What are the 10 best athlete movie cameos of all time?

Two NFL legends will share the big screen this February.

Former All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch will star in a new action comedy titled Love Hurts (published Feb. 7) along with FOX Sports analyst and Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson. Golden Globe and Oscar winner Ke Hui Kuan stars as a realtor who is drawn back into his past life of crime after his ex-partner reappears with a threatening message.

This got us thinking, which athletes had the best cameos ever?

We took it upon ourselves to answer this question, dive into the movies of the last few decades and rank the 10 best music videos of all time.

A cameo is usually defined as “a small theatrical role usually performed by a well-known actor and often limited to one scene”. What the athlete did in their scene – along with how big the film was – were the main factors used in determining the list.

The athletes who starred in the film will be featured in our next edition of the Daily Ranker. Stars such as Anthony Edwards in the HustleMichael Jordan in Space JamRay Allen in He won the gameentered Shaquille O’Neal I said itetc. will get your shot there.

While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names that made our list.

Where does your favorite athlete rank?

Let’s take a look:

10. Derek Jeter (Other Guys)

In the 2010 comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as two New York City cops whose careers are in short supply, Derek Jeter is only in this film for a moment, but his role is important to the plot. Jeter was mistakenly shot by Wahlberg’s character (Terry Hoitz), which kept him out of Game 7 of the World Series. Hoitz was then labeled the “Yankee Clipper,” which sent his NYPD career down the drain.

9. Brett Favre (There’s Something About Mary)

In this 1998 romcom starring Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, Brett Favre plays the ex-boyfriend of Diaz’s character (Mary Jensen). What makes his appearance so great is that he is referred to as “Pac-Man” multiple times throughout the film, but there was no hint that he was a professional football player — let alone the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. In the end, Mary chooses “the good guy” and leaves Favre.

8. Lance Armstrong (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)

Lance Armstrong’s scene in this film is unexpected and hilarious, as he gives Vince Vaughn’s (Peter) character a legendary speech when he learns that Peter is going to quit his team after running into him at the airport. The speech makes Peter realize his mistake and rejoins the team and leads them to a sudden death victory in the finale. Dodgeball was released in 2004 and grossed $30 million in the US in its opening weekend, and went on to gross $168 million worldwide according to IMDB.

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby)

In this classic 2006 comedy starring Will Ferrell and John C. Riley as two immature NASCAR drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s scene is so fast but so good. In a crowd of fans begging Ferrell’s character (Ricky Bobby) for an autograph, Earnhardt Jr. makes his way to the mob and asks him for an autograph. He states that he is a big fan and asks him “not to tell any of the other drivers”. Really hilarious.

6. Michael Irwin (The Longest Yard)

In this remake of the 1974 classic, Michael Irwin plays a freak athlete who initially refuses to join a football team of inmates who want to play against the prison guards. After the guards continue to mistreat the inmates, Irwin’s character – Deacon Moss – decides to join and brings his gang with him. Irvin is unstoppable, and the movie does a great job portraying him as the star receiver he was in real life. The longest yard was released in 2005 and grossed over $191 million worldwide, according to IMDB.

5. Hines Ward (The Dark Knight Rises)

Hines Ward has no lines in this classic, but his scene is one of the most amazing and memorable movie scenes ever. When Tom Hardy’s character (Bain) destroys Gotham City, Hines Ward and company play a football game in colors reminiscent of the Steelers. Returns a long touchdown and outruns the entire defense. But as he escapes the defenses, an explosion occurs and the field collapses. Ward turns around to find that everyone has fallen into a pit and the stadium is nearly destroyed. The Dark Knight Rises grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, according to IMDB.

4. Lee Trevino (Happy Gilmore)

Lucky Gilmore is considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time, and Adam Sandler’s character is one of the most significant comedic roles of his career. But Lee Trevino is also fantastic in this movie, even though he only has one line. He keeps shaking his head when reacting to Happy’s actions on the golf course, since he was one of the greatest golfers of his generation. And his only line in the movie is really great, as he responds to Happy’s nemesis by saying, “Grizzly Adams had a beard. Happy Gilmore had a budget of $12 million and grossed over $41 million worldwide, according to IMDB.

3. Mike Tyson (The Hangover)

Mike Tyson is amazing in this movie. He delivers his signature knockout punch to one of the characters in the film; he has a pet tiger with him and even sings Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” with Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms’ characters. Oh, and by the way, three drifters in the movie steal his tiger, hence the aforementioned punching. His presence in the film is surprising, but incredibly funny. The 2009 hit grossed over $469 million, according to IMDB.

2. Dan Marino (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)

In this iconic Jim Carrey vehicle, Marino plays himself in the story of a quirky pet detective (Carrey) whose goal is to recover the missing Miami Dolphins mascot. He ended up not only saving the mascot, but also Marin in the process, as Marin was kidnapped by the film’s villain, Ray Finkle (played by Sean Young). The legendary quarterback returns in time to lead the Dolphins to Super Bowl XXXVII. Ace Ventura was released in 1994 and grossed over $107 million worldwide, according to IMDB.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Airplane!)

It’s funny that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was often referred to as “The Captain” during his NBA career because he plays the co-pilot in this 1980 movie. In the film, the entire flight crew of the plane falls ill from food poisoning, and Cap is forced to help pilot the plane when Robert Hayes’ character (Ted Striker) cannot overcome his previous wartime trauma. Imagine seeing arguably the greatest NBA player of all time land on a plane! Airplane! released in 1980, it had a budget of just $3.5 million and grossed a whopping $83.4 million worldwide according to IMDB.

HONORABLE KNOWLEDGE

• Kevin Garnett: Uncut Gems
• Larry Bird: Space Jam
• Shaquille O’Neal: Good Burger
• Lawrence Taylor: The Waterboy
• Reggie Jackson: The Naked Gun
• LeBron James: Trainwreck and House Party
• Tom Brady: Ted 2 and Stuck on You
• Serena Williams: Ocean’s 8
• Jim Brown: The Running Man
• Troy Aikman: Jerry Maguire

Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or sign in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized daily newsletter.

Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more