Before ‘Rocky,’ Carl Weathers was a Raiders linebacker with acting aspirations Boston 25 News [Video]

Beloved actor Carl Weathers, who died Thursday, was known for many roles throughout his career, from Apollo Creed in “Rocky” to Greef Karga in “The Mandalorian” to himself in “Arrested Development.”

What most fans didn’t know, however, was that a professional football career preceded all of them.

Before crossover stars like Dwayne Johnson and Terry Crews, Weathers played in two seasons with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and three seasons for the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions. Both teams paid tribute to him after his death was reported.

Weathers was a multi-sport star in high school and began his college football career at Long Beach City College before transferring to San Diego State, where he played as a linebacker under Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. The Aztecs went undefeated in Weathers’ time with the program, going 20-0-1 and winning the 1968 championship in the NCAA’s lower college division.

While there, Weathers majored in theater arts. He …