Earlier this summer, during the height of baseball season, we gave you a list of baseball players who love to fish.

Now we’re working our way into fall, which means changes in weather, water temperature, and fish behavior. It also means changes in our sports.

Football season is here, a time when our weekends become a conflict between going fishing, watching the big game, and finding time for chores.

We’d like to kick off the football season by giving you a list of famous football players and coaches who love to fish. When you head for the water, you just might see these famous athletes and coaches hogging your favorite spot.

URBAN MEYER, HEAD COACH, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

When Urban Meyer isn’t coaching winning teams, he often spends his time in the outdoors. This includes hiking, climbing, and, of course, fishing. Before Meyer took the reins at Ohio State, he took a vacation in the Florida Keys, catching tarpon, shark, barracuda, and more. Urban Meyer is one of the many high-profile coaches who use fishing to unwind, relax, and mentally prepare for the long, stressful football season.

TRENT COLE, LINEBACKER, EAGLES/COLTS

Trent Cole is known for his high-energy play in the NFL, earning him two Pro Bowl appearances and helping him establish a career that has lasted over 10 seasons, a lifetime by NFL standards. As someone who has been fishing since he was four, Cole likes to go angling the day after games for the peace and serenity. The NFL even made a short film about this energetic defender called “Gone Fishin.”

ADAM VINATIERI, KICKER, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Yes, kickers are football players too. As one of the most memorable kickers in football history, Vinatieri is also one of the most prominent anglers in the NFL. He enjoys bass fishing in local lakes whenever he can, and has also been known to go after sailfish off the coast of Panama during football’s off-season.

JIMMY JOHNSON, RETIRED COACH, DALLAS COWBOYS

Legend has it that after the 1993 Super Bowl, when Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys beat the Bills, he received a phone call from President Clinton, inviting him to be a special guest at the White House. Unfortunately, Jimmy had to pass. Why? Because he was planning a fishing trip in the Florida Keys! Cowboys owner Jerry Jones put the hammer down and made Jimmy go to Washington, but this story highlights Johnson’s love for fishing. He has a residence in Islamorada, Florida and keeps a 39-foot boat on hand for his little adventures. 

JJ WATT, DEFENSIVE END, ARIZONA CARDINALS

While JJ Watt shares a love for fishing, this Wisconsin native prefers to keep things more rustic and remote. He grew up in the Milwaukee area and has a cabin in the woods of northern Wisconsin, where he escapes to hunt and fish. When this freak-of-nature athlete isn’t flattening offenses for the Houston Texans, he’s up north chasing bass, northern pike, muskie, and more. He’s also been spotted on saltwater locations bringing in tarpon and marlin.

Photo Credit: JJ Watt fishing with Kinns Sport Fishing of Algoma