The National Football League has some of the most talented players in the world, and not just football players as it turns out. There are also a whole bunch of poker players who currently play American Football as well, or have done in the past. Perhaps it’s the competitive sporting spirit, or the ability to think analytically on the fly. Whatever the reason, we may never know, but these are some of the best poker players out there who’ve also had a career on the football field.
Antoine Winfield
You won’t find Antoine Winfield on the pitch anymore, though he did play for both the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills. After retiring, Winfield got more and more into poker until he decided to try his hand at an official tournament. The 2016 World Series of Poker was his first major tournament and, although he didn’t get too far, only making it through the first day, this didn’t discourage him. Later on that year he joined a No Limit Texas Hold’em game and won almost $2,500. Interestingly, Winfield kept his brain sharp in between rounds by practicing his chess skills with fellow NFL player Adrian Peterson. Whilst he might not have reached the dizzy heights at the poker table that he did in his NFL career, it’s definitely not too late for him to take a stab at making it in the world of competitive chess.
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith is known for his prowess on the pitch as well as his skills at the poker table. He’s participated in several major poker tournaments and credits both his commitment to regular practice and how simple it is to play online as contributing factors to his success. Online casinos are becoming ever more accessible with the option to play at Bet365 Casino available to adults around the world. Although Emmitt hasn’t successfully competed at any major tournaments yet, we think his services to football – that is winning the Super Bowl alongside the Dallas Cowboys three times – more than excuses that.
Calais Campbell
Calais Campbell, of Arizona Cardinals fame, is without a doubt one of the most successful ex-NFL players in the world of poker. He’s been playing for a long time, but his poker career started in earnest back in 2013 when he scraped a respectable third place in a tournament at the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. Following this, he played several more tournaments at the Venetian, picking up some prize money each time. The largest tournament that he’s played in is the 2016 World Series of Poker, where he sadly didn’t win but did manage to take out previous main event champion, Ryan Reiss.
Richard Seymour
The final player that deserves a mention is New England Patriots star Richard Seymour. He joined Antoine Winfield at the 2016 World Series of Poker and ended up coming 44th overall, taking home more than $20,000 in prize money. He has since played at several other WSOP events, though never made it quite as high up the leaderboard. Interestingly, he’s been commentating more often on major poker tournaments, suggesting his skills might be best used behind the camera, rather than on the pitch