What are the 10 best all-time athlete movie cameos ?
2025-01-14
Category: sports

Two NFL legends will be sharing the big screen this February. Former All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch will have a role in a new action-comedy film titled "Love Hurts" (releasing Feb. 7) alongside FOX Sports analyst and Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson. Golden Globe and Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan plays a realtor who is pulled back into his past life of crime after his former partner resurfaces with a menacing message.&nbsp;  This made us think, which athletes have had the best cameos ever? We took on the task of answering this question, diving into movies over the last couple of decades and ranking the 10 best athlete cameos of all time. A cameo is typically defined as a "small theatrical role usually performed by a well-known actor and often limited to a single scene." What the athlete did in their respective scene — along with how big the movie was — were the main factors used in determining the list. Athletes who played a major role in a movie will be included in our next edition of the Daily Ranker. Stars such as Anthony Edwards in "Hustle," Michael Jordan in "Space Jam," Ray Allen in "He Got Game," Shaquille O’Neal in "Kazaam," etc. will get their shot there. While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names that made our list. Where does your favorite athlete rank? Let's take a look: 10. Derek Jeter, "The Other Guys"  In a 2010 comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as two New York cops whose careers are lacking, Derek Jeter is only in this film for a moment, but his role is an important one in relation to the plot. Jeter is mistakenly shot by Wahlberg's character (Terry Hoitz), preventing him from playing in Game 7 of the World Series. Hoitz is then branded the "Yankee Clipper," sending his NYPD career down into the dumps.&nbsp; 9. Brett Favre, "There's Something About Mary"  In this 1998 rom-com starring Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, Brett Favre plays the ex-boyfriend of Diaz's character (Mary Jensen). What makes his appearance so great is that he is repeatedly referenced as "Pac-Man" throughout the movie, but there were zero hints of him being a professional football player — let alone the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. In the end, Mary chooses "the good guy" and dumps Favre.&nbsp; 8. Lance Armstrong, "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story"  Lance Armstrong's scene in this movie is unexpected and hilarious, as he gives Vince Vaughn's character (Peter) a legendary speech when he learns that Peter is about to quit his team after running into him at the airport. The speech makes Peter realize his wrongdoing, and he rejoins the team and leads them to a sudden-death victory in the final. "Dodgeball" was released in 2004 and grossed $30 million in the U.S. on its opening weekend, and went on to make $168 million worldwide according to IMDB.&nbsp;&nbsp; 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr., "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"  In this 2006 classic comedy starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as two immature NASCAR drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s scene is so quick but so good. In a crowd of fans begging Ferrell's character (Ricky Bobby) for an autograph, Earnhardt Jr. plows his way to the front of the mob and asks him for an autograph. He states that he is a huge fan, and asks him "not to tell any of the other drivers." Truly hilarious.&nbsp; 6. Michael Irvin, "The Longest Yard"  In this remake of a 1974 classic, Michael Irvin plays a freak athlete who initially refuses to join a football team of inmates looking to play against the guards of the prison. After the guards continue to harass the inmates, Irvin's character — Deacon Moss – decides to join and brings his gang along with him. Irvin is unstoppable, and the movie does a great job portraying him as the star receiver he was in real life. "The Longest Yard" was released in 2005 and grossed over $191 million worldwide, according to IMDB.&nbsp; 5. Hines Ward, "The Dark Knight Rises"  Hines Ward has no lines in this classic, but his scene is one of the most incredible and memorable movie scenes ever. When Tom Hardy's character (Bane) is destroying Gotham City, Hines Ward and Co. are playing a football game wearing colors that resemble the Steelers. He returns a long touchdown and outruns the entire defense. But as he outruns the defense, an explosion erupts and the field collapses. Ward turns around only to find that everyone has fallen into the pit, and the stadium has been nearly destroyed. "The Dark Knight Rises" grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, according to IMDB. 4. Lee Trevino, "Happy Gilmore"  "Happy Gilmore" is considered one of the best sports movies of all time, with Adam Sandler's character being one of the signature comedic roles of his career. But Lee Trevino is also fantastic in this film, despite only having one line. He is constantly shaking his head when reacting to Happy's actions on the golf course, having been one of the greatest golfers of his generation. And his one line in the film is truly great, as he responds to Happy's nemesis by saying, "Grizzly Adams did have a beard." With a $12 million budget, "Happy Gilmore" grossed over $41 million worldwide, according to IMDB. 3. Mike Tyson, "The Hangover"  Mike Tyson is incredible in this film. He delivers his signature knockout punch to one of the characters in the film; he has a pet tiger with him, and he even sings Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" with Bradley Cooper's and Ed Helms' characters. Oh, and by the way, the three stooges in the movie steal his tiger, hence the aforementioned punching. His presence in the movie is surprising but really funny. The 2009 hit grossed over $469 million, according to IMDB.&nbsp; 2. Dan Marino, "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective"  In this iconic Jim Carrey vehicle, Marino plays himself in the story of a quirky pet detective (Carrey) whose goal is to recover the missing mascot of the Miami Dolphins. He ends up not only saving the mascot, but also saves Marino in the process, as Marino was kidnapped by the villain in the movie, Ray Finkle (played by Sean Young). The legendary quarterback returns in time to lead the Dolphins in Super Bowl XXVII. "Ace Ventura" was released in 1994 and grossed over $107 million worldwide, according to IMDB.&nbsp; 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, "Airplane!"  It's funny that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was often called "The Captain" during his NBA career, because in this 1980 movie he plays a co-pilot. In the movie, the entire flight crew of a plane falls sick due to food poisoning, and Cap is forced to help pilot a plane when Robert Hays' character (Ted Striker) cannot overcome his prior war trauma. Imagine seeing arguably the greatest NBA player of the time land a plane! "Airplane!" was released in 1980, only had a budget of $3.5 million and grossed a whopping $83.4 million worldwide according to IMDB. HONORABLE MENTION  Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.