Before Carl Weathers hit it big in Hollywood as Apollo Creed and Chubbs Peterson, he was a star football player in both the NFL and CFL.
Legendary actor Carl Weathers died Thursday at the age of 76, his family announced.
Tributes have poured in from plenty in Hollywood, including his « Rocky » costar in the man who played Balboa himself, Sylvester Stallone.
But before Weathers hit it big as Apollo Creed and Chubbs Peterson, Weathers was a star football player, making it to the NFL.
Weathers went undrafted out of San Diego State in 1970 but still managed to sign with the Oakland Raiders that year, making it to that season’s AFC Championship with John Madden as his head coach.
He was released the following seasons, playing in just eight NFL games, but he then played for the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions for 18 games from 1971 to 1973.
