Image via Complex Original
Professional athletes don't always have to look as physically dominating as LeBron James in order to succeed. Take, for instance, New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, or former world soccer superstar, Ronaldo. These guys might not have the sveltest figures around, but they were and are still able to perform at one of the highest levels in their sport, while being just as overpowering as LBJ. Sure, athletes are usually in better looking shape than most, but let's not be so quick to write off the guys who happen to have a few extra pounds on their waistline. It's time to honor all of the heftiest heroes of organized athletics, like former Bears defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry. So, without further ado, here are The Greatest Fat Athletes of All Time.
20. Dontari Poe
Sport: Football
Career span: 2013-Present
Max listed playing weight: 346 lbs
Accolades: 2x Pro Bowler, heaviest man to score a TD in NFL history
Poe is one of the most physically dominant defensive tackles in the NFL. While most NFL linemen are big, Poe is one of the biggest at 346 pounds and what’s even crazier is that he recorded his 40-yard dash in under 5 seconds. There are some NFL linebackers 100 pounds lighter who have slower times! In 2015, Poe became the biggest offensive player to score a touchdown as the Chiefs used him as the goal line running back at the 1-yard line.
19. Pablo Sandoval
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 2008-Present
Max listed playing weight: 240 lbs
Accolades: 2x World Series champion, 2012 World Series MVP, 2x MLB All-Star
There's a reason that Pablo Sandoval's nickname is Kung Fu Panda, and it has a lot to do with the fact that, like his namesake, Sandoval is one hefty animal. You can't doubt the talent of Sandoval as one of the top third baseman in the game just a few seasons ago. His three-HR game against the Tigers during the 2012 World Series proved that Sandoval was ready for primetime. However, that doesn't mean that the guy couldn't stand to lose a few pounds here and there and his weight was a major issue with the Red Sox who signed Sandoval to a 5-year, $90 million deal starting with the 2015 season.
18. Holley Mangold
Sport: Weightlifting
Career span: 2010-Present
Max listed playing weight: 350 lbs
Accolades: member of 2012 U.S. Olympic team
Sister of New York Jets center Nick Mangold, Holley seems to be blessed with her family’s natural strength. Standing at 5'8", Mangold actually played football in high school and dropped out of college on a track scholarship to pursue Olympic dreams. She also appeared on an episode on MTV’s True Life entitled “I’m a Big Girl” and was even on reality series The Biggest Loser.
17. Bartolo Colon
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 1997-Present
Max listed playing weight: 285 lbs
Accolades: 2005 Cy Young Award winner, 4x All-Star, oldest player (42) to his his first career home run
Always a hefty man, Colon has long been a serviceable pitcher and has seemingly found the fountain of youth later in his career, leading the Mets in wins from 2014-16. Despite his big size, he has impressively beat the test of time and is actually incredibly athletic for his frame. He had such a good season for the Mets in 2016, Colon earned a $12.5 million deal with the Braves for 2017.
16. Vince Wilfork
Sport: Football
Career span: 2004-Present
Max listed playing weight: 325 lbs
Accolades: 2x Super Bowl winner, 5x Pro Bowler, 1st Team All-Pro 2012
He's listed at 325, but no way Wilfork weighs that. The defensive tackle, who anchored the Patriots line for over a decade, is incredibly athletic despite his massive frame. Perhaps THE fat defensive lineman, Wilfork has been known to command double teams and still demolish running backs and QBs alike.
15. Butterbean
Sport: Boxing
Career span: 1994-2002
Max listed playing weight: 417 lbs
Accolades: 77 career wins, 58 KOs, former IBA Super Heavyweight champion
If you've ever read the X-Men comics, then you may have already made the connection between Butterbean and his closest cosmetic counterpart, Blob. Needless to say, Butterbean doesn't have the shapeliest figure around, but you have to give the guy credit for stepping up and making a career out of his physique at all. Able to throw his weight into a powerful knockout punch, Butterbean won 51 straight matches before falling to Billy Zumbrun and Larry Holmes in 2001. Since then, he's bounced around various forms of professional fighting, including MMA and pro wrestling.
14. William "The Refrigerator" Perry
Sport: Football
Career span: 1985-1994
Max listed playing weight: 335 lbs
Accolades: Super Bowl XX champion, First-team All American at Clemson, scored TD in Super Bowl XX
It never got any better than his rookie year for William "The Refrigerator" Perry. Not only did he wrangle five sacks during his first-year campaign with the Chicago Bears, but he also helped them win the Super Bowl in the process, scoring a TD during the game when Mike Ditka put him in at fullback. After his rookie season, Perry would have a respectable 10 year career, but often struggled to balance out his weight and get a consistent level of performance from his body. Still, what Perry did get was often memorable and, for our money, there will never be a better TD from 1-yard out than his.
13. Shawn Kemp
Sport: Basketball
Career span: 1989-2003
Max listed playing weight: 315 lbs
Accolades: 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Second Team
The Reign Man had his days as a rim-rocker in the league, known for a few years as one of the most athletic and show-stopping big men around. Unfortunately, when the NBA lockout shortened the 1998-99 season, Kemp would end up gaining too much weight in the time off that he was never truly able to lose. When the league finally resumed play that year, Kemp showed up to training camp weighing 315 lbs, a size much heftier than what he had previously been playing at. After that, Kemp's career was never the same, as he battled weight issues, along with drug and alcohol problems, for the remainder of his playing days.
12. John Daly
Sport: Golf
Career span: 1987-Present
Max listed playing weight: 276 lbs
Accolades: 1991 PGA Championship champion, 1995 British Open champion, 19 professional victories
For years, John Daly was known on the PGA Tour as one of the fattest and most unapologetic guys around. However, as his career yielded less and less in the way of results, his weight ballooned in the early-2000s, forcing Daly to receive lap-band surgery for the sake of his health. He was able to get below 200 lbs at one point as a result of the surgery but, as you can see from the picture above, he hasn't had much trouble putting any of that weight back on.
11. Prince Fielder
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 2005-2016
Max listed playing weight: 275 lbs
Accolades: 6x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger Award
When Prince Fielder joined the Tigers in 2012, he was supposed to pick up where his father left off with Detroit in the '90s, and carry the team to a World Series title on the strength of his bat. Unfortunately, his numbers didn't quite match up with projections, as Fielder's 25 home runs in 2013 were the lowest single-season number of his career. However, prior to Detroit, Fielder earned his reputation as a power hitter during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, joining his father in the 50 HR club back in 2007. The Rangers acquired Fielder in 2014, but injuries caught up with the first baseman and he announced his retirement from the game in the middle of the 2016 season.
10. Cecil Fielder
Sport: Baseball
Career Span: 1985-1998
Max listed playing weight: 280 lbs
Accolades: 3x All-Star, 1996 World Series champion, 319 career HRs
Like his son, former first baseman, Cecil Fielder, was a power hitter in MLB who enjoyed playing with a little bit of extra weight behind his bat. After failing to make much of an impact during his four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Fielder had a breakthrough year with the Detroit Tigers when he belted 51 home runs, and 132 RBI in 1990, measuring in at 6'3" and 280 lbs while doing it. Fielder likely should've been an MVP at some point during his time with the Tigers, but many felt that his team's underwhelming overall performance ultimately hindered his campaign. However, given that Fielder toiled in the Japanese leagues for a season before he caught on with the Tigers, the big-hitting first baseman is an impressive story with or without the hardware.
9. CC Sabathia
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 2001-Present
Max listed playing weight: 290 lbs
Accolades: 2007 AL Cy Young winner, 6x All-Star, 2009 World Series champion
Sabathia was the AL wins leader in both 2009 and 2010, and was consistently in the running for the Cy Young every year during his prime years with the Indians and (briefly) Brewers before signing with the Yankees. So can anyone really begrudge for being a little larger than most? You have to let a guy get away with a few extra pounds when he's that focused.
8. David Wells
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 1987-2007
Max listed playing weight: 248 lbs
Accolades: 3x All-Star, 2x World Series champion, pitched a perfect game
If anyone ever tries to tell you that fat people can't be perfect, then point them David Wells' way. The former MLB pitcher threw a perfect game back on May 17, 1998 against the Minnesota Twins, sealing Wells' status as one of the most talented pitchers of his generation. He has 239 career victories and the 1998 ALCS MVP contribute to that designation, along with the fact that Wells didn't even get his career as a starting pitcher going until he was 30 years old. Despite his slow start, Wells would go on to play until 2007, when he was 44. Fat, old, and he could still pitch a perfect game. Impressive.
7. George Foreman
Sport: Boxing
Career span: 1987-1997, 1969-1977
Max listed playing weight: 260 lbs
Accolades: Oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history, 76-5 win-loss record, 1968 Olympic gold medal
When George Foreman came back to professional boxing in 1987, he wasn't just standing around hoping to shill some grills. No, Foreman also had his eyes set on boxing's ultimate prize: the heavyweight championship belt. Amazingly, at age 45, and considerably heavier than his cut, fit physique of the 1970s, Foreman beat Michael Moorer to take the belt, and become boxing's biggest and best star in the ring. Big George would hold on to at least one of his heavyweight distinctions until he lost in a controversial decision to Shannon Briggs in 1997. Ironically once he retired he started pushing his own "lean mean fat grilling machine" a.k.a the George Foreman Grill.
6. Tony Gwynn
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 1982-2001
Max listed playing weight: 230 lbs
Accolades: 15x All-Star, 3,141 career hits, 8x NL batting champion, Hall of Fame inductee
Tony Gwynn was one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, establishing himself as a remarkably dependable contact hitter with the San Diego Padres for nearly two decades. However, as his career wore on, the years began to show on Gwynn's waistline, as he became a noticeably larger presence in the batter's box year after year. However, Gwynn still hit .300 or above until he retired in 2001, never letting his belly get in the way of his swing. By the end of his career, Gwynn had reached the number in an eye-popping 19 consecutive seasons.
5. Fat Ronaldo
Sport: Soccer
Career span: 1981-1999
Max listed playing weight: 207 lbs
Accolades: 309 career goals, 2x FIFA World Cup champion, 2x Balloon D'Or winner
Even in comparison to players like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo's career resume stands among some of the best in history. However, as the hyper-talented Brazilian striker reached the latter stages of his life on the pitch, his weight began to prevent him from having the impact of his earlier days, especially during his short-lived stint with AC Milan back in 2007. When he retired in 2011, even he admitted that the move was prompted by his declining physique.
4. Diego Maradona
Sport: Soccer
Career span: 1976-1998
Max listed playing weight: 220 lbs
Accolades: 311 career goals, 1986 FIFA World Cup champion
Diego Maradona is Argentina's most-celebrated soccer player ever. Yes, even more so than Messi. When you help your home country earn one of their two World Cup titles, then folk hero status is nearly assured. However, with his superstar status came a host of drug and weight problems for Maradona. Though his career was illustrious in both stats and honors, Maradona also battled cocaine addiction for years, and, in his post-playing days, nearly lost his life to cardiac issues exacerbated by his weight and addictions. Thankfully, in 2005, Maradona received a gastric bypass surgery that helped him a shed a good deal of weight, and the Argentinian footballer has been slimmer and seemingly better-off ever since.
3. David Ortiz
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 1997-2016
Max listed playing weight: 230 lbs
Accolades: 3x World Series champion, 2013 World Series MVP, 10x All-Star, 541 career home runs
A quite literally a heavy hitter, Ortiz is one of the greatest sluggers baseball has ever seen. Big Papi terrorized the American League as member of the Boston Red Sox and while he slimmed down a little for his final season at age 40, Ortiz was always one of the heavier ball players out there. But it never stopped him from crushing home runs and helping the Red Sox reverse the curse back in 2004.
2. Shaquille O'Neal
Sport: Basketball
Career span: 1992-2011
Max listed playing weight: 324 lbs
Accolades: 15x All-Star, 2000 NBA MVP, 4x NBA champion
While certainly being one of the most impressive big men in NBA history, Shaquille O'Neal was also never known for being a fitness freak during his days in the league. When the Big Aristotle was in Orlando, Shaq was more like a Dwight Howard type—a cut physical specimen who could blend size and athleticism together to dominate his opponents. But once he got to the Lakers, Shaq put on a few more pounds, but had to sacrifice none of his ability while doing it. However, by the end of his playing days, when his skills had noticeably diminished, it probably didn't help that Shaq didn't know how to keep weight off. His stints with the Cavs, Suns and Celtics were definitely hindered by his preference for the cafeteria over the weight room.
1. Babe Ruth
Sport: Baseball
Career span: 1914-1935
Max listed playing weight: 254 lbs
Accolades: 7x World Series champion, 714 career HRs, MLB All-Century Team
People may overstate how large Babe Ruth was for most of his career, but it's at least certain that in the latter stages of his days as a professional baseball player, Ruth had started to put on the pounds, mostly as a result of his hard-partying ways. However, as we all know, nothing could stop the Babe from continuing to get his, as the legendary slugger posted some of the most insurmountable numbers in the history of baseball. Ruth is second all-time in career RBIs, first in OPS, third in home runs, and high up on a boatload of other categories. Admittedly, because of his weight, he did lose his ability to run or field the ball by the end of his career, but by then, the story of Babe Ruth had already been written.