21 Celebs You Didn't Know Were College Athletes (2024)

Actor Emma Watson is probably best known for her roles as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series and Belle in the live-action Disney adaption of Beauty and the Beast.

In 2010, Watson joined the Brown University field hockey team. So she majored in English literature in the classroom and majored in kicking ass on the field.

I probably can't list all of Denzel Washington's great movies, so I will leave it at saying he is one of the more recognizable faces in movies.

While attending college at Fordham University, Washington played basketball as a guard while he was earning a BA in drama and journalism.

Known for roles from playing Dan in Roseanne to voicing Sully in Monsters, Inc., John Goodman has had quite the acting career.

Before he was a household name, he played college football at Southern Missouri State University as a lineman. His collegiate career never really happened due to injuries, so his focus went toward acting, and the rest is history.

Leslie Jones was an SNL darling as far as cast members. Her career as a comedian has even led her to hosting her own shows like Supermarket Sweep.

She went to Chapman University on a basketball scholarship. Picturing Jones in the paint on defense, that must have been pretty intimidating, especially if she was ready to roast your entire life.

Former wrestler turned Hollywood movie star Dwayne Johnson has found profitable success on the big screen.

Johnson played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was on the 1991 national championship team. He went undrafted and tried the CFL, but his calling was in the wrestling ring, where he became "The Rock" for the millions...and millions of fans.

Joel McHale joined the Washington Huskies football team in the '90s. Famous for shows like The Soup and Community, McHale built up quite therésuméin TV and movies.

In 1996, Mahershala Ali attended St. Mary's College (CA) on a basketball scholarship. He lost interest in a sports career and turned to theater.

Ali has been taking on the film industry by storm since the late 2010s, starring in Moonlight, Green Book(for both films, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), and is set to lead in Marvel'sBlade.

2 Chainz (Tauheed Epps) played basketball for Alabama State University.

Best known for his solo rap career, which took of in 2012, under the name 2 Chainz, he has become one of the more recognizable names in the industry.

Jason Sudeikis is best known for his time as part of the SNL cast, but he is also an ex-athlete. He played basketball at Fort Scott Community College.

Once leaving basketball behind, he turned to improv comedy, which turned into an SNL spot, which then turned into great work in both TV and film.

Imagine this man throwing a javelin. Because that is exactly what he did at Oklahoma State University in the early '80s.

When he was done throwing javelins, he went on to have an amazing career in country music and is one of the top best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 170 million records.

You probably know him from Modern Family, but Ed O'Neill has had quite the career in athletics.

Before taking on hilarious dad roles, O'Neill played college football at Ohio University and Youngstown State (after transferring). He almost got a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster in 1969, but was up against all-time great "Mean" Joe Greene at the same position.

Both monsters from Monsters, Inc. made the list!

Billy Crystal, a hardcore New York Yankee fan, made the baseball team at Marshall University, but never got the chance to play, and instead, attended Nassau Community College.

A famous newscaster on Good Morning America, Robin Roberts was an impressive athlete in her early years.

Roberts attended Southeastern Louisiana University on a tennis scholarship and ended up playing for the women's basketball team.

Channing Tatum attended Glenville State College to play footballbut eventually dropped out.

He has found success in acting and is probably most known for his roles in the Magic Mike series and the21 Jump Street reboot.

Bianca Crawford (Belair) was a track star at the University of Tennessee, where she earned All-SEC and All-American. She was also on the SEC's academic honor roll in 2011 and 2012.

Now in the WWE, she is quickly becoming the biggest rising star in pro wrestling.

Weathers played football as a defensive end for San Diego State University. He was good enough to make the NFL in 1970 as an undrafted free agent for the Oakland Raiders. Playing extras in movies eventually led to him becoming quite the star in the '80s.

The man's been involved in Star Wars, Predator, and Rocky...how can I not love him?

She was hilarious in Bridesmaids and has dabbled in voice acting in the 2010s, but Kemperwas actually a field hockey champion at Princeton in 1998 before focusing on her acting career.

Although, she admits she was a bit of a benchwarmer, but a champ is a champ.

Jon Stewart played soccer at William & Mary.

The comedian is best known as the O.G. ofThe Daily Show and has a new show on HBO debuting this fall. Most recently, he is known for his great advocacy for the 9/11 First Responders Bill.

Forest Whitaker has had an impressive acting career, but who knows if it would have happened if he had played sports in college.

He was ready to play on a football scholarship at California State Polytechnic University, but due to a back injury, his major changed to music, and then to acting once he transferred to USC. He then went on to star in numerous films and win countless awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor.