We all know that the National Football League is home to world-class athletes, but you may be surprised at the sheer number of colorful characters residing on the various rosters. Even the most mundane-seeming player can turn out to have a unique or downright bizarre hobby, and others lead lifestyles that are far from conventional.
If you’ve ever wondered what NFL athletes get up to outside the stadiums and practice facilities, here’s a small sample.
Eric Berry
The Chiefs safety has already survived cancer and earned the nickname of “The Fifth Limb” for his superior on-field play. Despite these achievements, he’s also known for his equinophobia, which is an intense psychological fear of horses.
Jeremy Maclin
This Eagles and Chiefs wide receiver grew up in a situation similar to the Sandra Bullock movie The Blind Side. Abandoned by his biological father and raised in poverty, he eventually moved in with the family of his Little League coach on the way to becoming a star in the college and professional ranks.
John Denney
In addition to being a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Dolphins long snapper John Denney is an accomplished violinist. He claims his mother wouldn’t allow him to participate in sports unless he balanced it out by learning a musical instrument, so he’s been playing since the age of five.
Derek Carr
Most rookies, and even some veterans, struggle to learn the intricacies of an NFL playbook. Raiders QB Derek Carr, however, had the entire thing memorized by the time he reported to his first day of training camp. It probably doesn’t hurt that his brother David, a 10-year veteran of the NFL, had been preparing his younger sibling for years.
Aaron Rodgers
After receiving only one football scholarship offer, the future Packers QB almost decided to abandon his dreams of the NFL and attend law school. He was eventually convinced to start at a community college, and he later raised his NFL stock by playing three seasons for the California Golden Bears.
Odell Beckham Jr.
According to research conducted by NFL.com, the acrobatic Giants receiver appeared on more of their site’s fantasy championship rosters in 2014 than any other player. Even more amazing, the then-rookie was largely added via free agency instead of drafts.
A.J. Green
An accomplished juggler, the Bengals receiver can keep up to four objects in the air at the same time, and he’s worked with everything from rings to bowling pins. Considering the sometimes errant throws of QB Andy Dalton, some might say the team is the perfect landing spot for an amateur juggler.
Jared Allen
When he’s not sacking quarterbacks, defensive end Jared Allen owns a number of competitive bulls and sponsors several professional bullriders.
Antonio Gates
One of the most prolific pass-catching tight ends of all time, Gates never played a down of football on the college level. He played basketball, instead, helping his Kent State squad reach the Elite Eight. The Chargers decided to give him a shot based on his measurables, and the rest is history.
Steve Smith, Sr.
The Ravens and Panthers wide receiver always leaves his shoes on the field after a game to raise awareness of the homeless situation. He also runs a foundation that distributes shoes to the homeless before each game, and it’s not uncommon to see the multi-millionaire washing the feet of these individuals before slipping on their new pair of footwear. His stated goal is to give away 500,000 pairs of shoes.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson
Ever wonder where this Jets left tackle got his unique name? Turns out that it was inspired by Father Ralph de Bricassart, a handsome priest and one of the main characters in The Thorn Birds novel and television mini-series.
Adam Jones
The athlete commonly known as “Pacman” holds the dubious distinction of being the current NFL player with the most arrests and citations. The first of these occurred back in 2005 when he was charged with assault and felonious vandalism following a nightclub brawl, and the most recent came when he was cited for using offensive comments during a 2013 traffic stop.
Robert Griffin III
The former star and current Redskins benchwarmer is a big fan of socks. In addition to a rather impressive personal collection, he also had his own signature pair released by Adidas.
Michael Vick
Following his arrest and imprisonment for taking part in a dog fighting ring,
Michael Vick wound up dead broke. He rebounded upon his return to the NFL, however, capturing a starting QB job with the Eagles and signing a $100 million contract with almost $40 million guaranteed. Despite previous financial woes, the man also known as “Ron Mexico” would later marry his longtime girlfriend and reportedly spend $300,000 on the wedding.
Justin Tucker
In addition to having a degree in recording technology from the University of Texas, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is also an opera singer. Thanks to the international appeal of the musical style, he’s learned to sing in English, French, Spanish, Latin, German, Russian, and Italian.