20 Female Athletes Who Could Play In The NFL

By Marvin Moore

20 Female Athletes Who Could Play In The NFL

Serena Williams — The current crop of elite female professional athletes are bigger, faster and stronger compared to their past counterparts. The WNBA's newest superstar, 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner, and WTA legend Serena Williams headline a large cast of top female athletes who are big enough to play with the men. Here are 20 female athletes who have the size to play in the NFL.

20. Pam Shriver, Tennis

Pam Shriver

20. Pam Shriver, Tennis

Pam Shriver — The six-footer first came to prominence at the 1978 U.S. Open when the 16-year-old amateur reached the women's singles final by defeating the reigning Wimbledon champion, Martina Navratilova.

19. Ana Ivanovic, Tennis

Ana Ivanovic

19. Ana Ivanovic, Tennis

Ana Ivanovic — The 6-foot Serbian former World No. 1 was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time magazine.

18. Jenelle Koester, Beach Volleyball

Jenelle Koester

18. Jenelle Koester, Beach Volleyball

Jenelle Koester — The 6-foot volleyball player won the 2003 AVP Next National Championships with Denise Johns.

17. Jenny Kropp, Beach Volleyball

Jenny Kropp

17. Jenny Kropp, Beach Volleyball

Jenny Kropp — This 6-foot-2 beach volleyball standout was named "Sexiest Swimsuit Bikini Model Athlete" by the SoCal Beaches Magazine.

16. Amy Acuff, High Jump

Amy Acuff

16. Amy Acuff, High Jump

Amy Acuff — The 6-foot-2 Texan, who is also a model, placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games with a jump of 1.99 meters.

15. Linda Miles, Basketball

Linda Miles

15. Linda Miles, Basketball

Linda Miles — The 6-foot Ohio native played basketball for Rutgers University before starring as WWE Diva Shaniqua from 2002 to 2004.

14. Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Beach Volleyball

Kerri Walsh-Jennings

14. Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Beach Volleyball

Kerri Walsh-Jennings — The 6-foot-3 Californian was a four-year first-team All-American and teamed with Misty May-Treanor to win gold medals at three Olympic Games.

13. Gabrielle Reece, Beach Volleyball

Gabrielle Reece

13. Gabrielle Reece, Beach Volleyball

Gabrielle Reece — A 6-foot-3 volleyball player, sports announcer and model, Gabby led the World Beach Volleyball League (WBVL) in kills on four different occasions.

12. Swintayla Cash, Basketball

Swin Cash

12. Swintayla Cash, Basketball

Swin Cash — Nicknamed Swin Cash, the 6-foot-1 forward is a prolific scorer and rebounder who is also an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time WNBA All-Star.

11. Maria Sharapova, Tennis

Maria Sharapova

11. Maria Sharapova, Tennis

Maria Sharapova — The 27-year-old Russian tennis player stands 6-foot-2 and has won 32 WTA singles titles with five Grand Slam singles championships.

10. Venus Williams, Tennis

Venus Williams

10. Venus Williams, Tennis

Venus Williams — The lanky 6-foot-1 Californian became the first American black woman to become the World No. 1 during the Open Era, and she is regarded as the best grass court player of her generation.

9. Blanka Vlasic, High Jump

Blanka Vlasic

9. Blanka Vlasic, High Jump

Blanka Vlasic — As 2010 IAAF World Athlete of the Year, this 6-foot-4 Croatian won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

8. Nicole Forrester, High Jump

Nicole Forrester

8. Nicole Forrester, High Jump

Nicole Forrester — The 6-foot-3 Canadian high jumper was discovered while working at a McDonald's and is now completing her PhD in sports psychology.

7. Kim Glass, Indoor Volleyball

Kim Glass

7. Kim Glass, Indoor Volleyball

Kim Glass — The 6-foot-3 professional model is also a dominating volleyball standout who led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

6. Jillian Camarena-Williams, Shot Put

Jillian Camarena-Williams

6. Jillian Camarena-Williams, Shot Put

Jillian Camarena-Williams — A two-time USA Outdoor Champion, the 5-foot-10, 249-pound Californian set an American indoor record with a throw of 19.87 meters at the 2011 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

5. Candace Parker, Basketball

Candace Parker

5. Candace Parker, Basketball

Candace Parker — The 6-foot-4 Parker became the first woman to throw down a dunk in an NCAA tournament game, and she also was the first female hoopster to dunk twice in the same college contest.

4. Lisa Leslie, Basketball

Lisa Leslie

4. Lisa Leslie, Basketball

Lisa Leslie — The 6-foot-5 center -- who was the first woman to dunk in the WNBA -- is a three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist.

3. Holley Mangold, Weightlifting

Holley Mangold

3. Holley Mangold, Weightlifting

Holley Mangold — A 5-foot-8, 255-pound former prep football offensive lineman, Mangold was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team who previously weighed 350 pounds.

2. Brittney Griner, Basketball

Brittney Griner

2. Brittney Griner, Basketball

Brittney Griner — The three-time All-American and former AP Player of the Year stands 6-foot-8 and was the first NCAA basketball player ever to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.

1. Serena Williams, Tennis

Serena Williams

1. Serena Williams, Tennis

Serena Williams — The muscular 5-foot-9, 155-pound superstar is the only female player to have won over $ 50 million in prize money and holds the most Major singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female.

Marvin Moore is a Texas Rangers writer at RantSports. Follow him on Twitter at @SportsMarvin, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your circles on Google.

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