Sports Stars Featured on Food Network

Former NFL cornerback Eddie Jackson traded in competitive football for competitive cooking and quickly became a fan favorite. After playing college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and pursuing his dream of playing in the National Football League, Eddie tackled another dream by getting back to his first love of cooking, eventually opening a food truck in Houston. After an eighth-place finish on MasterChef in 2013, Eddie bested 11 other competitors to take home the title on Season 11 of Food Network Star.

Since then, Eddie has hosted, judged and competed on a number of Food Network shows, including Kids BBQ Championship with fellow chef Damaris Phillips, as well as Chopped, BBQ Brawl, Supermarket Stakeout and Guy’s Grocery Games. He also hosts Outchef’d and Christmas Cookie Challenge alongside fellow chef Ree Drummond.

Perhaps no former athlete has embraced the Food Network competition circuit quite like Tobias Dorzon, appearing on Chopped, Last Bite Hotel, Guy's Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions. Before trading in his cleats for an apron, Tobias played college ball at Jackson State University and had a brief NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.

After representing the USA in the long jump during the 2000 Olympics and winning at the 2001 Indoor World Championships, former gold medalist Dawn Burrell hung up her spikes and made the leap to the kitchen. After graduating from culinary school, she joined the team at Kulture in Houston as executive chef, running the kitchen and serving up elevated, reimagined Southern food.

Since leaving the track, Dawn has become a James Beard Award semifinalist and is no stranger to culinary competitions, appearing on Season 24 of Beat Bobby Flay and Season 18 of Top Chef, as well as Tournament of Champions, Cutthroat Kitchen and Chopped. She also recently returned to TV screens across America for Season 3 of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.

Following up a professional sports career with a successful second act can be a daunting task, but perhaps no one has made the transition look more effortless than former football player and Western Michigan University standout Terry Crews. The Flint, Michigan, native retired from the NFL in 1997 and has since built an incredibly successful career in entertainment over the past three decades, appearing in hit films and television series including White Chicks, Norbit, The Expendables, Everybody Hates Chris and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

His long list of hosting gigs may be even more impressive than his acting résumé, heading up some of the biggest reality shows on TV. From a brief stint on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to leading the current seasons of America's Got Talent, Terry has now joined forces with Food Network as the host of the all-new cooking competition 100 Cooks.

One of the most dominant female fighters to ever step into the ring, Laila Ali, the youngest daughter of legend Muhammad Ali, spent eight years boxing professionally and retired undefeated with a 24-0 record, including 21 knockouts. Along the way, she captured the IBA Super Middleweight Championship, WIBA Super Middleweight Championship, WBC Super Middleweight Championship and IWBF Super Middleweight Championship during her Hall of Fame career.

What may be even more impressive is how seamlessly she transitioned into entertainment after boxing. From appearances on Dancing With the Stars, American Gladiators and The Biggest Loser to becoming a familiar face on Food Network as a two-time Chopped champion, host of Beat Bobby Flay and Chef Grudge Match, and judge on Chopped Junior, Laila has built an impressive second act outside the ring.

While many people recognize Jesse Palmer as the current host of The Bachelor, he first made a name for himself as the quarterback of the Florida Gators football team under legendary coach Steve Spurrier before being drafted by the New York Giants in 2001.

After five seasons in the NFL, Palmer transitioned into broadcasting as a game analyst for ESPN and has since hosted dozens of television shows over the past two-plus decades, including several Food Network baking favorites such as Holiday Baking Championship, Summer Baking Championship, Bakeaway Camp With Martha Stewart and The Ultimate Baking Championship.

When it comes to motorsports, no female athlete has made a bigger impact than Danica Patrick, the first (and only) woman to win an IndyCar Series race. Named Rookie of the Year in 2005, Danica’s road to racing history began in Wisconsin before she left high school early to compete in the United Kingdom. After switching to NASCAR, Danica also became the first woman to hold the pole position for the Daytona 500.

Named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Danica has also showcased her competitive spirit on Food Network, appearing both as a judge on Season 24 of Beat Bobby Flay and as a competitor on Season 17 of Chopped. Facing off against Tiki Barber, Natalie Coughlin and Chuck Zito, Danica once again found herself in the winner’s circle, taking home the victory in the final round against Natalie.

Before becoming one of the most decorated female athletes of the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, California native and former competitive swimmer Natalie Coughlin first made waves at the University of California, Berkeley. The 12-time Olympic medalist proved time and time again that she could thrive under pressure in the pool, but could Natalie make just as big of a splash in the kitchen?

She put her culinary skills to the test on a special sports-themed episode of Chopped, competing in Season 17 against Tiki Barber, Chuck Zito, and Danica Patrick and ultimately falling short to Danica in the final.

Former Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon made history as the first openly gay US athlete to qualify for and medal at the Winter Olympics, taking home bronze at the 2018 Games.

Since retiring later that year, Adam has built a successful second act as a media personality, appearing on Dancing With the Stars, RuPaul's Drag Race and Stars on Mars. He also served as a broadcast analyst for NBC during the 2024 US Figure Skating Championships and finished as the runner-up on Season 28 of Worst Cooks in America, ultimately falling to Corinne Olympios from The Bachelor.

Joining Food Network’s Katie Lee to host a Season 30 episode of Beat Bobby Flay is former hooper and six-time National Basketball Association All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire. After an illustrious career in America, most notably with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, Amar’e moved to Israel, where he played two seasons with Hapoel Jerusalem before joining the club’s archrival Maccabi Tel Aviv for one season. He later returned to the States and spent two years as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets from 2020 to 2022, and now splits his time between the US and Israel.

From baseball stadiums to the biggest game in football, these three chefs know what it takes to cook under the bright lights. Loren Rue (left) spent five years as executive chef for the New York Mets, Matt Gibson (center) led the culinary program for the New York Yankees for 14 years and Dayanny De La Cruz (right) shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to oversee the culinary program for a Super Bowl.

In a special sports-themed episode from Season 3 of Alex vs. America, the trio brought their stadium-sized experience together in an attempt to take down chef Alex Guarnaschelli.

Former professional football player Deji Oduwole traded in his helmet and cleats for an apron and a knife. After retiring from the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he graduated second in his culinary school class and went on to work at two Michelin-starred restaurants in southern Spain before taking on Bobby in Season 7 of Beat Bobby Flay. Although he didn’t come out victorious, he validated his decision to leave the football field behind and take the culinary industry head-on.

After starring at Auburn University and being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1998 National Football League Draft, former NFL All-Pro linebacker Takeo Spikes built a reputation as one of the league’s fiercest tacklers during the early 2000s.

Following his 15-year NFL career, the two-time Pro Bowler transitioned into sports media and currently works as an analyst and media personality, appearing on Season 7 of Guy's Grocery Games alongside celebrity chef Lorena Garcia.

In an epic showdown featuring some of Major League Baseball’s top executive chefs, Gunnar Steden (from left), Jason Eksterowicz, Christine Gerriets and Ron Abell went head-to-head on Season 37 of Guy's Grocery Games. Gunnar serves as regional executive chef and culinary development director for the West region, including the San Francisco Giants, while Jason is the senior executive chef at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. Ron leads the culinary program at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, and Christine made history as the first female executive chef at the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium.

With only a handful of female executive chefs across all of professional sports, Christine stepped up to the plate and delivered an impressive performance before ultimately falling to Ron in the final round.

Georgia-based chef Tia Raiford may not have experience competing under the bright lights as an athlete, but after serving as a senior executive chef during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she’s no stranger to performing on one of the world’s biggest stages. Safe to say, when it comes to cooking at the highest level for the ultimate sporting event, Tia knows exactly how to deliver under pressure.

And speaking of pressure, imagine going head-to-head with a James Beard Award nominee in a televised cooking competition. Oh, and did we forget to mention that chef just happens to be your husband? Yep, Tia took home bragging rights in the Raiford household after defeating her husband, Matthew Raiford, on Season 1 of Chef Grudge Match, hosted by the one and only Laila Ali.

Former NFL great Tiki Barber made a name for himself as one of the most dynamic running backs in NFL history. During his 10 seasons with the New York Giants, Tiki earned three Pro Bowl selections and became one of just 32 players to rush for more than 10,000 career yards.

While he was a star on the field, Tiki looked to trade touchdowns for tasty dishes during a special sports-themed episode of Chopped, facing off against Natalie Coughlin, Chuck Zito and eventual winner Danica Patrick.

California native Jennifer Lacy Bradford first made a name for herself playing college basketball close to home at Pepperdine University before going on to become a Women's National Basketball Association champion. Although she had never competed in a cooking competition, the 6-foot-3 former WNBA star teamed up with chef Marc Murphy on Season 7 of Guy's Grocery Games.

Meet the Cupcake Guys: Michael Griffin (top left), Bryan Hynson (top right) and Brian Orakpo (bottom). You may remember them from their viral Microsoft Surface commercial, where they shared their dream job with the world, but long before Rak and Griff tackled the entrepreneurial world, they were tackling speedy wideouts and running backs on the football field. Both 10-year NFL veterans, two-time Pro Bowler Michael and four-time Pro Bowler Brian starred for the University of Texas Longhorns before spending several seasons together with the Tennessee Titans.

After hanging up their cleats and tying on their aprons, the lifelong friends returned to Austin to launch their business, The Cupcake Guys. Soon after, they teamed up with Food Network to help aspiring bakers chase their own dreams on Cupcake Guys Training Camp.

While the former professional swimmer recently competed on Worst Cooks in America, we think it’s safe to say Ryan Lochte is definitely not one of the worst swimmers in America. In fact, Ryan is the third most decorated swimmer in Olympic history.

Since retiring from the sport, the 12-time Olympic medalist turned TV personality has experienced success, controversy and redemption, appearing on Celebrity Family Feud, The Traitors and Worst Cooks. Ryan has also recently made his return to the pool, serving as an assistant swimming coach for both the men’s and women’s teams at Missouri State University.

Born and raised in New Jersey, chef Lex Grant turned a passion for cooking into a career after chasing her dreams in the culinary world, and it’s safe to say things have worked out nicely. After attending culinary school, Lex worked in some of the best New York City kitchens before breaking into the celebrity chef scene.

Her first major client introduced her to a larger circle of high-profile athletes and entertainers, including former Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. From there, she built a strong reputation working with NBA talent before eventually becoming the executive performance chef for the Dallas Mavericks. Lex has since showcased her culinary skills on Chopped and, most recently, returned to the competition circuit on Season 3 of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.

While he may have started his college football career as a wide receiver, four-time Pro Bowler Marcel Reece made his name as a hard-hitting fullback in the NFL. After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2008, Marcel spent most of his career with the Oakland Raiders, earning All-Pro honors along the way. Following his playing career, he returned to the now-Las Vegas Raiders in an executive role before resigning in 2023.

Reece later appeared alongside chef Brian Malarkey on Season 7 of Guy's Grocery Games, competing against fellow former NFL star Takeo Spikes, former WNBA standout Jennifer Lacy and former MLB player Rich Aurilia. Today, Marcel oversees football operations for USA Football ahead of flag football’s Olympic debut at the 2028 Games.

Former NBA great and 19-year veteran Charles Oakley (from left) joined an all-star lineup of athletic legends on Season 19 of Chopped Tournament of Stars. Competing alongside Charles were Team USA soccer icon and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain, track-and-field legend and three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee and celebrated diver Greg Louganis, one of the most recognizable names in US Olympic history. But while all four athletes dominated in their respective sports, the kitchen presented a very different kind of competition.

While chef Beau MacMillan may not be an athlete himself, the longtime Food Network star has cooked for several superstar athletes over the years, most notably hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

Throughout his career, Beau has appeared on a number of high-profile cooking competitions, including Iron Chef America, Guy's Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions and Chopped All-Stars. In addition to competing on Guy’s Grocery Games, Beau has judged more than 60 episodes of the series and also served as a co-host and mentor on Worst Cooks in America.

Former Syracuse University standout Derrell Smith made his NFL dreams come true after signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2010 before later joining the Houston Texans. Entering his second season, Derrell earned the starting fullback job, but a neck injury ultimately brought his football career to an early end. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, the injury led Derrell to channel his passion and discipline into the culinary world instead.

Serving as the owner and executive chef of Smokey Chance BBQ before starting his own own pop up, Amazeballs, Derrell has built a following serving gourmet comfort food across Los Angeles. Most recently, he brought his culinary skills to our TV screens during Season 40 of Beat Bobby Flay.

Former MLB All-Star Rich Aurilia played shortstop for five teams across an impressive 15-year baseball career, beginning and ending his time in the majors with the San Francisco Giants. Although he now co-owns a boutique winery in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco, Rich grew up in Brooklyn and played his college ball at St. John's University in New York.

Since retiring, along with co-owning Red Stitch Wine, Rich has had a (very) brief stint as a juror on General Hospital and appeared on Season 7 of Guy's Grocery Games alongside chef Robert Irvine.