As we celebrate Chuck Norris’ birthday take a look at other celebrities who have played themselves on TV and film.

In honor of America’s favorite pastime, here’s a look at some small screen stars who got their first tastes of fame by tackling, punting and passing for their high school football teams.

Countless little boys (and a number of little girls too) grow up dreaming of taking down the bad guys by any means necessary. Even those who don’t start out as typical athlete types can find lucrative ways to make their fantasies work in the real world—from the army to the police force closer to home. But a select few get to live out these ideas well beyond what their imaginations could have comprehended for them as the stars of action hero franchises like Expendables. Do you think these young faces would have believed you if you told them they would grow up to become some of the hottest action stars in Hollywood?