This article was originally published on Kueez
1. Geena Davis — Archery
You probably already knew that Geena Davis knows her way around a baseball field because of her performance in A League of Their Own, but she has some other hidden athletic skills as well. Did you know she was nearly an Olympian after being inspired by the 1996 games?
Davis was so inspired while watching the 1996 Olympic games that she became an Olympic-caliber archery champion at age 41. She said that she had to learn several sports for various film roles, but Davis never thought of herself as athletic - even though she was actually good at everything.
2. Channing Tatum — Football
Before Channing Tatum danced his way into our hearts in Step Up, he was breaking hearts on the football field. After being scouted in high school, Tatum got a scholarship to Glenville State College but ended up dropping out because he got tired of playing.
Tatum said he was only playing to keep the scholarship, but he was interested in other things and missed home. He decided to return to his hometown in Tampa, Florida, and started a career as an exotic dancer. If that hadn't happened, we wouldn't have all his iconic movies.
3. Emma Watson — Field Hockey
Everyone knows Emma Watson is a jack of all trades; she even got into an ivy league school and completed her degree while filming Harry Potter. Watson is such a boss babe that she even had time to work team sports into her hectic schedule.
While attending Brown, Watson participated in field hockey, tennis, and rounders - a British sport similar to baseball from the 1800s. She is seriously an inspiration to all young women because she proves that you can do anything with hard work and determination.
4. Uzo Aduba — Track & Field
While most of us can't picture Uzo Aduba as anyone but Suzanne Warren, aka "Crazy Eyes," she did have a life before fame. The talented actress studied at Boston University, where she was a track star and attended on a sports scholarship. Besides running track, she also found another love there.
Aduba was also part of the theater program and sang opera at BU. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, she said, "I did do theater there. I was in the program. I was actually doing opera there...I think playing sports really prepared me for being out here to pursue this."
5. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson — Football
We all know The Rock is athletic beyond belief, and he is a natural athlete. While this is pretty obvious when you look at him, he almost took a different career path instead of acting. Back in his college days, he played for the Miami Hurricanes and could have gone pro.
However, The Rock decided to go into the WWE, which led him down the path of acting, and that turned out to be a lucrative career move. We can't imagine a world without him playing Maui in Moana, but we are glad he didn't decide to become a pro footballer.
6. Tom Cruise — Wrestling
Tom Cruise is known for being an athletic man who does most of his own stunts, but that isn't something new to the people who really know him. While growing up, Cruise was on his school's wrestling team, and it was a knee injury that put him on the sidelines and pushed him to start acting.
Besides wrestling, he was also on the varsity football and soccer team, which makes sense when you see him move in action movies. However, instead of pursuing a career in sports, he decided to use those skills to help him get ahead in Hollywood and it worked out well.
7. Britney Spears — Basketball
Britney Spears has been in the news a lot lately, but not for her secret athletic skills. Before the talented singer shot to stardom at a young age, Spears was like any other high school girl, and she even played point-guard for her high school basketball team in Kentwood, Louisianna.
One of Spears' first music videos was basketball-themed because she loved the sport so much. She also showed off her baller skills on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2004. There is a lot we never knew about Britney until recently, and her love of basketball is another one to add to the list.
8. Hailey Baldwin — Ballet
These days, Hailey Baldwin is best-known for being Justin Bieber's gorgeous wife, but most people don't realize she almost took a completely different path in life. Prior to modeling, Baldwin was a prima ballerina and even danced for the Miami City Ballet.
Baldwin did summer programs with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, but her budding career quickly ended due to an injury. She broke her foot, and it closed the door to ballet but opened more modeling opportunities. She seems pretty happy with the path life presented her.
9. Nina Dobrev — Rhythmic Gymnastics
Former Vampire Diaries Star Nina Dobrev grew up in Toronto after moving from Bulgaria. In Canada, she always participated in team sports like soccer, baseball, volleyball, flag football, but her true passion lied within rhythmic gymnastics.
She would spend three or four hours a day, six days a week, practicing her gymnastic skills, but there was a time when she had to choose between that and acting, and we all know what her choice was. She chose acting because it was a career that she could have past age 20, unlike gymnastics.
10. Gwen Stefani — Swimming
Before Gwen Stefani was topping the charts with her hit music, she was just your average high school student at Loara High School in Anaheim, California. Stefani might have a rockin' body now, but she was self-conscious in high school, so she decided to join a sports team to get in shape.
Stefani decided to join the swim team to work on her physique, and all these years later, she looks fabulous in a swimsuit. We wonder what stroke she was best at or if she was better at sprinting versus distance. Either way, it gave her an athletic outlet that transformed her body and mind.
11. Tina Fey — Tennis
Unsurprisingly, Tina Fey was more than just a high school athlete. While juggling sports, drama club, choir, and the school newspaper, she was also an honor student to top it all off. She is the child all of our parents dreamed of.
Fey knew her way around the tennis court, and she even got to use her skills in an episode of Modern Love. She actually took the part because she would get tennis lessons, and it gave her a chance to play the game she once loved so much.
12. Julia Stiles — Soccer
During the iconic scene in 10 Things I Hate About You, Heath Ledger's character serenades Julia Stile's character in the middle of her soccer practice, but that wasn't her first time on the field. In real life, Stiles grew up playing the sport and even tried out for the Columbia University team.
Stiles not only loves playing soccer, but she is also a fan of the New York Red Bulls. Besides soccer, she also loves watching baseball and many other sports. Stiles has thrown the ceremonial first pitch at a Mets game, and she got to show off her athletic prowess.
13. Amanda Seyfried — Tennis
It's no surprise that Amanda Seyfried is a regular attendee of the US Open, as she used to be a tennis player back in her grade school days. While attending high school in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Seyfriend was snapped playing for her school's senior team.
The busy teen was not only juggling sports, but she was also getting into the world of modeling and acting. She started modeling at age 11 and landed her first recurring acting role at age 15. It's surprising that she had time to play sports, but it probably helped her stay in shape for jobs.
14. Sheryl Crow — Track & Field
She may be a music legend now, but Sheryl Crow considered herself a bit of a tomboy back in the day. Before she was strumming her guitar, Crow was an all-star track athlete at her high school in Missouri. She medaled in the 75-meter low hurdle race, and that athleticism still shows today.
Her early track days gave her a love for fitness, and at almost 60-years-old, she is still in phenomenal shape. Instead of running track and jumping hurdles, Crow does workouts like P90X and she enjoys running outside when she gets the chance.
15. Pippa Middleton — Long-Distance Running
At Kate and William's wedding, one thing almost stole the show, and that was Pippa Middleton's rocking body. Like her sister, Pippa has always been an active person and loves long-distance running. She is actually very athletic and can do a lot more than we expected.
Pippa has done a 47-mile swim-run in Sweden, a 3,000-mile bike ride across America, and competed in a 33-mile cross-country ski race in Norway. She even did a marathon along the Great Wall of China. It's no wonder her physique is stealing the show at royal weddings.
16. Tom Selleck — Basketball
Tom Selleck (pictured in the middle) and his mustache might have gained fame on Magnum P.I., but before his acting days, he was running around on the basketball court. He played for the college team at the University of Southern California, where he got a basketball scholarship.
At 6'3", it is no wonder that Selleck was good at basketball, but during his senior year, he decided to drop out of school and pursue acting. It was definitely a struggle at first, but he eventually started landing roles, leading to his big break.
17. Kate Middleton — Field Hockey
Everyone knows Kate Middleton as the posh princess who perfectly fit into the Royal Family; however, it's hard to imagine her getting down and dirty playing sports. Apparently, we were very wrong with that assumption because the Dutchess of Cambridge has played field hockey most of her life.
The Dutchess excelled at field hockey throughout her grade school years and even into her time at university. She has the body of an athlete, so it makes sense. Kate is also a regular at the Olympics and Wimbledon because she loves watching sports as much as playing them.
18. Ellen DeGeneres — Tennis
Ellen DeGeneres might be known as the funny woman of daytime TV, but before she was rubbing elbows with the likes of Michelle Obama and Oprah, DeGeneres was a typical high schooler. Growing up in Texas, she described herself as a tomboy who loved sports like tennis.
DeGeneres said she loved sports, and in high school, she was on the tennis team. These days, she is more into yoga and dancing, but we are sure if she picked up a racket, she would be a pretty good player. She also says she has more energy these days now that she is a vegan.
19. Kate Hudson — Soccer
Ever since she was a young girl, Kate Hudson has been obsessed with soccer. Growing up, she was always kicking around the ball and played throughout her school years. Hudson even challenged Owen Wilson to a game during the World Cup.
Her love for soccer must have been what inspired Hudson to create her athletic line Fabletics. She had even gushed about how excited she was to be a soccer mom for her son when he got into the sport. She said she would totally be the snack mom for the team.
20. Joel McHale — Football
Most of us only know Joel McHale as a passionate sports fan and comedian, but back in his school days, he was also a player, on the field, of course. He played tight end for the Washington Huskies and rowed crew.
In an interview with ESPN, McHale told them how his career ended after recruiting to row for the University of Washington. He said he got into a fight with the team because he never understood all their secret rules. It led to a fight, and he decided to quit the team.
21. Lisa Kudrow — Tennis
Before we knew Lisa Kudrow as Pheobe on Friends, she was a high school tennis star. Pictured in the center of the back row, the tall, funny girl was heating up the tennis court with her hard hits. Back then, she was a brunette, unlike her character on TV.
Kudrow played at Taft High School in LA, and she made the varsity team, but her love for acting was more important. These days, you probably won't find Kudrow on a tennis court because, in her free time, she says she would rather do nothing more than a boring hobby.
22. Kendra Wilkinson — Soccer
Kendra Wilkinson might be known as a former playmate, but some people know her as a former teammate. It's no secret that the blonde bombshell loves sports, and she is another self-professed tomboy. In school, she played both soccer and softball, and she said she had a crush on her coach.
In an interview, Wilkinson admitted that when they would have to run she would purposely be the last person because her coach would run behind them. Today, you can still find her playing sports with her children and staying active.
23. Jayma Mays — Basketball
You might remember Jayma Mays from her days as Emma Pillsbury on Glee, but fans will be pleased to find out that she is much more than just a germaphobe guidance counselor. Way before she dreamed of becoming an actress, Mays was a regular teen who played basketball on her school team.
The adorable red-head grew up in a small town in Virginia, where she had to make friends with the boys since there weren't many girls in her class. Mays says her friendships with the boys encouraged her to try sports like basketball, and she was pretty good, but acting was her calling.
24. Renee Zellweger — Cheerleading
While attending Katy Junior High School in Texas during the early '80s, Renee Zellweger found a love for cheerleading and basketball. The sporty star also took part in the gymnastics and speech team, but she surprisingly didn't join the drama club.
Maybe Zellweger thought she was too cool for the drama club and didn't want to act in high school when all her friends were hanging out with the jocks. However, years later, acting became her passion, and she got her big break in Hollywood.
25. 2 Chainz — Basketball
Based on his 6'5" physique, it is no surprise that 2 Chainz excels in basketball. Before he was a famous rapper, Tauheed Epps was the star player of his high school basketball team in College Park, Georgia. After high school, he was recruited for the Alabama State University team and played one season.
2 Chainz went onto graduate after transferring to Virginia State University, but his passion for music was stronger than his love of basketball. He has been seen at many NBA games, but he has never been asked to play on the Celebrity All-Star team for All-Star weekend.
26. Justin Timberlake — Golf
Before he was a pop icon, Justin Timberlake was out on the golf course working on his skills. At age 12, he took up the game and is still an avid player to this day. He has never been quiet about his love for sports as he owns a stake in the Memphis Grizzlies and hosted the ESPYs.
Timberlake has played in many celebrity and charity sporting events, but golf was his first love. In an interview, Timberlake once said that he felt like there were few places he could go without feeling like he wasn't being watched, and the golf course is one of those places.
27. Steve Carell — Ice Hockey
If you are a fan of The Office, you probably saw Steve Carell skating around on the ice in a few episodes, and that wasn't a stunt double. In high school, Carell was an avid ice hockey player and had aspirations of going pro. He played goalie, and he was actually quite good.
In a 2013 ESPN interview, Carell said, "At a certain point, you either have to commit to that as a potential career or let it become a fun hobby. That happened in high school." Carell decided to go to a Division III school and played hockey throughout school, but it was more for fun.
28. Will Ferrell — Soccer
Will Ferrell has many talents, including soccer. The talented actor played on his high school team and went on to play in college for USC. Ferrell was also the captain of the basketball team and put his 6'3" physique to good use.
Besides playing soccer throughout his youth, Ferrell is also the proud co-owner of the Los Angeles Football Club along with Magic Johnson and Mia Hamm. His soccer skills have also helped him in movies like Kicking and Screaming.
29. Forest Whitaker — Football
One of Forest Whitaker's earliest roles was a football player in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. However, that wasn't his first time putting on a football uniform. Before he made it big in Hollywood, he attended Cal Poly Pamona on a football scholarship until a back injury ended his potential career.
After his injury, Whitacker transferred to USC to study opera. It was far from what he imagined his college years would be like, but it led to a career where he starred in films like The Butler, The Last King of Scotland, and The Black Panther.
30. Jason Sudeikis — Basketball
In one of Jason Sudeikis's most recent roles, he plays Ted Lasso, the American football coach recruited to coach English football. In real life, Sudeikis is actually a bit of an athlete as well. In high school, he played point guard for his hometown team alongside some future NBA'ers.
Sudeikis told ESPN, "I played with future University of Kansas guard Greg Gurley, Kevin Rabbitt who played at Rice, and Chad Alston who played at North Texas." It must be interesting to look back on those days and think that his life could have turned out completely different.
31. Matthew Perry — Tennis
In Friends, we saw Matthew Perry play tennis against his annoying boss with Monica, and because he was trying to lose, we didn't get to see his actual skills. However, he actually spent much of his youth on the court and was nationally ranked in Canada.
In his mid-teens, Perry's family moved to Los Angeles, which gave him the chance to start acting. Perry still enjoys tennis from time to time, as well as hockey and softball whenever he gets the chance. Ross and Joey would probably make fun of him for liking softball over baseball.
32. Jason Lee — Skateboarding
Before Jason Lee became a comedy legend, he was a professional skateboarder. He helped popularize kick-flips and shove-its that we associate with the extreme sport. He was one of the first people to land a signature shoe with Airwalk, and it was inspired by his love for the sport.
Lee is now co-owner of Stereo Skateboards, a company that distributes skateboard decks. We can see him and Tony Hawk being good friends because they are the only professional skateboarders we can name off the top of our heads.
33. Ed O'Neill — Football
In our minds, Ed O'Neill will always be Jay Pritchett with his successful closet business. However, when you look past this iconic character, there is so much more to O'Neill. In fact, the actor was once a defensive lineman who was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, O'Neill didn't make it through the Steelers training camp, and the experience became part of his character's storyline on Married...With Children. Can you believe they cut him just two weeks into the training camp? We wonder why he didn't make it through.
34. Jim Caviezel — Basketball
Back in his high school days, Jim Caviezel was a star basketball player at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Burien, Washington. He got a scholarship to Bellevue College, but his career ended after a foot injury during his sophomore year.
Caviezel ended up transferring to the University of Washington, where he ended up studying acting. It turned out to be a good fall-back plan because one of his earliest roles was as a high school basketball star on The Wonder Years.
35. William Baldwin — Wrestling
While William Baldwin is mostly known because of his famous family, he has something else in common with his brothers. All three of them were wrestlers in high school. However, William was so good that he wrestled for SUNY Binghamton during his first two years of school.
While he was in school, William also modeled to make money, and it led him to acting. It definitely helped that his brothers were also successful in the industry, so his name alone helped him get many opportunities.
36. Romeo — Basketball
The artist who is formerly known as Lil' Romeo, might be known for music in the past few decades, but before he shot to fame, he was a star basketball player. Throughout his time at Beverly Hills High School, Romeo was a four-year starter for the team.
Romeo was so good that USC offered him a full basketball scholarship. However, his performance during his first two seasons was nothing to write home about, and he only played a total of 19 minutes in two seasons. He must have been spending more time writing music.
37. Gavin Rossdale — Tennis
It is no surprise that Gavin Rossdale is usually spotted in the stands of professional tennis events like the US Open because he is actually a pretty good player himself. He is pretty good friends with tennis pro, Rodger Federer, but we don't know if Rossdale could beat him.
Rossdale has been playing since he was young, but it is more of a hobby for him and a way to stay physically active. We wouldn't mind watching him play tennis on a hot summer day, but that is just us. Imagine him and Federer; people would pay for that.
38. Dean Cain — Football
Instead of playing Superman, Dean Cain almost became an NFL player; however, a knee injury ended his football prospects. After playing for Princeton University, Cain was signed as a free agent for the Buffalo Bills, but he didn't even make it through training camp before the injury.
It must have felt crushing to see all his dreams go out the window right before his eyes when he was so close to playing in the pros. Although his football dreams ended, his acting career was just starting, and he got to take a whole different career path.
39. Kurt Russell — Baseball
Kurt Russel has definitely made his mark on the acting world, but back in the '70s, he pursued a different career path. Back in the day, he for the minor league baseball team the Portland Mavericks, the Walla Walla Islanders, and the El Paso Sun Kings.
However, after a few years in the league, he put his professional dreams on the back burner and decided to chase his dreams in Hollywood. It turned out pretty well for him, considering how many awards he has won and how amazing his films are.
40. George Clooney — Baseball
Back in high school, George Clooney was an elite baseball player who was so good that he decided to try out for the Cincinnati Reds. Sadly, Clooney didn't make the team, but that didn't stop him from loving the sport as a fan.
Clooney seriously thought that he was going to make the team and become a professional baseball player. Unfortunately, that didn't work out, and he turned to acting instead. It's a good thing he had a more rational backup plan.