Outside of his playing days in football, former NFL player Lyle Alzado once starred in a sitcom about a teacher who moonlights as a masked pro wrestler.
Alzado, who had a highly successful 18-year career in the NFL, turned to the world of acting following his playing days. In 1988, the former pro starred in a sitcom titled Learning the Ropes. In it, he played a high school teacher who moonlighted as a masked professional wrestler, and had to keep his identity secret.
The show featured various NWA stars at the time as guest stars, and ran for one season, airing 26 total episodes on Canada’s CTV before ending. Critically, the show was not received well, and panned for its portrayal of the world of wrestling.
Check out a brief look at the show below:
Lyle Alzado starred in th sitcom LEARNING THE ROPES in 1988/89 about a High School Teacher who moonlighted as a Masked Professional Wrestler, but his identity had to remain secret. Featured stars of the NWA. pic.twitter.com/7CIxLQVAlQ
— The Wrestling Memory Grenade ? / Ray Russell (@RasslinGrenade) May 6, 2026
As for Alzado, his acting career continued on for a bit. His most notable roles include appearing in movies like Ernest Goes to Camp and Destroyer. His NFL career was significantly more successful, though. The star was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1971, and played for 18 years, winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984.
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