DeAngelo Williams found a new way to post a #TransformationTuesday picture. And it’s incredible. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back, who is a well-know advocate for breast cancer awareness, recently took to Instagram for a new reason: to flex about a successful hog hunt.
As seen below, Williams posed with the freshly harvested hog on the left and the resulting freshly cooked hog is on the right. That’s a transition any hunter loves celebrating.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BT43RdgF7yW/
Williams is a member of a large fraternity of professional athletes who hunt. In honor of Williams’ creative Instagram post, let’s take a look at several current and retired NFL players who love to hunt.
Brett Favre
If you know three things about Brett Favre, they should be:
- He loves Wranglers (or at least he says so on TV).
- He is quite the quarterback.
- The guy loves to hunt.
RELATED: Brett Favre Hunting Wild Hogs
There had to be some no-brainers on the list, and Favre fits the bill. The Gulfport, Mississippi, native is a big deer hunter, so much so that he congratulated Peyton Manning for breaking his all-time career touchdown passes record in November 2015 from a tree stand (seen below).
Jared Allen
Jared Allen is a badass. Watching him play on Sundays, harassing quarterbacks for four quarters, it’s easy enough to see Allen is a man’s man. But if you need more proof, here’s a video of him spearing an elk:
Bo Jackson
Brian Bozworth and Bo Jackson (Credit: Facebook - Bo Jackson)
Vincent “Bo” Jackson is arguably the greatest athlete of all-time. Not Jim Thorpe, not Michael Jordan, not Michael Phelps — Bo Jackson. The myths that follow Jackson are unlike any other athlete there’s ever been. One of those myths? He can shoot a compound bow with his feet. If that’s true, I don’t know. But it is known that Bo Knows Hunting.
From his days at Auburn University when he’d hunt Tigers coach Pat Dye’s land near Loachapoka, Alabama, to today, he bowhunts “whenever I have time.”
Jackson’s love for bowhunting was indirectly documented in the ESPN 30 for 30 “You Don’t Know Bo.” At the end of the documentary, there’s a scene where Jackson’s making arrows while explaining he’s lost interest in watching football. (Then again, football was just a hobby for Jackson.) Think about this: in a documentary that focuses on the natural abilities Jackson had as a two-sport athlete, Jackson sits there and says (but doesn’t actually say) he loves bowhunting more than football.
(Credit: brettkeisel.com)
Brett Keisel
Of course, this story needed to include a second player out of the Steel City. Keisel played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 13 years and, since retirement, he has undoubtedly found the woods more often than during his playing days. In fact, Bowhunting World Editor Jace Bauserman went on a hunt in South Texas in January 2016 with SOE Hunts that included sharing camp with Keisel. So, what does an inside look of the 6-foot-5, 285-pound Pro Bowler on a hunt look like? Here’s what Bauserman said:
“During my bowhunting tenure I’ve shared camp with a number of celebrities; none better than former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel. Mention the word celebrity around Keisel and he will only roll his eyes and laugh. You see, Brett wasn’t in camp to talk about himself or create conversations so those around him would dote on his on-the-gridiron accolades. Nope, Keisel was in camp to bowhunt, and bowhunt he did. On his first evening Keisel dropped the string on a gorgeous south Texas brute. The shot was perfect and the buck didn’t make it far. The next morning, Keisel was out on the range with the rest of us, sending arrows into foam. He spent his downtime picking the brains of the more seasoned bowhunters in camp and hunting hogs. He wanted to learn all he could about bowhunting. He didn’t pretend to know it all or try to disguise himself as some sort of seasoned expert.
“Brett is the kind of guy who comes in for lunch and starts making sandwiches for everyone – the guy who jumps up out of his chair and asks, “I’m heading to the cooler, anyone need a cold drink?”
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Keisel, and hope to share a campfire with him again very soon.”
Who are your favorite current or former NFL players who love hunting? Comment below or drop me a line at bmiller@grandviewoutdoors.com and let me know!
Featured image: YouTube
