It can be quite shocking and intense when you see how big athletes are in real life. We know that in general, some unique credentials for muscle, weight and height are necessary in many sports – especially sports like football and basketball. However, you don’t really realize just how incredible some athletes are when it comes to their size unless you see a ‘regular’ person standing next to them, or another athlete in some cases. Keep reading to see how these sports stars have used their superhuman size to dominate their respective sports and become among the most well-known and successful names in their specific areas of expertise.
Andre the Giant (7’4”)
If you haven’t seen The Princess Bride, then we don’t know what you’re doing with your life. In the film, Andre Rene Roussimoff played the character Fezzik from Greenland but he was actually among the most famous wrestlers of his time and fans all over know him as Andre the Giant. He weighs 520 pounds and he is 7’11” tall and though this stature appears threatening, many have said that he is quite a gentle person. He was really big and had a really deep voice. He suffered from gigantism, a condition where the body produces a massive amount of growth hormones, and his condition led to heart failure and his death in 1993.
Andre the Giant (7’4”)
Amazon Eve (6’8”)
If someone told us that this lady from the fourth season of American Horror Story was the tallest model in the world, we wouldn’t really be that surprised. Erika Ervin, who played Amazon Eve in the series, has been on numerous fashion magazine covers and used to be a fitness coach but if you’re wondering about her origins, she was actually born a male who had gender reassignment surgery back in 2004 to become a woman. In the past, she wanted to be a size zero, which wasn’t physically possible for the skeletal and body proportions she has, and this dangerous pursuit almost led to her death. Fortunately, the incident made her realize that she should instead work on herself and her physical and mental health. She overcame her own issues, inspiring others and helping them deal with gender bullying and dysphoria.
Amazon Eve (6’8”)
Shaquille O’Neal (7’1”)
Everyone seems to know of Shaquille O’Neal, even those who aren’t NBA fans/ But it’s not that surprising seeing as he’s among the largest basketball players of all time, standing 7’1” tall and weighing a whopping 325 pounds. Actually, the athlete is the fifth highest scorer in NBA history and he played for big teams, such as the Orlando Magic, the LA Lakers, Miami Heat, Suns, the Cavaliers, and the Celtics before he finally shifted to acting and pursuing a career in Hollywood. However, even before he got into sports, he already ventured into business and at the age of 18, he invested his money, which later earned him a million dollars. With his crazy income from the work he has done, it is said that he is a very big spender but all on good things since he apparently loves buying gifts for his parents.
Shaquille O’Neal (7’1”)
Wladimir Klitschko (6’6”)
Anyone who is into boxing will surely know Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian boxer famous for his ability to knock out opponents in the ring. We’re not really sure if his growing up in a strict military family later translated to quite a brutal training regime as well as fighting style. Or if his height of 6’6” is the main reason. During his time as a boxer, Wladimir made his country proud by winning Ukraine a gold medal. Even though he isn’t fighting anymore, he continues to be a household name in boxing due to his talent and incredible stature to match.
Wladimir Klitschko (6’6”)
Big Show (7’)
Distinctly known in the world of wrestling as ‘Big Show’, Paul Donald Wight II is a massive man who once weighed 500 pounds in the prime of his fighting career, but is now down to a smaller 383 (small compared to what he was but still massive compared to regular humans!). When he entered the WWE wrestling scene in the late ‘90s, he did shows together with famous names like The Undertaker and Kane. He’s a big WWE Raw brand ambassador, but he isn’t wrestling as much as before and has switched to acting (like many wrestlers appear to do) at 48 years old. He starred in the 2010 comedy Knucklehead, made an appearance in the Adam Sandler movie Waterboy, and did some voice acting for the Raw brand video games as well.
Big Show (7’)
Yao Ming (7’6”)
In general, the Chinese are smaller than people from the west, but this truly unique Chinese man certainly turned heads and showed everyone that stereotypes are not always true. Yao Ming was an NBA player with the height of 7’6”, who most notably played for the Houston Rockets during their victory season in 2009. Sadly, he was benched 250 times in the final six seasons of his basketball career because of a foot injury which led to his retirement back in 2011. Weighing a large 311 pounds, the 38 year old star player participated in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, the Asian Championships and the 2006 World Championships. He has left an impressive basketball legacy, having been a multi-time MVP, an Olympic gold medal holder, an 8-time NBA All Star and a 5 time All-NBA Team selection. Yao Ming surely made a huge mark in the sport.
Yao Ming (7’6”)
Hafthor Julius “Thor” Bjornsson (6’9”)
Hailing from Reykjavik, Iceland, this 6-foot-9, 400-pound man apparently got his towering height from his 6-foot-8 father and his comparably tall mother. When he was a child, many assumed he would be the same as others, but as he was growing up, the family saw that he would become quite massive and they thought he would probably go into a field where he could use this as his ‘strength’. That is what he did exactly and for 6 years now, he has been the star of IMG’s The World’s Strongest Man. He later went into acting, similar to what most of these impressive stars do, and joined the cast of the hit series Game of Thrones, playing the notable character ‘The Mountain’ (Ser Gregor Glegane).
Hafthor Julius “Thor” Bjornsson (6’9”)
Blanka Vlasic (6’4”)
Another girl who has made it to this list is Croatian Blanka Vlasic for being a tall 6’4” as well as an incredible sports talent. Even though she is very tall, she’s only 163 pounds, which might have helped her jump so high. She is one of the best high jumpers and an indoor world champion, but she doesn’t seem to have plans of quitting the sport anytime soon as she continues to compete for her country. She’s aiming for the 2020 Olympics and with her very impressive track record, she will probably make it! In her career, she has already won a total of 19 international medals, 13 of them gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze.
Blanka Vlasic (6’4”)
Dalip Singh Rana (7″2)
If you don’tr recongize him from sport, then you probably know him from the movies. This massive 7″2 star is also know as “The Great Khali” and he made his way to fame through wrestling. No-one can deny that this man is a massive giant, and that’s why he’s considered the fourth tallest wrestler in the history of the WWE.
Dalip Singh Rana Wrestler
Darya Klishina (5″11)
28-year-old Darya Klishina is a professional and successful Russian long-jumper. Even though she weighs a minimal 58 kilograms, she stands a 5 foot 11 inches. Throughout her athletic career she has earned herself a collection of gold, silver, and bronze medals. Most will remember her memorable performances at the 2011 and 2013 European Indoor Championships in Paris and Gothenburg respectively.
Darya Klishina Long Jumper
Randy Johnson (6’10”)
This guy’s size is pretty unusual for a baseball player seeing as size isn’t as necessary in this sport as it is in, let’s say, basketball or WWE wrestling! With a large muscle mass and height of 6’10”, Randy Johnson earned the nickname ‘The Big Unit’. He was a player whom everybody always looked out for, though it wasn’t only because he is big but also due to the kind of talent he was on the field. His career in this favorite American sport spans 22 years and he has become one of the most successful and well renowned left hand pitchers ever. With 303 wins compared to 166 losses in his record and an insane 4,875 strikeouts during his entire career, it’s safe to say these are truly impressive stats. He played for the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks for most of the time he spent in this sport and was inducted to Hall of Fame in 2010, when he retired.
Randy Johnson (6’10”)
Lisa Leslie (6’5”)
Being 6’5” tall, this sweet woman towers over her teammates as well as a lot of her competitors but actually, she isn’t the tallest female basketball player – someone out there towers over her! She makes it to this list, though, because she is the first ever WNBA player to dunk, has played in the world championships and was once a member of the U.S. Olympic team. Having retired in 2009, she is another star on the list that has turned to acting and has taken up roles in films, such as Sister, Sister and The Game. In addition, she has done some modeling work together with notable names like Newsweek and Vogue.
Lisa Leslie (6’5”)
Maria Sharapova (6’2”)
Despite the fact that she is a bit smaller than some names on the list, 6’2” is still quite an impressive height. Maria Sharapova is not only known for being among the tallest women in tennis but also for her outstanding talent in the sport. Born in Russia, this sport super star has faced some challenges throughout her career, having had numerous shoulder injuries, but they never stopped her from playing the game she loved. Maria continues to play tennis professionally today, but she doesn’t limit herself to just tennis as she also gives back by doing charity work. She is the founder of the Maria Sharapova Foundation, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) goodwill ambassador, and she donates to the UNDP Chernobyl projects as well as works with kids in the area.
Maria Sharapova (6’2”)
Michael Phelps (6’4”)
Young people all over the globe have been inspired by this famous swimmer for showing that even if you don’t have the typical ‘genetics’ to make it in this sport, you can still achieve success. In theory, his impressive height of 6’4” should make it difficult for him to achieve the best swimming streamline, but he proved a lot of people wrong, holding the record for the highest number of medals in an event at the Olympics (eight in one year). In total, he has 28 Olympic medals and took the US team to success in four out of his five trips to the Olympic Games. These impressive stats are definitely an achievement seeing as he stands feet above his competitors, which means in the water, he drags along more weight. He also has a good heart and is using his money and fame for good, having created the Michael Phelps Foundation and the Michael Phelps Swim School. He also works with the Boys and Girls Club of America and KidsHealth.org.
Michael Phelps (6’4”)
Peter Crouch (6’7”)
If you came across this man and someone told you that he’s a sports star, you would most likely wonder what sport and then might guess basketball due to his tall and slim build. Those who don’t know of Peter Crouch usually get surprised when they find out that he’s a soccer (football) star who has played for a lot of big name clubs and has been with Stoke City for the past seven years. In spite of being 6’7” tall, he only weighs 165 pounds, so he isn’t as heavy as the other people on the list. We assume he is so fit from running around the field and from a genetically low body fat percentage. In his time, he played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and scored an outstanding 22 goals for England’s national team.
Peter Crouch (6’7”)
John Krahn (7’)
Looking at this guy, you might guess that he has a career in wrestling but actually, he’s an American football player. At just 17 years old, he weighed 400 pounds and was already a well known and successful player in high school. When he turned 19, he weighed in at 390 pounds – still massive but a bit smaller than before so that he could become a little faster and more agile on the field. He recently signed with the Portland State Vikings and will apparently be playing as an offensive lineman. Soon, he’ll be ready to be drafted in the NFL and his fans are already eagerly awaiting news about his promising career taking off.
John Krahn (7’)
Margo Dydek (7’2”)
This really tall lady’s full name is Malgorzata Dydek but she’s often called Margo by her fans and on the court. She currently holds the record for being the tallest female basketball player of all time. She weighed 220 pounds – all that muscle and height made her a player who was difficult to mess with on the court, but apparently, it runs in her family since her 6’6” sister is a professional basketball player as well. However, this story sadly didn’t end well because in 2011, she suffered a heart attack and died from the complications according to news reports. What makes this story even sadder is that she was only 37 years old at the time, was pregnant with her third child, and left behind two young sons.
Margo Dydek (7’2”)
Gheorghe Muresan (7’7”)
This basketball player makes it to the list for good reason – he is the tallest NBA player of all time, though he shares the title with another player, Manute Bol. Gheorghe Muresan is a basketball player from Romania who weighs 325 pounds, which must not have been easy to deal with considering he had to carry a lot of muscle around the court with speed and agility! He was an excellent player, but he didn’t have as much success in the sport as other players on the list possibly because of the injuries he picked up in his career, which eventually led to his retirement. However, just like others on this list, he did some acting as well and appeared in the comedy film My Giant alongside Billy Crystal.
Gheorghe Muresan (7’7”)
Holley Mangold (5’8”)
You might be thinking that her height isn’t very impressive for the list but Holley Mangold deserves a spot because she weighs a massive 415 pounds and she’s among the largest female weight lifters of all time. She competed in the 2012 Olympics for the US team in the super heavyweight division and her personal best is 562.2 pounds for lifts – super impressive. A lot of people don’t know this but she was actually able to use her superhuman strength in a dramatic real world event. She got into a head on collision that wrecked her car but she succeeded in actually pulling herself out of the very dangerous situation.
Holley Mangold (5’8”)
Nikolai Valuev (7’)
With a towering height of 7’ and a massive weight of 331 pounds, Nikolai Valuev is the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history. This former champion held the heavyweight title two times, between the years 2005 and 2009, and he had a successful boxing career, having 50 wins out of 53 matches and 34 out of the 50 were a knockout. In 2009, he made a decision to retire, which left fans wondering what his reason was, but it was later revealed that he retired due to physical injuries with bone and joint issues from boxing. After this, he went into politics (though he did some acting too) and got involved in a different sport called Bandy (sort of like Hockey), becoming the VP of the widely known Russian Bandy Federation.
Nikolai Valuev (7’)
Yvetta Hlavacova (6’5”)
Another swimmer with a grand height, Yvetta Hlavacova, isn’t a regular speed swimmer. A lot of people know her for swimming the English Channel three times, with an average of less than 9 hours for all of her swims. One interesting fact about Hlavacova is that she practically didn’t have a career until she did her English Channel swims. She had a really difficult time finding a swimming club that would accept her, probably because they were somewhat intimidated by her height, but she definitely showed them with her Channel swims! Her personal best is an incredible 7 hours and 25 minutes, which would surely convince any distance swim team to take her on.
Yvetta Hlavacova (6’5”)
Chuck Nevitt (7’5”)
This basketball player’s career was pretty long (12 years) but he wasn’t as well known and as successful as the other players on this list. He was still well known, though, because he is 7’5” tall and is among the tallest players of all time. He was relatively light at 217 pounds (for his height, anyway) and started out playing the game professionally back in 1982, traveling far and wide playing for Houston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and San Antonio.
Chuck Nevitt (7’5”)
Jorge Gonzalez (8’)
We bet you thought your eyes were playing tricks on you when you read that this guy’s height was 8 feet. However, his confirmed height is technically 7’7”, a few inches shorter than his billed height, but that is still very impressive and he holds the title of the tallest WWE wrestler of all time. Jorge “Giant” Gonzalez weighs 463 pounds and for carrying that around with his great height in the wrestling scene, he became a fan favorite. However, he unfortunately suffered health issues for some time which made him end his career in wrestling after five years. He later died from heart issues when he was only 44 years old.
Jorge Gonzalez (8’)
Konishiki Yasokichi (6’)
Now we go to sumo wrestling, a sport where it’s not so much about the height but more on the circumference and sheer weight of these massive men. This retired sumo wrestler doesn’t come from Japan, but he is actually from Hawaii. His top weight was still staggering (633 pounds!), earning him nicknames such as Meat Bomb and Dump Truck. He ended up becoming a really successful sumo wrestler, winning in his division three times and nearly gaining the grand champion title in his sport. Despite the fact that he’s technically a foreigner, he is still part Japanese (and part Samoan as well) and we love the diversity that he offered this sport, breaking barriers not only in size but in culture as well.
Konishiki Yasokichi (6’)
Danny Jones (6’7″)
Fitness trainer Danny Jones is from Southern California and has made thousands of fans swoon all over the world after one Twitter user saw a picture of his really hunky frame online and made a comparison of it and a large tree. It earned him the nickname ‘Tree Man’ and turned him into an overnight viral sensation. As a matter of fact, he has been featured in some fitness magazines and on TV shows due to the attention he got. Jones’ Instagram account is pretty popular and it is where he regularly shows off the hulking 275lb frame that he has.
Danny Jones (6’7″)
Jan Koller (6’8”)
With a massive height of 6’8” and weighing 235 pounds, soccer star Jan Koller is another very tall person (one of the tallest) in sporting history. It comes as quite a surprise in the sport of soccer since it generally takes smaller, lighter and more agile players to run around the field really fast. His sheer height and weight would make people think that it would be difficult for him to succeed in the sport but he has actually played for some of the biggest names in soccer, including clubs like Monaco and Czech Republic. He played for 8 clubs all in all, across 5 countries, prior to retiring back in 2011 but he started his career in 1995, which means he was in the game for 16 years! In his time playing, Koller scored an impressive 55 goals and even though he started in the goalkeeper position, he eventually made it to the striker position.
Jan Koller (6’8”)
Suleiman Ali Nashnush (8’)
Standing at a gigantic 8 feet, Suleiman Ali Nashnush holds the record for being the tallest basketball player in history. He had been a star player in his home country, though he never played in the NBA. Originally from Libya, he grew to this height because of an overproduction of growth hormones but he successfully underwent surgery in order to correct his abnormal growth. However, he kept the height and took advantage of it by pursuing a career in basketball and similar to many others on this list, he also did some acting back in 1969, appearing in the Italian movie Fellini Satyrican. He is one of the top 10 tallest people in the world according to the Guiness World Records.
Suleiman Ali Nashnush (8’)
Aaron Sandilands (6’11”)
Australian sports star Aaron Sandilands is one of the tallest players in the Australian Football League (AFL) and is the heaviest, with a height of 6’11” and weight of 269 pounds. He isn’t only impressive in size, but he is also talented in Australian football. He had a lot of accomplishments and recognition in the sport, such as being part of the All-Australian team from 2008 to 2010 and being hailed as a compassionate and kind player, receiving the best and fairest award from the Fremantle Football Club two times. However, he has also had his fair share of injuries since the sport he plays is also a brutal physical game, suffering a collapsed lung and broken ribs back in 2016. He is a fighter though and he still played 2 of that particular season’s last games and he is still a big star in the AFL, showing everyone that it’s possible to be massive, talented, determined, and a good person too.
Aaron Sandilands (6’11”)
Aleksey Kazakov (7’2”)
This time, we have Russian volleyball player Aleksey Kazakov who makes this list for being 7’2” tall and is well known for being among the tallest volleyball players. In addition, he’s a heavy 247 pounds but he uses his height and weight to his advantage, which means he plays on his strengths when he serves, spikes, and blocks the ball. He was part of his country’s national team for the Olympics, where they won silver in the games held in Sydney in 2000 and bronze in Athens in 2004, and for the 2001 European Championship in Ostrava, where they also won bronze. He has also turned to acting, which seems to be quite common for sports stars, and he has been in films and TV shows, such as The Rider Named Death and Sudebnaya Kolonka.
Aleksey Kazakov (7’2”)
Sajad Gharibi (6’1”)
Sajad Gharibi, also known as the Persian Hulk, truly lives up to the moniker he has earned, seeing as he weighs nearly 390 pounds, which looks like pure muscle. He regularly does powerlifting, and a future career in the WWE doesn’t seem too farfetched an idea. With over 400 thousand followers on Instagram, he already has quite a large fan base. Recently, it has been reported that he is set to fight Brit Martyn Ford in an MMA fight set up by the Polish mixed martial arts organization KSW.
Sajad Gharibi (6’1”)
Mohammad Irfan (7’1”)
Pakistani Mohammad Irfan breaks stereotypes that men from his country are not that tall and with a height of 7’1”, he’s the tallest player in cricket history, beating the previous record of 6’8” by almost half a foot. He’s a star cricket player and a left-armed fast bowler who is not just known for his towering height but also for his impressive talent. He plays first class and international cricket, which earned him a star status with avid fans all around the world (interestingly enough, this sport has a really huge following in Australia and Pakistan, among other places). If you followed the sport, you might have heard the accusations of corruption made against him in 2017 but it’s hard to find out the truth with the media attention, so, we’ll just focus on his achievements instead.
Mohammad Irfan (7’1”)
Brittney Griner (6’9”)
Another lady included in this list is 6-foot-9 Brittney Griner, who is a bit younger than the other sports stars on the list. She recently finished university after studying at Texas’ Baylor University, where she made a name for herself due to her talent in basketball. Originally from Houston, she was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft and she is currently the fourth highest scoring female player in the NCAA Division. Her stats are pretty impressive, with 3,282 career points, and in 2011, she spent two weeks with the US National Team to take part in their training and preparations for the European Tour in 2012. Even though she was still at university at the time, she was included in the top 21 finalists for the US national team in the 2012 Olympics and in 2016, she had her Olympic debut.
Brittney Griner (6’9”)
Rik Smits (7’4”)
Among the most successful basketball players from the Netherlands, Rik Smits, also known as the Dunking Dutchman, has quite an appropriate nickname with his outstanding talent in basketball. He’s 7’4” tall and was a loyal player of the Indiana Pacers for his entire career, having been drafted to the NBA in 1988. His retirement came after he underwent an intense surgery to manage the nerve damage in his feet as well as vertebrae and joint issues. However, his legacy lives on as he seems to have passed his genes on to his 7-foot-2 son, who plays college ball and is most likely following his father’s footsteps if basketball remains his passion.
Rik Smits (7’4”)
Usain Bolt (6’5”)
Jamaican runner and 11-time world champion Usain Bolt is certainly a household name who is not only known for being the fastest man alive but also for his outgoing personality and larger than life antics which suit his really tall 6’5” frame. In general, he’s about a foot taller than his competitors but it really hasn’t stopped him from being successful, maybe due to his long legs which gives him a bit more of a head start. He impressively holds the records in the 100m and 200m races and has been making his country proud for around a decade now, running and winning in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He’s pretty lean, weighing only 207 pounds, but it’s to be expected since most sprinters are lean.
Usain Bolt (6’5”)
Richard Metcalfe (7’)
Moving on to the sport Rugby, which is tough and rough like football, without protective gear, is where Richard Metcalfe is a superstar. More than just being incredibly tall at 7’, and massive at 280 pounds, his talent is also impressive. All of these things definitely help in playing the game which requires intense physicality and often errs on violence. Originally from Scotland, Metcalfe played for his country and won 13 caps in his career. He holds the title of the tallest international Rugby player, but he has gone into retirement due to a nasty knee injury back in 2003, after 8 years of playing the sport professionally.
Richard Metcalfe (7’)
Zdeno Chara (6’9”)
Hockey is another violent sport and in the international arena, some pretty brutal situations have arisen in the game but we doubt someone would want to mess with this massive man. Zdeno Chara is not just a really intimidating player on the ice, being 6’9” tall and weighing 256 pounds, but he also has a lot of experience playing the game seeing as his career spans 24 years now and he’s still in it. He’s been captain of a Stanley Cup championship team, which makes him one of just two European-born men to have ever done this. He admits that due to his height, many coaches attempted to draft him in basketball early on in his career but he stuck to his passion and didn’t stop pursuing the sport he loved, and this has made him an inspiration for many people to go after what they want.
Zdeno Chara (6’9”)
Ivo Karlovic (6’11”)
Apparently, Croatian Ivo Karlovic is the tallest tennis player in the whole world, with a height of 6’11” and weight of 229 pounds. His talent actually matches his stature, having won eight ATP singles from 2007 to 2016. He also used to be a World Record holder for the fastest serve (156 miles per hour) until 2012, when Samuel Groth earned the title. In addition, we’re quite impressed by how he balances a successful career and being involved and devoted in his family life as he is now married with children. He enjoys showing off his family on social media, as well as his sense of humor, and we love the fact that we get to know this sports star on a slightly more personal level since it reminds us he is human too!
Ivo Karlovic (6’11”)
Sharran Alexander (6’)
We know that 6 feet doesn’t seem like much and you probably know people who are 6 feet tall, but this person isn’t on this list because of their height but it’s more of how massive they are. Sharran Alexander weighs a massive 448 pounds and she’s a woman – known for being the heaviest sportswoman in the world, as a matter of fact, with recognition from both the British Sumo Federation and the Guinness World Records (in 2013). She actually started late in the game and entered the sport of sumo wrestling when she was 41 years old after seeing a TV commercial for women sumo wrestlers! Alexander is now in 2nd Kyu (Grade), which is an impressive standing, and is still doing professional wrestling.
Sharran Alexander (6’)
Dane De La Rosa (6’7”)
One of the greatest professional baseball players of this generation, Dane De La Rosa has been drafted to different impressive teams including the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Angels. He’s currently playing in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball after giving retirement a try since he realized that he wasn’t totally ready to give up his gloves yet. He is 6’7” tall and weighs 245 pounds and despite the fact he didn’t play in the major league, his baseball career in the minor league has been pretty impressive and he has a 4.24 overall ERA. He plans to continue playing for a while since he is only 35 years old, not so old compared to some players, and his best playing years may even have yet to come!
Dane De La Rosa (6’7”)
Jon Rauch (6’11”)
Few baseball players have an impressive height but Jon Rauch is among them, being unusually tall at 6’11’ and weighing a heavy 290 pounds. Originally from Louisville, he’s the tallest player in the history of the major league and used to be a right-hand reliever for 11 years. He was part of the US baseball team who won a gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and in the same year, he also won the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year award. This means that he has incredible size and some impressive stats in his repertoire, so it’s no wonder he has played for a lot of teams and many more continue to seek him.
Jon Rauch (6’11”)
Logan Ondrusek (6’8”)
Relief pitcher Logan Ondrusek is another baseball player with a tall frame, being 6’8” tall and weighing in at 230 pounds. Even though he isn’t among the most successful players of the sport, he’s still a fun player to watch – and it isn’t only because of his massive size (though no one wants a ball coming their way if this guy throws it!). He’s played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball and he played internationally as well, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. In early 2018, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers but he was released just 4 months later and in early 2019, he joined the Washington Nationals.
Logan Ondrusek (6’8”)
Akebono Taro (6’8”)
American-Japanese Akebono Taro is a former champion in sumo wrestling and he weighs a massive 550 pounds and has a height of 6’8” – relatively tall for a sumo wrestler. The highest rank wrestlers can achieve in sumo is the Yokozuna, which he succeeded in reaching and was the first foreign born wrestler (not born in Japan) to do so. Needless to say, there’s a high risk of injury in this sport as it so physical and the competitors have massive sizes, and Taro had his fair share during his career. In 2000, despite winning his eleventh title for the top division, he suffered a bad knee injury soon after, which took him out of the tournament in 2001 and eventually led to his retirement.
Akebono Taro (6’8”)
Mariusz Wach (6’7”)
Standing 6’7” and weighing in at 250 pounds, Mariusz Wach is a professional boxer from Poland and a former champion in the heavyweight division of the WBC International. Even at an early age, he already showed talent, winning bronze and gold medals in Polish championships. When he turned pro in 2005, he kept getting better and became a boxer to beat! When it comes to dangerous and violent spectator sports, boxing is among the most loved and fans of the sport especially loved when Wach fought the talented Wladimir Klitschko. Even though this particular match could have gone either way, ultimately Klitschko was declared the winner.
Mariusz Wach (6’7”)
Ronnie Coleman (5’11”)
Ronnie Coleman’s height didn’t really get him on this list but something else that is more impressive did – he won the title for Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding for 8 consecutive years! Even though his height is average, standing at 5’11”, he packs a lot of muscle into that frame and he’s a heavy 297 pounds. He used to be a police officer and looking at him (particularly in his prime), he would surely be the kind of law enforcer who would enforce the law simply by standing there and looking threatening! We like the fact that his quality of being intimidating was once used to help people and fight crime and not used for fighting on the streets.
Ronnie Coleman (5’11”)
Kameron Loe (6’8”)
It seems like there are more baseball players included in this list compared to basketball players so far, but this just shows that even if others say that your body type isn’t ‘right’ for a particular sport, you can still choose to pursue the said sport, especially if you have a passion for it. Former pitcher Kameron Loe is among the tallest baseball players of all time, standing at 6’8”. He also has a lot of strength, weighing 245 pounds. He started in the sport when he was a high school student and then went to California State University, where he played college baseball. He has played for a number of teams in his professional career including the Texas Rangers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Seattle Mariners, the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, and the San Francisco Giants.
Kameron Loe (6’8”)
Roy Hibbert (7’2”)
Now we go back to basketball, the sport you most likely thought this entire article would be about, and this time, we have Jamaican-American star player Roy Hibbert, once dubbed Mr. Vertically. He most recently played for the Denver Nuggets and definitely used his height for his benefit seeing as he was an outstanding rim protector. His achievements include being an NBA All-Star twice and being unofficially given the title best shot blocker in basketball by teammates and fans – and even opponents whenever they couldn’t get their shots in! When he was still part of the Indiana Pacers, he was a favorite to watch out for as he was the tallest player on the team, standing at 7’2”, but in a recent interview, he said that it was time to move on from the sport.
Roy Hibbert (7’2”)
Joe Finley (6’8”)
Packing 250 pounds in his tall frame of 6’8”, this NHL defender is a star ice hockey player, among the tallest in the arena, and many fans know him by his moniker ‘The Red #3’. Joe Finley has played for the Edina Peewee and the Rochester Americans, among others, and he was an in demand player for years, with a lot of teams trying to get him to join them! Needless to say, his size certainly helps when it comes to his excellent defending skills. Talk about making good of use your assets – no wonder he is a team favorite all the time.
Joe Finley (6’8”)
Andy Fordham (6’2”)
Now, we’ll introduce another sport and perhaps this one would never have crossed your mind – professional darts. For many people, this is a serious game and for its fans, they’ll most likely recognize Andy Fordham, the champion dart player. Standing at 6’2” and weighing an enormous 445 pounds at one point, he certainly has power behind his throws and a good arm span for reaching further towards the target. He has now gone down in size, weighing 275 pounds (but still heavy!) perhaps to better streamline his arm throw. However, he is still a big guy and just by looking at him, his opponents must think he is intimidating, so they may be thrown off their game.
Andy Fordham (6’2”)
Jonathan Broxton (6’4”)
Hailing from Cincinnati, this relief pitcher’s presence was surely felt in professional baseball as American star baseball player Jonathan Broxton is known for his pretty big body and his big talent. He stands at 6’4” and weighs 300 pounds, but we think his height is not as impressive as his weight. His talent was always there, even from the start. He began playing when he went to Burke County High School in Georgia and he went on to play for many teams, including big names, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Kansas City Royals, the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. However, he’s gone into retirement, but he left behind a legacy of excellent games and wins.
Jonathan Broxton (6’4”)
John Daly (5’11”)
With a height of 5’11”, this professional golfer isn’t really known for his height since it is just average, but he is more known for his weight, at a heavy 370 pounds, much more than the other taller sports stars in this article. What’s more, this 51 year old is the only American who has won two major golf championships. These days, he doesn’t compete in the professional and international arena as much as he did, but he is still quite involved with the game. By playing it and branching out to designing golf courses (since he started his own company using his business skills). Another fun fact: he makes his own music and in fact, he has already released 2 albums!
John Daly (5’11”)
Nate Freiman (6’8”)
Seems like big men are keen on the sport of baseball…maybe because their size and strength helps with the throwing and their long legs assist with the running. Weighing 250 pounds and having a towering height of 6’8”, American Nate Freiman is one baseball player who has become known for being among the minor league’s tallest players and holding the Duke University’s record with his home-runs. He doesn’t play professionally in the MLB anymore, but he is still playing in the Mexican Baseball League. It seems that Nate likes the sporting type too since he married the professional golfer Amanda Blumenherst.
Nate Freiman (6’8”)
Bob Sapp (6’5”)
Bob Sapp is a 6-foot-5, 390 pound guy who has gone into a variety of sports in his lifetime, including professional wrestling and American football, among others. His career in kickboxing and mixed martial arts is what he is best known for and since much of the fighter’s body is used in these sports, especially their legs, we think that his tall frame is definitely an advantage. Sapp’s fighting record is 23 wins, 38 losses, and 1 draw. He’s an American boxer but his fans are mostly from Japan and he’s been on TV shows and commercials on this side of the world, having branched out to acting and music.
Bob Sapp (6’5”)
Adam Dunn (6’8”)
Adam Dunn was a first baseman but also played left fielder position in his time in America’s MLB, making a long and successful baseball career. He weighs 290 pounds and stands at 6’8” tall and he was a powerful and strong asset for the teams he played for, such as the Arizona Diamonds, the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, to name a few. Similar to many of these stars on the list, Dunn also earned a nickname in his playing time – the Big Donkey. Needles to say, he didn’t just rely on his size but also put in the effort to hone the skills necessary to succeed in this game, so he reached 400 career home runs during his time, recently became the 50th ranked player in the MLB to do so, and ranked third on the list of all-time strikeout players when he retired.
Adam Dunn (6’8”)
CC Sabathia (6’7”)
American player CC Sabathia is a left-handed baseball pitcher that stands tall and strong, with a big frame of 6’7” and 290 pounds. He’s currently playing for the New York Yankees, but he has played for the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers. He is actually a recipient of the Cy Young Award, which is given every year to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. He brought the Yankees to victory in 2009, both in the American League Championships and in the World Series. It is said that in each season, he accumulated over 200 innings – truly an impressive number for a man with such an impressive size.
CC Sabathia (6’7”)
Pau Gasol (7’)
Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol uses his towering height of 7’ to take his skill to another level. It’s clear that basketball runs in the family seeing as his older brother Marc Gasol paved the way for Pau to follow on. In 2002, Pau won the Rookie of the Year when he debuted in the NBA, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, and years later, he became a 6 time NBA All Star and an All-NBA player four times. Pau played for a lot of teams, including the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers and the famous Chicago Bulls. What’s more, he is an Olympic medal winner for the sport, having won two silver medals and one bronze.
Pau Gasol (7’)
Shaun Rogers (6’4”)
This really tall NFL defensive tackle stands at 6’4” and weighs a massive 350 pounds. He started out by playing college football to hone his skills, but the University of Texas coaches already knew he would make it big, not just because of his impressive size but because he was really talented. He was among the best players at his university and he became better the longer he played the game. He is now retired but he left quite a legacy and definitely made a big mark in the sport for playing a really powerful defensive tackle during his career.
Shaun Rogers (6’4”)
Eric Esch (5’11”)
Though he isn’t the tallest on the list, Eric Esch is among the heaviest, packing in 425 pounds in his 5’11” frame. Many know him as a raw fighter, having been a former American kickboxer and being a UFC master, mix martial artist and professional wrestler. That’s definitely several different fighting styles and it seems he used his enormous body to his advantage since he was one competitor whom opponents always feared. In 2003, he started to compete more in mix martial arts and kickboxing after being an IBA super heavyweight champion and a World Athletic Association heavyweight champion. His size is impressive and so are his career stats, having 66 knockouts and 10 submissions in the 97 fights he had in his career.
Eric Esch (5’11”)
Hong-Man Choi (7’2”)
One of the tallest on this list, South Korean professional wrestler, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist Hong-Man Choi stands at 7’2” and has earned the very apt nickname of ‘Techno Goliath’ due to his dancing skills (instead of his fighting talent!). However, don’t let the moniker fool you because he also has skills in the ring, since he started out in MMA and later went into kickboxing. Fans will remember his exciting fight in 2006 against another excellent fighter, Sammy Schilt, and though it looked like the fight would be a close one, Choi used his height and muscle to his advantage and was victorious, sending the fans to roar wildly. You definitely don’t want to be in Hong-Man Choi’s way.
Hong-Man Choi (7’2”)
Musashimaru Koyo (6’4”)
Another sumo wrestler who has made it to this list is Musashimaru Koyo, weighing 528 pounds and one of the heaviest sports stars we have mentioned. He is known to be among the greatest sumo wrestlers in history, being on top of the sport for years and winning over 700 of his matches. He achieved the highest rank of Yokozuna through his determination and talent since he also won the top division championship 12 times! When Koyo isn’t fighting, he isn’t really a warrior type but actually has a gentle and lovely personality.
Musashimaru Koyo (6’4”)
Marcus Cannon (6’6”)
American football lineman Marcus Cannon is an offensive tackle in the NFL and is known for his incredible tackles that he performs in his games. The 6’6”, 335 pound guy started out playing college football at University Texas Christian. He was later drafted to the NFL in 2011 and now plays for the New England Patriots. What a lot of people, even some fans, may not know is that Marcus was actually once diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, though he recovered with treatment. For three seasons at university, he played as a right tackle but years later, he went on to play in the position of left tackle when he turned pro.
Marcus Cannon (6’6”)
Manute Bol (7’7”)
Manute Bol ranks high on this list, having stood at a towering 7’7”. Born in Sudan, he was an American basketball player whom the American Basketball Association named as the tallest player of all time. If a person is this size, some health complications can arise. Bol also had issues with his internal organs and some skin diseases, passing away at just 47 years old. While he was still playing, he was one of the top NBA players with his signature technique of blocking shots, which actually put him into records.
Manute Bol (7’7”)
Aaron Judge (6’7”)
The baseball outfielder Aaron Judge is an impressive 6’7” and weighs 282 pounds and is currently playing for a team which a lot of players hope to join in their career – the New York Yankees. He started out at college baseball, was discovered as a rising talent, and got picked to play professionally. He went into the MLB in 2016 but the Yankees grabbed him and he immediately hit a home run, with his game getting better and better. He became the first Rookie to win the Home Run Derby and to be named an All-Star and towards the latter part of 2017, he got the award for Rookie of the Year.
Aaron Judge (6’7”)
The Rock (6’5”)
Once upon a time, practically no one knew this famous WWE fighter’s real name but later, especially once he got into acting, he began to go by his real name – Dwayne Johnson. He was an incredible professional wrestler, having won numerous championships in the WWE and WWF and he also played college football at the University of Miami, where he did quite well for himself, having won a championship there as well. After many years of being on screen as a wrestler, he wanted to take his career on screen to the next level, so he became a more serious actor – playing roles of tough and supercharged heroes or sometimes the bad guy seeing as he stands at a tall 6’5” and has all muscle. The many movies he has been in include, The Scorpion King, Tooth Fairy, the Fast and the Furious movies, Central Intelligence, and Rampage, to name a few.
The Rock (6’5”)
Gogea Mitu (7’7”)
Awarded by the Guinness World Records for being the tallest professional boxer, Romanian born Gogea Mitu is another rare sports star who was over 7 feet tall. His massive form must have been quite intimidating, but this man was truly talented, having learned how to read himself as he never really went to school. When he was just a toddler, he often was mistaken for being much older because of his massive size and at only 17 years old, he started boxing. The reason he was big was because he suffered from the condition gigantism, which his brother also did and unfortunately, this story doesn’t have a happy ending seeing as his brother died at the young age of 7 (but with a height of 5’9”) and Gogea himself died of Tuberculosis at only 21 years old.
Gogea Mitu (7’7”)
Kevin Garnett (6’11”)
Back to basketball with NBA star player Kevin Garnett who stands at 6’11” and is a heavy 253 pounds. It seems that his weight is fast moving muscle since he had a remarkable rebound record. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves the longest and he brought the team to victory back in 2008, becoming NBA champions, and then, he moved teams and still kept having success. At some point when he was playing for the Boston Celtics, his new team and a big name in the NBA, he reached 20,000 career points, and before he went into retirement, he was last traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves once again and played his final year with the team.
Kevin Garnett (6’11”)
Paul Soliai (6’4”)
Paul Soliai was a top player in the NFL from 2007 to 2016 and his preferred position, defensive tackle, suited his massive weight of 332 pounds and 6’4” frame. He stayed with the Miami Dolphins for a while until they traded him in 2013 and then he played for the Atlanta Falcons for roughly a year before going to his last team, the Carolina Panthers. In his career, he has had more than 215 tackles and even got to play in the Pro Bowl. Soliai was really loved by the Dolphins for his spirit as well as loyalty to their team, so they wanted him to retire as a Dolphin, which is why they made a one-day contact for him that he signed before he retired – truly an awesome gesture.
Paul Soliai (6’4”)
Mamadou N’Diaye (7’6”)
At a towering 7’6”, Mamadou N’Diaye has always been a star, having been plucked from college basketball when he was just 18 years old because of his spark of talent which simply couldn’t be ignored. Originally from Senegal, he was the tallest in his division and was actually playing soccer on the road before an American coach picked him and took him to the U.S. on a whim, despite the fact that N’Diaye couldn’t speak English at all. He decided to stay and go to college in the U.S to continue to hone his skills and then got drafted into the NBA in 2016. Even though he hasn’t signed yet with a team, he is often recognized for his size and talent and we’re sure he will become a top player soon.
Mamadou N’Diaye (7’6”)
Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings: 6’3”
Nicknamed ‘Six Feet of Sunshine’ for her lovely personality, Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings is a volleyball player who stands at 6’3” and has been very successful in the sport, with her name always on the leaderboard in nearly every game that she’s played. For her height, she’s a light 157 pounds, so this must help her in being light and agile on the court. She has the most number of Olympic medals in the sport of volleyball, with 1 bronze and 3 gold medals, and she has the most number of victories at a women’s tournament, a staggering 133 wins and an amazing winning streak of 112 matches – wow! It seems that aside from having a successful career in professional sports, she can also balance her home life quite well, being a mother of 3, but we’re sure she’s taking care of things with the help of her husband, who is a top volleyball player as well.
Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings (6’3”)
Stefan Struve (7’)
Standing at a gigantic 7 feet, Stefan Struve is the tallest UFC fighter in history and is pretty impressive for going along with his passion and picking up MMA, though it isn’t the most obvious sport for people who have the extra height. A dutch-born fighter, he has earned 32 wins and only 10 losses in his career so far, which makes him a fighter to watch out for. His nickname, Skyscraper, is very appropriate and he is still 30 years old – relatively young for a fighter since most stay in the sport for a while. Thus, we can expect to see more of him in the coming years and recently, he had an all-round impressive fight but he lost his match to UFC champion Andrei Arlovski.
