Being blessed with talent in one arena doesn’t always translate to others. That’s especially true when it comes to pro athletes who try their hand at a rap career.
Given the amount of football players who have dabbled in music, the NFL could stand for National Freestyle League in some alternate universe. The jury is still out on whether or not that would be a good thing.
With famous musical friends at their disposal and money to blow on studio time, some pro players can be fooled into thinking they have a shot at scoring a off the field but we beg to differ.
Hit the flip for a list of NFL players who shouldn’t have quit their day jobs. Then, grab the remote for your X1 DVR™ from XFINITY® to start streaming live games now. You can also watch them when you’re away from the crib so you never have to miss a game.
Deion Sanders
We’ll never know what or who put the battery in Sanders’ back to make the NFL All Star believe he had what it takes to hold his own on the mic; but who could blame the man for thinking he had that fire when MC Hammer was dangling a Bust It Records contract in front of him? When Prime Time was released in 1994, backed by the hit single “Must Be The Money,” we all had this collective kneejerk reaction. It wasn’t because Neon Deion was dropping gems (“The way I live is oh so phat/I got two ladies and Prime Time is all that,”) but because he was bold and flashy enough to actually do it. Now Sanders’ son is following in his pop’s steps while ballin’ as a wide out at SMU. Must be the…uh, family.
The 1985 Chicago Bears
“The Super Bowl Shuffle” was a gold-selling, Grammy-nominated song that was recorded before the start of the 1985-86 season. The only reason this novelty record gets a pass and earns its legendary status is because the Monsters of the Midway actually hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at the end of that campaign. Despite Daaaa Bears’ successful musical run, they inspired a slew of knockoffs—from Hollywood (the LL Cool J written “Football Rap” performed by Goldie Hawn, Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and crew in the 1986 flick Wildcats) to one too many NFL teams failing to catch the beat and boast about their lofty, and eventually unfulfilled, championship expectations. Like this. And this. AND THIS. THIS?????
DeSean Jackson
Getting drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and signing a huge NFL contract would be enough for most, but Jackson has a passion beyond the gridiron: music. The California native continues to chase a championship with his current team, the Washington Washington Football Team, while pursuing his rap dreams. With the football checks flowing, DJ launched his own label, Jaccpot Records, and got Snoop Dogg to do him a solid by appearing on “Diamonds On My Neck,” which may score points in the club but ultimately gets a flag on the play from hip-hop purists.
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NFL Jams ’96
We’re not sure what’s more head scratching, the fact that hip-hop heavyweights like Method Man, Raekwon and AZ collaborated with the likes of Ricky Watters and Andre Rison or that James Earl Jones has production credits on this album. Yes, the same James Earl Jones who voiced Darth Vader. We couldn’t make this up if we tried.
Chris Johnson
At one point in his career, CJ2K was one of the best running backs in the league. A few years back he tried his hand at being one of the best rappers with “Act On Deck.” Based on the busy signal sample used to build the beat, Johnson tried to create something that was off the hook but few cared to listen and proved it was time to hang it up.
Stevie Johnson
When you get co-signs from rappers such as The Game, you’d think your mic game is on point. Eh, not so fast. To his credit, the San Diego Chargers’ wide receiver (and cousin to Bay Area rapper, Ya Boy) does have some flow on the track “Run It Back.” But all that goes out the window when you hear verbal haymakers like, “Call me Stevie Barbarian/BANG, BANG, BANG/Lights out, Shawn Merriman.” **Blank stare.*** Let’s go…
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Technically, the Hollywood action star never played for the NFL, but he did dirty his cleats in college and the Canadian Football League before joining the WWE. It’s also a technicality that Johnson doesn’t actually spit a verse on Wyclef’s 2000 single, but The Rock’s catchphrase was the basis of the song’s hook so like the man said, “It Doesn’t Matter!”
