Photo by Juan Marshall/ProAmFightTalk
With Super Bowl XLVIII upon us, let’s take a look at some giants of the gridiron who have decided to trade the cleats for the gloves.
Could one of the Broncos or Seahawks players be a future pugilist? Only time will tell.
Read of for a list of some of the most notable football players who also boxed.
Ed “Too Tall” Jones
Photo by WCOA
In 1979, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones attempted a brief career in boxing as a Heavyweight.
Jones fought six times in his career–which ended in 1980–and won five fights by way of knockout.
Tom Zbikowski
Photo by Tom Casino
Tom Zbikowski is a former Notre Dame All-American football star and a former NFL safety for the Baltimore Ravens.
Zbikowski is one of the most recent football players to attempt a boxing career, although his career was brief like some of the others on this list.
He has a record of 4-0, 3 KOs as a Heavyweight, but has left both football and boxing behind to focus on becoming a firefighter inChicago.
Seth Mitchell
Photo by Juan Marshall/ProAmFightTalk
Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell was a decorated high school athlete in the state of Maryland.
According to Wikipedia, after receiving more than a dozen football scholarship offers, Mitchell decided to attend Michigan State University.
In 2005, Mitchell was forced to stop playing football because of damaged cartilage in his knee.
After his football career came to an abrupt end, he was inspired by Tom Zbikowski to try his hand at boxing. Mitchell signed with Golden Boy Promotions and has built up a record of 26-2-1, 19 KOs as a Heavyweight contender and is still active.
Alonzo Highsmith
Photo by Al Bello/Allsport
Alonzo Highsmith fought as a Heavyweight for four years after he retired from the NFL.
Highsmith finished his boxing career with a record of 27-1-2, 23 KOs, but according to Wikipedia three of his wins were eventually withdrawn when it was determined that Highsmith–no pun intended–was high, under the influence of marijuana.
Like Seth Mitchell after him, Highsmith’s physique was one of the most impressive in boxing.
Ray Edwards
Photo by Jesse Kelley
Ray Edwards is a former Minnesota Vikings football player who fights as a Heavyweight.
Edwards is a raw prospect, and has not had much success attracting mainstream attention other than when one of his opponents was suspended for taking a dive.
Edwards holds a record of 5-0, 3 KOs.
Mark Gastineau
Mark Gastineau is a decorated All-Pro offensive lineman for the New York Jets.
Gastineau fought as a Heavyweight and amassed a record of 15-2, 15 KOs.
In his final career bout, he fought fellow ex-football player Alonzo Highsmith and lost by second-round knockout.
