, though?
That's worse than the Babe Ruth trade...
Dick Butkus, "Brian's Song"
In this classic about the touching friendship between Chicago Bears great Gale Sayers and his rival, friend, and cancer-stricken running back is legendary.
Dick Butkus made a cameo playing himself and has done a few more pieces of acting since.
O.J. Simpson, "The Naked Gun" Trilogy
Before he was criminally acquitted and civilly convicted in the infamous murders, O.J. Simpson was a rising star in Hollywood.
His turn in the hilarious trilogy The Naked Gun was just a small example of what could've been for the Hall of Fame running back.
P.S. Anna Nicole Smith was quite a beauty back then.
Bubba Smith, "Police Academy" Series
Big Bubba Smith was a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champ before he hit the screen in a comedic way in 1984.
As the former florist Moses Hightower, Smith was just one of many hilarious characters in the hilarious Police Academy series.
Smith made quite a career with the series, playing in six of the seven movies.
Carl Weathers, "Happy Gilmore"
While not much of a NFL player, Carl Weathers made big splashes in Hollywood with stints as Apollo Creed in the 1976 Oscar winner Rocky among other movies.
He appears on this list because of his great job coaching Adam Sandler's character in golf in Happy Gilmore.
How about that great job singing and playing piano when Happy is daydreaming??
Jim Brown, "Any Given Sunday"
Jim Brown was the most dominating football player of all time. He seemed to be just as dominating as an assistant coach in the immortal Any Given Sunday.
His acting, at least in the clip here, was incredible.
But please be warned: The video contains some very vivid language that might offend some.
Alex Karras, "Blazing Saddles"
This has to be one of the most famous moments in all of comedic cinema. Seriously.
Alex Karras, the former Detroit Lion, made his mark on Blazing Saddles with this excellent right jab as the idiot character Mongo.
Lawrence Taylor, "The Waterboy"
And finally, the best NFL cameo in cinematic history comes from the best defensive player in history: Lawrence Taylor.
While Adam Sandler's Bobby Boucher took up most of the time when Taylor was on screen, L.T. stole the show with his timing and conviction.
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