Who are the best candidates to become spies? They’d have to be athletic, intelligent, and incredibly graceful. It would help a lot if they were team players and, maybe most importantly, that they could have an unwavering sense of loyalty to a professional organization.
When you think about it, you have to wonder why there aren’t more professional athletes who act as spies in their time off… Or are there?
In honor of El Rey’s new series premiering July 15th at 9pm ET/PT , Matador , which explores this very idea, we’d like to share our top 10 list of athletes that we truly think might be secret agents in their spare time.
Brought to you by El Rey’s Matador
10 Professional Athletes That May Be Spies
Blake Griffin
With Blake Griffin’s supernatural ability to jump incredibly high and run incredibly fast, it would make sense if he spent his nights infiltrating secret government locations and assassinating enemies of the state. Well, I guess it would be if not for his bright red hair.
(Photo credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
Brock Lesnar
Dude has a combat knife tattooed on his chest. You can take that one of two ways. One, he’s just a crazy guy that likes to fight so much that he imagines himself as a ridiculously oversized handheld weapon. Two, his tattoo is a way of portraying himself as a crazy guy who likes to fight so that he can use his outstanding athleticism and impeccable wrestling skills to take down enemy forces. I’m going to suggest the latter.
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Dennis Rodman
He has literally infiltrated North Korea and held in-depth discussions with Kim Jong Un. So either he actually considers the North Korean dictator a friend or he’s one of the best spies on the damn planet.
(Photo credit: WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
Hope Solo
Other than the fact that she is prone to controversial outbursts, Hope Solo would be a prime candidate due to her incredible quickness, power and international acclaim. It’s crazy how much everybody loves a soccer player outside of the U.S.
(Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
Pablo Sandoval
The Kung-Fu Panda. He’s large and he’s in charge. I know what you’re thinking, how could this very rotund athlete be any sort of spy? Or, better yet, how could this guy, who is quite powerful, but very slow and very conspicuous, be stealthy whatsoever? Well, that’s why I absolutely think that he would be a better spy than anyone else on this list. Nobody would expect it…
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo
This ridiculously good-looking guy is incredible at soccer and has a philanthropic record second to only Mother Theresa. The only reason that I think he might be a spy is that he’s so good at everything else that he does, I’d just assume he was incredibly good at being a spy as well.
(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Skylar Diggins
You might not have heard of Skylar Diggins, but you will. She’s a rising star in the WNBA because of her great handles and nice jump shot. Not to mention that she’s well liked among her peers and, like Ronaldo, she’s just generally good looking. This mix of athleticism and aesthetic beauty can only mean one thing… Femme fatale. Well, no, it can also mean a woman who plays in the WNBA, but that’s not the point of this list.
(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
Darren Sproles
Sproles is the perfect spy. He’s small, strong and about as fast as you can get. He could easily sprint through a guarded enemy gate undetected, grab any sort of secret documentation and be gone before anyone is the wiser.
(Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
Steve Nash
Canadian ex-pat living in the U.S. since college? Did you really think he was just here for the NBA?
(Photo credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
Tiger Woods
Tiger’s ability to lie is second to none. And it takes that kind of guile to succeed as a secret agent.