TV Stars Who Played High School Football – Before The Fame

Who Am I?

Jon Hamm

THEN: Jon Hamm, Senior Year, 1989 John Burroughs High School, St. Louis, MO NOW: John Hamm was a great linebacker in high school and some of the country’s best colleges tried to recruit him. "Mad Men" fans can be thankful Jon eventually decided to concentrate on a career in acting, but he’ll never forget how much football helped him heal after his mother died from cancer. “All the rage and grief that no one was able to talk out of me, football was a very therapeutic sport,” he has said.

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Byron Purvis/AdMedia

Ryan Seacrest

THEN: Seen here in his Freshman Year in 1990, Ryan played Varsity Football for Peachtree Junior High, Atlanta, GA. NOW: Can’t imagine sappy sweet Ryan Seacrest as the toughest guy on the turf? Think again. Ryan’s high school football coach, David Kelly, says his star defensive back was “feisty” and “would knock the crap out of people.” It turns out Ryan was even more fierce playing the entertainment industry. He’s executive produced some major hits—he’s to blame for reality shows Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Shahs of Sunset— and he’s host of the popular radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest, the singing competition American Idol and the canceled game show Million Second Quiz.

Who Am I?

William Shatner

THEN: William Shatner Senior Year 1948 West Hill HS, Montreal, Quebec, Canada NOW: Before William Shatner became known for shows like "Star Trek" and "$#*! My Dad Says," he was a local sports star in Montreal. “I played football on my high school team, and we won one city championship after another,” he has boasted of his glory days.

Who Am I?

Mr. T. (Lawrence Tero)

THEN: Mr T. (Laurence Tero) Senior Year 1970 Dunbar Vocational HS, Chicago, IL NOW: Mr. T, once known as Laurence Tureaud, was a force to be reckoned with on his Chicago high school’s football team. His skill earned him a scholarship to play ball for the Prairie View A&M University Panthers, but he got expelled after only a year. No worries. Laurence ordained himself as "Mr. T," and later skyrocketed to fame in TV's "A-Team" in the ‘80s. He still makes cameos on TV shows and commercials here and there, but don’t expect to see him reprise his most famous role. “There is only one A-Team,” Mr. T has said. “That's why me or any of the other guys won't do it. It won't be like the original.”

Who Am I?

Billy Ray Cyrus

THEN: Billy Ray Cyrus Senior Year 1979 Russell HS, Russell, KY NOW: Billy Ray Cyrus became a tween sensation when he played Robby Ray Stewart on "Hannah Montana." But long before he became known as Miley’s dad on and off the show, he was a hit as a football player at Russell High School in Kentucky.

Who Am I?

Gerlado Rivera

THEN: Gerlado Rivera Senior Year 1960 West Babylon High School, West Babylon, NY NOW: The football field was a very temporary waylay for Geraldo Rivera on his climb to the top of TV journalism. Geraldo first rose to fame during the eleven-year-run of his eponymous daytime talk show "Geraldo," but these days he often can be found as a guest commentator on the Fox News Channel. So while Geraldo was not destined to be a Heisman Trophy winner, he can lay claim to the many Emmy Awards he has earned for his TV reporting.

Who Am I?

Charlie Rose

THEN: Charlie Rose, Sophomore Year, 1958, Henderson High School, Henderson, NC NOW: Sure, Charlie Rose tried the rough and tumble sport of football, but his later years as a television talk show host and Emmy-Award winning journalist is what really makes his adrenaline pump. "I get up every morning with a new adventure,” he has said. “The adventure is fueled by interesting people.”

Who Am I?

Kevin James

THEN: Kevin James Senior Year 1983 Ward Melville HS, Setauket, NY NOW: "The King of Queens" star played high school football and later went on to be a fullback for the State University of New York at Cortland while studying for a degree in sports management. After three years of college, he decided to quit and seek out a new direction in life. “I tried out for a community theatre play, joined an improv group…it all started opening up,” Kevin has said about his path to playing loveable average "Joe" Doug Heffernan for for almost 10 years (1998-2007). Though he has transitioned to major movie star, the "King" is on still on TV almost constantly thanks to syndication of the popular show.

Who Am I?

Jeremy Piven

THEN: Jeremy Piven Sophomore Year 1981 Evanston Township High School, Evanston, IL NOW: Jeremy was a high school football breakout, but he was always destined for the stage. “I grew up in a family where my parents are theater artists,” he has said. Jeremy attained huge success on "Entourage," and he’s making his television comeback as the title character in "Mr [sic] Selfridge," a show based on Harry Gordon Selfridge, the colorful founder of the renowned London department store that bears his name. But way back in TV land... many may recall in the 90s, when Piven was on two top shows named after their lead stars "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Ellen."

Who Am I?

Jake Pavelka

THEN: Jake Pavelka, Senior Year 1996 Billy Ryan High School, Denton, TX NOW: Before he became "The Bachelor" in 2010, Jake Pavelka broke many hearts during his high school football days in Denton, Texas. Today, Jake is more likely to be found on the pages of the occasional gossip magazine than on the small screen. Jake appeared on several episodes of the soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" in 2011, and the following year he was on the reality parody show "Burning Love" and also did a stint on "Dancing with the Stars."

Who Am I?

Chuck (Carlos) Norris

THEN: Chuck (Carlos) Norris, Senior Year 1958 North Torrance HS, Torrance CA NOW: Chuck Norris insists he was “the shy kid who never excelled at anything in school,” but he still tried his hand at football while attending North Torrance High School in California. Martial arts proved more his speed and he later made a career out of tossing around his tough guy attitude on TV shows like "Walker, Texas Ranger."

Who Am I?

Ashton Kutcher

THEN: Ashton Kutcher, Senior Year, Clear Creek-Amana High School, Tiffin, IA NOW: Ashton Kutcher recently starred in the movie "Jobs" and he’s raking it in as Charlie Sheen’s replacement on "Two and a Half Men." But all his new money and past sports glory haven’t helped his fantasy football game. “I have a member of my staff that is dedicated to research and analysis of fantasy football,” Ashton recently admitted. “I have to analyze the results of the research.” Maybe he should pay someone to do that, too. Ashton said that all his effort didn’t give him an edge and he came in “dead last” for the 2012 football season.

Who Am I?

Mark Harmon

THEN: Mark Harmon, Junior Year, 1969, Harvard School, North Hollywood, CA NOW: Mark Harmon grew up in the shadow of his Heisman Trophy winner dad, broadcaster Tom Harmon. But Mark stole the spotlight when he quarterbacked for Harvard School in North Hollywood and again with the UCLA Bruins. Mark realized he had a brighter future off the field, and he went on to star in the hugely successful hit drama "NCIS." Despite his leading man looks, Mark hasn’t let fame go to his head. “When I look in the mirror all I see is a bunch of fake teeth and football scars,” he has said.

Who Am I?

Robin Williams

THEN: Robin Williams, Freshman Year, 1966 Detroit Country Day School, Birmingham, MI NOW: Robin Williams found acceptance in high school by joining the soccer and track teams. He played football, too, but he wasn’t exactly the best player to ever grace the green. Robin jokes that he played “really bad” because he was “slow, small and white.” However, his quick wit and huge sense of humor have led him to a stellar career in comedy and then TV fame as our favorite alien Orkan on "Mork & Mindy" from 1978-1982. The most recent accolade on Robin’s TV resume is a new show set in an ad agency called "The Crazy Ones."

Who Am I?

David Boreanaz

THEN: David Boreanaz, Senior Year, 1987, Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, PA NOW: A young David Boreanaz used to dream of growing up to be a football superstar. "I drank tons of milk and ate green beans," David has said of how he prepped for playing. "It was all I wanted to do. I was obsessed with it." Though he scored a gig as a ball boy for the Pittsburgh Steelers, David eventually had to accept that “football wasn't going to be a career” for him after he injured his knee while still in high school. No pain, no gain. David enjoyed an eight-year run as special agent Seeley Booth on "Bones" and his latest show, DirecTV’s "Full Circle," debuted this fall. Still, David’s first love will always own a huge part of his heart. "I'm a sports guy,” says David. “Football, God, I flip out."

Who Am I?

Andrew Firestone

THEN: Andrew Firestone, Senior Year, 1995 Robert Louis Stevenson High School, Pebble Beach, CA NOW: Andrew Firestone was undoubtedly the envy of his high school peers. Not only was he rich and good looking, he was a talented sportsman to boot and participated in baseball, basketball, soccer and track. And when he graced the football team with his skill? Naturally he made All League. He wasn’t quite so successful at finding lasting love on "The Bachelor" back in 2003. Andrew’s television fame is no longer much of a reality, but he can still be seen in an interview every so often.