11 Celebrities Who Were Athletes in College

Being a celebrity comes with various perks, such as worldwide recognition and association with famous organizations

Teenager playing basketball together

However, most of the time, people view celebrities as superhuman beings and tend to overlook their past life. Celebs have gone through various stages and developments in life, just like any other person, and have led normal lives before fame. A majority attended college and were involved in activities such as sports and games. Here’s a list of celebs who were renowned athletes in college.

Dwayne Johnson

Douglas, or The Rock, is a professional wrestler, movie actor, and fitness enthusiast born in Hayward, California, in 1972. He was an exemplary football athlete and a member of the University of Miami football team, commonly known as the Miami Hurricanes. After college, he registered with the Canadian Football League, where he sustained an injury that cut short his career as a football athlete. To date, his athleticism is evident in action movies.

Besides athletics, Dwayne Johnson has some powerful motivational quotes such as, “Consistent hard work leads to success,” which can help you get through college easily. Such quotes can be useful when you have loads of schoolwork to complete but feel like quitting or hiring an essay writing service.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington is a prominent actor and businessman who, as a black man, has beat all odds. Born in 1954 in Vernon, New York, he is known for various movies such as the NBC Drama Series St Elsewhere, A Soldier’s Story, Equalizer, and many more. He attended Fordham College in Rose Hill in 1970 and was a professional in basketball coached by P.J Carlesimo. NBA star Gurus such as Tray Williams have testified to his love for the game, which landed him a spot in Carselimo’s team.

Leslie Jones

Born in 1967 in Memphis, Leslie Jones is a stand-up comedian and actress known for her cast roles in Sketch Comedy (NBC), Supermarket Sweep, and Just for Laughs Comedy Show. Despite her crazy jokes, she was an outstanding basketball player at Chapman University. Interestingly, she joined the institution on a basketball scholarship.

Keanu Reeves

The renowned actor, due to his outstanding role in John Wick movies, was born in 1964 in Beirut, Canada. He is known for various action and science-fiction movies. Keanu was a successful goalkeeper for De La Salle College Hockey Team in Canada. According to his close friends, he was more into sports than academics since he suffered from dyslexia. Due to his skills as a goalie, he earned the nickname “The Wall.” He was about to be signed for the Windsor Spitfires club before an injury, and a visit to his step-father in New York City changed his life and propagated him to acting.

Ellie Kemper

Kemper is an actress born in 1980. She is a writer known for famous acting roles such as Eric Hannon (NBC) and Bridesmaids. She attended Princeton College and joined the Field hockey team as a freshman in 1998. She played in the NCAA Division One National Championship.

Emma Watson

Emma Charlotte Watson is an actress, supermodel, and social activist who was born in Paris and raised in England. She is known for her acting roles in famous movies such as the Harry Potter series and Beauty and the Beast. In 2010, she was an outstanding hockey player for Brown University. Reports indicate that she has played sports since she was 4 years old. Despite her well-kept and innocent looks, she can definitely be ruthless when it comes to the field.

Mahershala Ali

The renowned winner of the Golden Globe Award is an American actor born in Oakland, California. He grew up in Hayward, which influenced his love for sports. He was a talented basketball player. He attended Saint Mary’s College on a fully paid basketball scholarship and played for the team before changing to acting and poetry.

Bianca Belair

The queen of WWE, Bianca Belair, was born in America in 1989. She is a fitness coach and professional wrestler. She has been active in sports since she was young. She attended Austin East Magnet, where she participated in track events. Later, she joined the University of Tennessee and was a beast in track events. Her sports journey can be traced back to South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. She earned All-American honors and all-SEC due to her outstanding performance in field and track events.

2-Chainz

Tauheed Epps, or as you know him, 2 Chainz, is an American rapper born in 1976. Since his high school days in North Clayton, he had his heart set on basketball. Many of his young childhood friends term his skills as good, especially in jump shots. His passion would later lead him to land a scholarship at Alabama University. He played basketball at Alabama University in the years 1996 and 1997. To date, he still showcases his love for the game and is a major part of the management of the Atlanta Hawks.

Terry Crews

The king of the screen was born in 1968 and is a talented ex-football player. He appeared in an NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He has played for several teams, such as Washington Redskins and Rhein Fire. At Michigan University, he was a defensive end.

Crews is another celeb with inspiring motivational quotes. One of his famous sayings is, “Never stop! Slow down sometimes, but never stop!” His quotes can help change things when you are in school and feeling overwhelmed with challenges that seem to bring you down academically or make you depend on Finance.Yahoo – pay for essays websites to safeguard your grades.

Robin Roberts

The famous and well-composed newscaster, who is currently known for her popular section, Good Morning America, was an exemplary athlete in college. She was a basketball star at South East Louisiana University. Interestingly, she had joined the institution on a sports scholarship. She later joined the Women’s basketball teams, where she displayed her prowess. By the end of her career, she was among the only three ladies who had scored over 1000 career points and the third overall team scorer. She also began her career as a journalist and sports anchor for various stations.

Parting Shot

Most celebrities led a normal life before the celebrity status. It’s interesting to see that a majority of well-renowned actors, musicians, and other celebs were college athletes. Their stories showcase their development in various stages of life and their commitment to push forward.

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