Shaquille O’Neal was a cop, George Foreman swapped gloves for grills.. sports stars’ wacky job swaps

Athletes usually follow a traditional path when their bodies and minds can no longer keep up with the rigors of professional sports; fade into the distance or mean about those who follow in their footsteps.

However, there have been people who have taken their lives in different directions, some have even become famous for their more recent jobs.

A squad has embarked on a career after sports to fill time, cure boredom and even pick up passions that couldn’t follow before.

Most recently, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, three-time Pro Bowl left-back of the former New York Jets, revealed that he is now in nursing school, adding to the list of unexpected progressions post-retirement.

Here, Mail Sport looks at some of the most surprising moves as the curtain fell on athletes’ respective sports careers.

Shaquille O’Neal

The Big Aristotle has had many careers since ending his illustrious 19-year NBA career.

While notably a member of the beloved Inside the NBA team, in his post-basketball life, O’Neal has been a DJ, rapper, professional wrestler, actor, and law enforcement officer.

O’Neal was a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Port Police when he played for the Lakers. He held the same positions for the Miami Beach and Golden Beach departments in Florida.

In 2016, he was sworn in as a deputy sheriff in the Clayton County, Georgia Sheriff’s Department. In 2019, he was named a deputy sheriff in the Broward (FL) Sheriff’s Office. Funnily enough, O’Neal played the role of an officer in the 2013 movie Grown Ups 2.

Bruce Jenner

Bruce Jenner won Olympic gold for the USA at the 1976 Montreal Games in the Decathlon – setting an Olympic record. Jenner is synonymous with starting the tradition of performing a victory lap with a country’s flag after doing some with the American version.

Since then, Jenner has changed careers, name and identity. Bruce briefly became a race car driver and then a reality star on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, thanks to his then-marriage to Kris Jenner. The two share daughters, Kylie and Kendall Jenner.

Jenner became stepfather – and later stepmother – to Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian. Jenner now identifies as Caitlin – and a transgender woman – and has become a prominent voice in the defense and protection of women’s sports against biological men.

George Voorman

Big George may be a two-time world heavyweight champion, but he may be better known in homes for his world-famous grill.

The George Foreman Grill was born after being acquired by Salton Inc. was recruited as a brand ambassador for its fat-reducing grill.

Foreman told AARP in 2014 that he received as much as $8 million in several months and has earned “much more” than $200 million.

According to afro techSince its introduction in 1994, the Foreman Grill has sold more than 100 million units.

Myron Rolle

Once an All-American safety, Myron Rolle is now saving Americans as a brain surgeon.

While many may suggest that NFL players are far from it, Rolle has proven to be an outlier. Rolle was selected in the sixth round by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL Draft from Florida State, delaying his senior year to study at Oxford.

He never played in the regular season for the AFC South franchise nor his next team, Pittsburgh, for three years in the league. After medical school, Rolle is now a neurosurgeon at Harvard Medical School.

Bill Bradley, Jim Bunning and Kane

The trio are just a few of many sports stars who have transitioned into political circles.

Bill Bradley is a two-time NBA champion who played 11 seasons with the New York Knicks before serving three terms as a Democratic Senator from New Jersey. Bradley also ran for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2000 presidential election, but ultimately lost to Al Gore.

Meanwhile, Jim Bunning is the only man ever elected to both the U.S. Senate and National Baseball Hall of Fame. The former Detroit pitcher was a nine-time All-Star and pitched a perfect game in 1964 while with the Phillies. Bunning was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and served two terms as the Republican Junior Senator.

WWE legend Kane, also known as Glenn Jacobs, has served as the Republican mayor of Knox County, TN since 2018. The Big Red Machine has long been a critic of mask mandates, saying former President Donald Trump’s latest indictment “terrifies all Americans.” He was pictured earlier this week with the Republican Party’s leading 2024 nominee.