It doesn’t only take talent to be able to play sports at a professional level. You also need a lot of practice and a proper mindset. Same goes with music, as long as you have the spirit not to give up, you can achieve a success either on the pitch or on the stage. Sports fans love to discover hidden talents of athletes. Here are some of world’s most recognizable athletes who are also good at making music.
Petr Čech
Petr Čech is a world-renown goalkeeper. Speculated to be one of the greatest goalies of all time, Čech mostly played for Chelsea F.C. during his career. He started wearing hi recognizable headwear after a head injury he suffered during a match. But Petr Čech’s talent isn’t limited only to football. Čech is also as great on ice as he is on ground. Čech is also a goaltender in Hockey! Not only that, but this sport legend is also great at drums! Seemingly a fan of the band Foo Fighters, Petr has covered their songs as well as other tracks on his YouTube channel. Every Premier League fan should give his drumming a listen, as he is just as good at music as he is on the pitch.
You can see more of Čech’s drumming skills on his YouTube channel
Kobe Bryant
Basketball legend who was given the nickname “Black Mamba” was truly an inspirational figure. A basketball player, philanthropist, businessman and among other things a person with a sense of rythm! Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s Kobe performed as a rapper. First being a member of the underground hip-hop group CHEIZAW, Kobe quickly moved into a solo career and later started producing more radio-friendly content. But his musical talent doesn’t end on rapping, he once learned to play Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14, also known as The Moonlight Sonata. He was never a pianist, but he has made an effort to learn this hard piece in order to impress his loving wife. The effects were certainly worth it.
Manny Pacquiao
The former professional boxer from the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao is a true martial arts legend. Pacquiao is the world’s only octuple boxing champion and has won 12 major world fighting titles. A lot can be said about Pacquiao’s boxing skill, but did you know that he is also a very talented musician? When viewing this clip, it becomes clear that Manny Pacquiao has a great ear for melody. Pacquiao is a great guitarist and also has a very clean singing voice!
John Cena
Probably world’s most recognizable WWE superstar, John Cena has got many talents. After he has retired from the world of wrestling, Cena became a successful movie-star. He makes a great actor and his appearance and behavior is perfect for roles of tough, yet witty characters. But aside from his career, Cena enjoys learning new things. He has learned how to speak Mandarin and learned to play the piano and is quite good at it.
Pelé
Pelé is regarded as the history’s best football player. And if someone deserves this title, it is certainly him. He holds the Guinness recognized world record for 1,281 goals in just 1,363 games. He has also been voted as the FIFA Player of the Century, World Player of the Century, and Athlete of the Century. When young Pelé saw his father crying over Brazil losing the World Cup, he made a promise that he will win World Cup for him. Pelé fulfilled this promise at only 17 years old, scoring two goals during the final match in the 1958 World Cup. Pelé remains Brazil’s youngest goalscorer, scoring his first goal at 16 against a match with Argentina. With so many achievements at a young age it’s hard to imagine that Pelé would have time to practice anything else but football, but you would be surprised! Pelé is also a fantastic guitarist and singer. He also plays in the Nordoff Robbins centre, a musical therapy center focused on helping children with disabilities.
See other young athlete champions here
Mario Balotelli
A very talented and skillful professional football player from Italy, Balotelli played for multiple major football clubs and for the Italian national team. Considered to be one of the all-time greatest on the pitch, Balotelli also has a secret talent. It turns out that Mario Balotelli is a phenomenal pianist! His talent for music was kept a secret from his fans until this viral video popped up on the internet.
Bronson Arroyo
Bronson Arroyo is an MLB player who played for multiple teams including the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox. He has been playing the longest time for Cincinnati Reds. When it comes to this list, Arroyo has been by far the most active in the world of music. He has released his own album Covering the Bases in which he covers songs from various popular grunge rock groups. Amongst others he has covered Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. The album also featured a cover of “Dirty Water”, a song originally by The Standells. “Dirty Water” is Red Sox’ victory song.