Football players on Dancing with the Stars are 1. Emmit Smith 2. Jason Taylor 3. Warren Sapp 4. Lawrence Taylor 5. Michael Irvin and 6. Chad Johnson.
The American dancing reality show DWTS is a hit series in which celebrities were paired with professional dances. Each pair compete against each other to gain points and audience votes.
Since June 1, 2005, when the first season aired, the show has been running for 31 seasons and has featured star contestants like Zendaya, Jennifer Grey, Bindi Irwin, and Alfonso Ribeiro.
Likewise, there have been four NFL players who have won the DWTS show including Emmitt Smith with Cheryl Burke, Hines Ward with Kym Johnson, Donald Driver with Peta Murgatroyd, and Rashad Jennings with Emma Slater.
NFL players who won Dancing with the Stars
| Player Name | Year |
| Emmitt Smith | 2006 |
| Hines Ward | 2011 |
| Donald Driver | 2012 |
| Rashad Jennings | 2017 |
Jerry Rice – 2006
DWTS football players include Jerry Rice who competed in season 2 of the show in 2006. He got paired with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya.
Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was the first NFL star to appear on DWTS, and he came close to winning season 2 of Dancing with Stars as he finished the season in second place, behind Drew Lachey.
The Jerry and Anna duo scored a total of 80 points with their highest score of 24 in Week 4. In Week 8, they showcased their versatility and skills by dancing three different styles including Freestyle, Foxtrot, and Cha-Cha-cha.
The WR Rice has spent almost 20 years in the National Football League with multiple franchises: 49ers from 1985 – 2000, Raiders from 2001 – 2004, Seahawks (2004), and Broncos (2005). He also won three Super Bowl titles with the team.
Mississippi native 60-year-old WR Jerry Rice is regarded as one of the greatest players in NFL history because of his numerous record and catching ability. He was also honored by being selected for the league’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time team.
Emmitt Smith – 2006
NFL players who won Dancing with the Stars cover Emmitt Smith who became the first NFL Player to win the reality show with Cheryl Burke.
Smith competed in DWTS’ season 3 and was paired with professional dancer Cheryl Burke. Smith and Burke’s duo crowded the championship trophy, beating actor Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff in the final.
The couple impressed the judges and audience with their performance and scored perfect 30s in three dances: Samba, Mambo, and Freestyle.
DWTS football players Smith and professional dancer Burke duo returned for the All-Star season 15, which aired in 2012. They finished the season in fourth place losing to Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani in the semi-finals.
The Dallas Cowboys RB Smith played 15 seasons in the NFL. The Cowboys picked Emiitt in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft.
The league’s all-time leading rusher and Super Bowl MVP athlete was regarded as one of the greatest running back in NFL history with 8 Pro Bowl selections, 4 first-team All-Pro, and 2-time second-team All-Pro.
Hines Ward – 2011
Hines Ward participated in season 12 of the American TV reality show. The former Steeler WR partnered with Kym Johnson.
The final round of the show was a nail bitting showdown between Hines and Kym and the other two couples. Hina and Kym delivered a flawless freestyle and stunning quickstep, earning them a score of 30 and 29 respectively. They were crowned the winner of the show.
The runner-up pair was Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, followed by Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas in third place.
South Korean native WR Ward played for Pittsburgh Steelers and was drafted in 1998. He played his entire NFL career with Steelers and became the team’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yardage, and touchdown receptions.
Besides his NFL career, Ward has appeared in numerous TV shows including The Dark Knight Rises and The Walking Dead.
Recently, WR Hines Ward has been working as the head coach of XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.
Donald Driver – 2012
Donald Driver made his DWTS appearance in season 14 and was awarded the mirrorball trophy with his partner Peta Murgatroyd.
Donald becomes the third NFL player to win the reality show title along with Emmitt Smith in 2012. He joined the show with Peta Murgatroyd who had previously competed in season 13.
Driver and Murgatroyd performed multiple dances such as Cha-cha-cha, Quickstep, Rumba, Paso double, Argentine tango, Foxtrot, Waltz, Jive, and Tango.
The duo made it to the final round of the show along with co-stars Katherine and Mark, and William and Cheryl. In the final, they performed Cha-cha-cha which earned them a perfect score of 30 from the judges and hence, became the Dancing champs.
The Packers Hall of Famer wide receiver Donald Driver played 14 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He led the team to win Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers.
Jacoby Jones – 2013
Jacoby Jones joined the American TV reality show DWTS season 16 along with season 13 winner Karina Smirnoff. They secured the third position.
The duo performed various styles of dance from Week 1 to Week 10 including Cha-cha-cha, Jazz, Rumba, Group freestyle, Foxtrot, and Jive.
They received the best combined 59 points from two dances argentine and lindy hop in the semifinals performance. With a total of 86 points, Jacoby and Karina’s duo held third place in the DWTS.
The 39-year-old former professional football athlete Jacoby Jones was enrolled in the five National Football League franchises. The footballer was honored with first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection in 2012.
Von Miller – 2016
Von Miller joined Dancing with the Stars in 2016 along with Doug Flutie and Antonio Brown. Miller was unsuccessful in the reality show.
The former Denver Broncos LB Von Miller entered the DWTS season 22 along with his partner Witney Carson.
The Super Bowl 50 MVP linebacker Miller performed dances like Cha-cha-cha, Foxtrot, Salsa, and Viennese Waltz. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in Week 7 and finished in seventh place.
While Quarterback Dough Flutie tried his best to show the different styles of dance with his partner Karina Smirnoff, but he was also eliminated in Week 6 and held the ninth place.
Currently, Miller plays for the Buffalo Bills since 2022 after playing 10 seasons with the Denver Broncos and one season with Los Angeles Rams.
Antonio Brown – 2016
Antonio Brown participated in Dancing with the Stars in 2016 along with Von Miller. The famous WR joined the DWTS cast with Sharna Burgess.
The 2021 Super Bowl winner Brown and professional dancer Sharna were eliminated in Week 9 along with another duo Wanyaa and Lindsay. The couple secured 4th place in the show with a total of 55 points.
They performed numerous dance styles during the show including Foxtrot, Jazz, Rumba, Quickstep, Waltz, Freestyle, and Tango. They also participated in Week 7 team dance, where they scored 28 points which was their highest score on the show.
AB is considered one of the greatest receivers as he has earned four-time first-team All-Pro, second-team All-Pro, and seven-time Pro Bowl selections during his 12 years of NFL career.
DeMarcus Ware – 2018
DeMarcus Ware have been on the DETS show on season 27 and finished in joint seven place with John Schneider.
Outside linebacker Ware joined the show as a celebrity football player with his professional partner Lindsay Arnold. They both performed very well in the show.
However, due to Week 7’s poor performance, the couple was eliminated from the show, holding 7th place along with co-stars John and Emma.
The season 27 DWTS winner was Booby Bones and Sharma Burgess, while Milo Manheim and Witney Carson held second place.
Other football athletes like Keyshawn Johnson were eliminated in Week 2 of the 17 season. Rashad Jenning won the season 24 DWTS title with his co-partner Emma Slater.