The Most Popular Athletes Who Are Heavy Metal Fans

Heavy Metal

Music, as sports fans would know, is pretty important to athletes. Apart from being very motivational, it can help them overcome some of the obstacles the demands of being a pro can come with. Athletes love music so much, many of them have pursued a career therein, though most times unsuccessfully.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is one such example but the latter doesn’t apply to him as he really is talented as a rapper and could easily switch careers should he desire to do so.

Heavy metal isn’t the type of music typically found banging in athlete locker rooms yet there are several sports personalities who happen to be metalheads. This article names five athletes who really are legitimate thrashers.

David De Gea

The Manchester United goalkeeper was hailed as the best in the world some years ago but has since been taken off the top of his perch. When it comes to heavy metal, though, he’s probably the biggest pro athlete fan. The Spaniard surprised fans when he revealed he is a metalhead who is into rock bands such as Metallica and Slipknot. De Gea once got an opportunity to present a metal band called Avenged Sevenfold for a live concert at the Manchester Arena.

The stopper also disclosed his taste in music has left him way down the popularity totem pole in the locker room as his teammates simply don’t like it and begin moaning whenever he plays heavy metal around them.

Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos, another Spaniard, has that in common with his international teammate. The defender spent most of his professional career at Real Madrid before switching to French side Paris Saint-Germain last year.

Of course, the move to another country did little to affect his musical preference. Ramos is known to love bands such as AC/DC, Guns N’Roses, and Motorhead.

His wife Pilar Publio is a metalhead herself and even started up her own metal clothesline that has seen some success over the years.

Ramos had the pleasure of meeting up with Axl Rose at an AC/DC show some years ago.

Russel Westbrook

Russel Westbrook Slayer

Hip-hop and R&B are the genres associated with the NBA. Lillard, as mentioned above, is a rapper while other NBA personalities such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Allen Iverson have dabbled.

Metal isn’t popular in the NBA but Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook is thought to be a huge fan. The veteran star isn’t afraid to be different and his clothing selection shouts that. He controversially posed for photos in female clothing last year and has been seen wearing some pretty risky stuff over the years.

A few years ago, he showed up to a game wearing a vintage Slayer tee which became the subject of debate. Many reporters were of the view that Westbrook was only doing it for the fashion and had probably never heard of the band.

Westbrook has endured his worst season in the NBA in 2021/22 and was recently in the news for getting abused by fans during a game. The player has said the jeering has dissuaded him from having his family attend Lakers games.

The Lakers were the second favorites for the NBA championship before the start of the term but the moves to bring Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony in haven’t worked so far. They are 75/1 in that regard and hopeful fans new to betting could try out these BetMGM signup bonuses to use on the NBA this season.

Marc Colombo

Marc Colombo isn’t currently an athlete. A former American football offensive tackle, he led an impressive career in the NFL that took him through the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins.

Colombo has worked as an offensive line coach for the Cowboys, as well as the New York Giants.

His love for metal is widely known. The 43-year-old attended his first Metallica concert at the age of 13 and is known to have gone to 16 of them as of 15 years ago. Megadeth, Slayer, and Pantera are among his favorite bands.

Colombo started playing the guitar at 22 and credits Metallica lead singer James Hetfield for influencing him. He became the lead singer of a band himself, taking center stage for Free Reign as metalhead teammates Cory Procter and Leonard Davis joined in.

As a coach, Colombo played metal on the team bus pretty often in order to get his players motivated.

Sean Doolittle

Sean Doolittle is a free agent pitcher who has represented the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Cincinnati Reds. He was last attached to the Seattle Mariners.

The South Dakota native is a former collegiate record holder for the most career wins at the University of Virginia and is also an Olympian.

Doolittle happens to be a huge metal fan and is known to blast bands such as Metallica prior to every game. Injury has unfortunately affected his career but he retains his love for heavy metal and we’re sure it’s gotten him through some tough times.