The second of three football players on this list is Lynn Swann. It is well known that Swann had a remarkable performance in Super Bowl X for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The second-year wideout out of USC finished with a then-record 161 yards and a touchdown as he became the first-ever receiver to win MVP honors in the Steelers' 21-17 win. However, what not many remember is that Swann spent most of the week leading up to the big game in the hospital, unsure if he would even be able to play.

Two weeks prior, against the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship Game, defensive back George Atkinson leveled Swann, giving him a concussion and sending him to the hospital for two days. Just days before the Super Bowl, Swann described his condition: "I get nauseated now and then. The symptoms are the same as being drunk."

Swann ended his career with four Super Bowl rings, three Pro Bowl selections and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Following his playing days, Swann became a broadcaster, public speaker and philanthropist, and in 2006, ran for governor of Pennsylvania. The Steeler great fell short, gaining 40 percent of the vote in his quest to become the first African-American governor of his state.