37 Celebrities You Probably Didn't Know Were Athletes in College

We know them as singers or actors, Oscar winners even, but some of these celebrities have been hiding their athletic talents. Whether they earned college athletic scholarships or walked onto the team, all of these celebs had what it took to compete at the collegiate level—sometimes at insanely elite schools. From Billy Crystal's baseball past to Dwayne Johnson's original career path, these are the stars you probably didn't know played sports in college.

Before his A-list movie career, Dwayne Johnson was a college football star for the University of Miami. He was a defensive lineman and played until he graduated in 1995. After college, Johnson attempted to make it professionally, but ended up pivoting to a wrestling career for the WWE.

If you hadn't pegged him for an athlete, think again. Bradley Cooper rowed crew while he was a student at Georgetown University.

Before he won any Oscars, Mahershala Ali was known to drain some points on the basketball court. The actor attended St. Mary's, a Division I team, on a basketball scholarship in the '90s.

The Community star didn't just attend the University of Washington, he was a tight end on the school's football team. Before switching into comedy, McHale earned a walk-on spot on the team in 1992.

If you ever wondered why 22 Jump Street star Channing Tatum looked so natural in a football uniform, it may have to do with his past. The actor played football for two years at Glenville State College in West Virginia before he dropped out.

Jon Stewart may be known for his comedic wit today, but back in the day the entertainer earned accolades on the soccer field. Stewart played on the varsity soccer team during his years at William & Mary in the '80s.

While studying at Yale University, George W. Bush was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Skull and Bones Society. The future president was also a member of the school's rugby team.

Before his career as a rapper, 2 Chainz attended Alabama State University on an athletic scholarship for their Division I basketball team. He was a versatile player who could play point guard, shooting guard, and small forward.

While competing in a charity football game, Josh Duhamel showed off his pigskin skills. These are the same skills that earned him the quarterback position at Minot State University in North Dakota.

Mark Harmon poses next to his father (University of Michigan football star Tom Harmon) in the early '70s, when the actor was quarterback at the University of California at Los Angeles. Mark turned down offers to play in the NFL and instead pursued a career in acting, which seems to be going well for him.

Did you know the late actor played basketball in college? The Oscar-nominated star was on the Division I basketball team at Alcorn State from 1983 until 1984.

Before Phil Robertson was the star of Duck Dynasty, he had an impressive career as a college football star. In his native Louisiana, Robertson attended Louisiana Tech University and served as the team's quarterback in the '60s.

While it's widely known that Ronald Reagan had an established acting career before his presidency, his time as a collegiate athlete is less known. During his time at Eureka College in the '30s, Reagan was a member of the swim team.

Before she was the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton could be found competing on the field hockey field. The Duchess not only played during her time at boarding school, but tried out a number of times for the team at the University of St. Andrews.

The actor played football at Youngstown State in the '60s. He was a defensive lineman and was even signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was cut during training camp.

Robin Roberts started her career as a sportscaster and landed interviews with some of the biggest up-and-coming athletes. Before interviewing these stars, she was one herself at Southeastern Louisiana University. She played on the basketball team and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Terry Crews certainly has the muscles of a professional athlete, but he's also got the skills to back them up. Before the America's Got Talent host joined the entertainment industry, he played football at Western Michigan University and was drafted into the NFL by the Los Angeles Rams in 1991.

Dr. Phil isn't exactly who you'd think would be suiting up to take the field, but the talk show host attended the University of Tulsa on an athletic scholarship. He played on the school's football team as a middle linebacker.

John Wayne got into the University of Southern California for a football scholarship in 1925. Unfortunately, the future Western movie star broke his collarbone surfing and lost his scholarship at the beginning of his junior year.

Before his successful rapping career, Master P attended the University of Houston on an athletic scholarship. He played on the college's basketball team until a knee injury caused him to end his promising career.

In one of Keanu Reeves' first major movie roles he, coincidentally, portrayed a hockey player in Youngblood. Turns out, the actor wasn't faking it for the camera—he played hockey at De La Salle College and was later recruited for the OHL in his native Canada.

John F. Kennedy grew up sailing by the shore in Hyannis, Massachusetts, so it should come as no surprise that the future president was an ace swimmer. During his days at Harvard University, he was a member of the school's swim team.

Before heading to Hollywood, Denzel Washington attended Fordham University in New York. While he was studying there, he also earned a spot on the junior varsity basketball team.

Even though Emma Watson found fame at a young age, the Harry Potter star didn't let that stop her from earning a degree–or showing off her athletic skills. While studying at Brown University, Watson joined the club field hockey team.

While President Gerald Ford earned his degree in economics at the University of Michigan, he also played football. Instead of pursuing the NFL when he graduated, he headed to Yale University for law school.

A known baseball fanatic (here he is playing in a celebrity all-star game), Billy Crystal attended Marshall University on a baseball scholarship for one year. His baseball career ended when he had to drop out after his freshman year.

Before renowned physicist Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, he was a star coxswain on the University of Oxford's rowing team.

Clearly, Tommy Lee Jones always had what it took to be the star of the show–even when he wasn't acting yet. Jones was a football player at Harvard University and helped his team win the iconic 1968 Harvard-Yale game.

Burt Reynolds was a halfback for Florida State University before becoming an actor. Reynolds had a terrific starting season, but due to a knee injury and an accident that resulted in spleen surgery, his college football career was cut short.

The Office star played basketball in high school and in college at Brown University—until he realized it wasn’t for him and he switched his focus to acting. After joining a sketch comedy group in college, Krasinski moved to New York post-graduation to start his career.

The Price Is Right host earned an athletic scholarship and played basketball for two years at Drury University, before temporarily leaving school to join the Navy during World War II.

Did you know Jason Sudeikis earned a scholarship for basketball? The actor attended Fort Scott Community College on a basketball scholarship, before dropping out to pursue acting.

We're not gonna lie, we were surprised when we discovered how good Michael Scott Steve Carrell was at hockey. The actor played Division II hockey at Denison University and even considered a career in the NHL.

Before his career as a country singer, Sam Hunt could be found rattling off plays as the quarterback for the University of Alabama Birmingham. Ah, one, two, three, hike!

While studying at Columbia University, the Lost actor was also a star on the field. He played football at the school and graduated in 1989.

Tom Selleck earned a spot as a Trojan on the basketball team at the University of Southern California. He played on the team from 1965 to 1966, but dropped out of school for his acting career.

The country star was a member of the track and field team at Oklahoma State, where he was known for his skills in javelin throwing in the '80s.