15 NFL Players Fans Would Love To See Become Pro Wrestlers

Clay Matthews Jr. just has the look of a pro wrestler. Maybe it’s the long blonde locks, maybe it’s the tenaciousness he plays with every Sunday, or maybe it’s a combination of several things. All I know is that No. 52 for the Green Bay Packers would be a wrestling star.

The San Francisco 49ers linebacker is one of the biggest physical freaks in a league full of physical freaks. The combination of Patrick Willis’ size, speed and strength is simply incredible. Willis is just about the last guy you want to be hit by.

When NFL players were polled on who was the “last guy in the league you would ever want to get into a fist fight with,” Ndamukong Suh’s name came up the most. It’s no surprise, because the Lions' defensive lineman is straight-up crazy. Known for his massive hits on quarterbacks, Suh can also be a little over aggressive, like stomping and kicking people over aggressive.

It is not physical attributes like speed and strength that is holding Trent Richardson back from being one of the best running backs in the league. His lack of vision and instincts for the position is his undoing. Pro wrestling does not require much of either, making the Indianapolis Colts running back a perfect fit for the sport.

Somehow, LaRon Landry was not busted for the use of performance enhancing drugs until September of this year. The hard-hitting safety is so big, he looks even too big to be an NFL player, which is really tough to do. Landry would fit in right along the comically large pro wrestlers of today.

So far this season, Stephen Paea has lived up to the potential he showed coming out of Oregon State in 2011. At the combine prior to the Chicago Bears drafting the defensive tackle in the second round, Paea put up 49 reps on the bench press, the most since 1999.

King Dunlap is easily one of the biggest players in the NFL at 6-foot-9, 330 pounds. Somehow, this behemoth out of Auburn University lasted until the seventh round of the draft and has been protecting Phillip Rivers’ blindside at left tackle for the San Diego Chargers since 2013. It doesn’t hurt that he already has a great name for a wrestler.

Think of the NFL’s most intimidating players, and Jared Allen is one of the first names to come to mind. The pass-rush specialist is 6-foot-6 of pure crazy coming right at whoever tries to block him.

The Hawaiian-born Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle is listed at 6-foot-8, 343 pounds, and is one of the scariest guys in the NFL. Loadholt is a load (sorry, too easy) for defensive ends and outside linebackers to deal with, and had a dominant year at right tackle for the Vikings in 2013.

At 6-foot-7, 364 pounds, T.J. Barnes is a giant at the nose tackle position. He has shuffled between the 53-man roster and the practice squad for the New York Jets, but once he figures it out, watch out. A good part of wrestling is your “look” and Barnes certainly fits the bill.

As the kids like to say nowadays, J.J. Watt is a “beast.” And in this case, the kids are definitely right. Known for his intense workout regimen, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is as strong a force as the NFL has to offer. With a couple touchdown receptions on offense this year, Watt has showed he can do it all.

Justin “Cowboy” Smith should be one of everyone’s favorite players in the league. The defensive lineman is consistently blocked by double-teams and just pushes and wills his way to the quarterback. Described as “country strong,” the max effort and enthusiasm Smith displays on a weekly basis would be a fan favorite among wrestling fans.

Running backs are not supposed to be this big. You don’t really tackle Mike Tolbert. It’s more like you get tackled and hope you trip him up or slow down his momentum so a group of others can bring him down.

The five-time All-Pro selection has been unblockable ever since he stepped foot in to the league. Haloti Ngata is 340 pounds, and elite at shedding blocks with his hands, so you know he’d dominate as a pro wrestler.

Julius Peppers might be getting up there in age (34), but he’s still putting up Pro Bowl caliber numbers this year for the Green Bay Packers. The long time Carolina Panther is not only huge at 6-foot-7, but remains one of the quicker defensive players getting around the edge of offensive lines and laying knock out blows to quarterbacks.