When Terry Crews walked into the NFL, he looked like a prototype. We’re talking about a 6’2”, 237 pounds, shredded, explosive, and built like a tank with ballet feet. The Rams picked him in ’91, but what followed was far from a fairytale. Over the next seven years, he ricocheted through six teams, including a brief stop in Green Bay. Reflecting on its years later, Crews didn’t hold back.
“My whole seven years in the NFL, I would call a disappointment because I was all over the place,” he said. “I was on six teams in seven years. All with my wife and two kids at the time. We didn’t know what was going on. And everyone thinks that sports are so glamorous or whatever. It just wasn’t. It was a grind; it was like a circus.” Acting gave Terry purpose. That’s where he took off… And became one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry.
But not everyone forgot his potential. One Packers legend, who shared the field with him, recently admitted he was disappointed the team let him go. The legend? Sterling Sharpe. While talking to his Hall of Fame brother, the former NFL tight end, Shannon Sharpe, on his podcast, the Club Shay Shay, Sterling shed light on his time with Terry Crews in the Packers’ locker room.
“He was fun. He worked hard,” Sterling said, addressing Crews. “And I say he really wanted the NFL. He put in the time. He put in the effort. And I was really, I can say I was disappointed when Terry got let go. Because I thought with his size, his strength, and his speed, he would definitely make our time.” Sterling Sharpe spent seven standout seasons with the Packers from 1988 to 1994 before a neck injury cut his career short.
Just ahead of the 1993 season, Green Bay brought in Terry Crews—but released him before the regular season even began. He never played a snap for the team. But then again, that was the story of Crews’ NFL journey: brief stints, few chances, and a career he’d later described as rough, unsteady, and ultimately disappointing.
Across seven years, Crews had brief stints with the Rams, where he appeared in six games. It was followed by the Packers (no games), San Diego Chargers (10 games), the Washington Redskins (16 games), and the Philadelphia Eagles (no games). Fast forward to now, and from big screen presence to TV Shows, Terry Crews is one of the leading faces in Hollywood.
NFL hiatus: A blessing in disguise for Terry Crews
Following a disappointing football career, Terry Crews retired from the NFL after a brief stint with the Eagles. And you could feel it was the time to pivot for the NFL legend. But unlike most NFL veterans, Terry didn’t hang up his cleats to pick up a mic, head to the booth, or pace the sidelines. Nope. He switched to a bigger role. Known for his iconic roles in movies like The Longest Yard, White Chicks, and a successful film franchise like The Expendables, Terry went on to show his diverse talents through his charismatic on-screen presence.
December 7, 2024, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, United Arab Emirates: TERRY CREWS after qualifying on Saturday at the 2024 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates – ZUMAl191 20241207_zsp_l191_062 Copyright: xAntoinexLapeyrex
But the journey wasn’t that straightforward. It includes years of grind in pro football, heartbreaks, and uncertainty ahead of every season. Last year, the NFL legend looked back on the grind of chasing a roster spot—a struggle that once felt like survival, but now feels like a hidden blessing in disguise. “My wife and I did not know what was going to happen to us next year,” he said. “Like, we had no idea.”
“It was a disappointment because I wanted championships, I wanted to be a star. And it all ended unceremoniously when I got cut for the last time. And that’s the hardest thing—there’s a depression that came with it. But when I look back, what a blessing, because it got me ready for entertainment. It got me ready for the audition process.” It’s been decades since Terry Crews hung up his cleats from the NFL, and since then, he’s starred in over a dozen movies and TV Shows. The NFL was not for him. He was not for the NFL. But Terry Crews eventually found his life goal.
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