Odell Beckham Jr, Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson, Ndamukong Suh and J.J. Watt are just some of the names that we have seen playing football instead of American Football.

Of course, those in America and very few other places in the world call the game that the vast majority of the world knows as football (or a translation of the same name) ‘soccer’ but it seems that there is a love for the sport regardless of what it is called.

The NFL, though, is one of the premier sports in the US and whilst it is continuing to grow in popularity and interest in countries such as the UK and Germany, it seems the activity is one of the first loves for many across the Atlantic.

However, there are a number of American Football stars that have played football in the past and have credited the game that we love with helping them to become a star in their own sport. An example of this is with Jim Harbaugh’s comments, with the Michigan Wolverines coach telling The Wall Street Journal: “There is really no other game like it,” as his team practiced with the Italian Serie A club AS Roma back in August 2017. “I always encourage youngsters in America to play soccer.”

Indeed, there are others that could have had the same amount of success on a football pitch if they were to decide to swap games. GOAL recently provided a detailed article that looked at 10 of the top players to have played in the NFL at some point in their careers.

Let’s take a look at just a few of those mentioned:

Odell Beckham Jr.

A wide receiver that has a global appeal that is arguably beyond the NFL, Odell Beckham Jr currently represents the Los Angeles Rams and will be competing in Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022.

Beckham Jr = no relation to our beloved David - is a huge fan of football and claims it was his first love before playing in the NFL. He told NJ.com that he had a chance to try out for the U.S. youth national team, but did not want to go to Europe to try and achieve his aims. 

Ndamukong Suh

A Super Bowl winner with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year and formerly the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, after he signed a six-year contract with the Miami Dolphins that was worth in excess of $114 million and had nearly $60 million fully guaranteed, Ndamukong Suh is a player who credited soccer with helping him to develop as an athlete.

Feb 10, 2021; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Ndamukong Suh holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy during a boat parade to celebrate victory in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

"(Soccer) helped me so much," he told the Wall Street Journal in 2014. His athleticism was impressive, given that he stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs in at over 300 pounds.

J.J. Watt

A 3x NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner, the Arizona Cardinal’s J.J. Watt is another NFL star that has a strong affinity with the game of soccer. He has been spotted at a number of U.S. national team games in the past and has had photos with a number of different stars from the sport, including the recently-retired Sergio Aguero, with whom he once had a penalty shootout with.

Oct 10, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt (99) runs off the field after beating the San Francisco 49ers 17-10 at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports

Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson

If he is not busy leaving some extremely generous tips at an eatery that he has been at, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver is known for having a huge love for soccer.

Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson has revealed that he felt soccer training drills helped with his footwork, whilst he also regularly tweets about the sport, including matches that take place in the Premier League.

Number 88 has even tested himself as a footballer, as he had a trial at Sporting Kansas City in 2017 once his NFL career ended, playing in a reserve game for the MLS franchise.