Cantona has written the lyrics for an album recorded by his wife, Rachida Brakni, starred in films such as Elizabeth and Looking for Eric, and managed and played in the French beach football team.

BBC: 7 questions on early retirement

Together, we came up with an idea of having celebrities and retired NFL greats play flag football on the beach.

FORBES: DIRECTV's Celebrity Beach Bowl Draws Celebrities and Fans to the Sand

It is an annual event - one gleeful crowd jumping in the waves, another playing football on the beach, and another idling in the lagoon.

BBC: From the Wild Coast to New Year advice

When I left school, I rather left Paralympics and disability sport behind - except for an ill-fated attempt at getting a bunch of lads to play blind-folded football on a beach in Greece during a summer holiday.

BBC: Paralympics: The perils of being a blind athlete

She delves into the history of the Long Beach shipyards and the story behind the Cleveland Browns football team.

ECONOMIST: American men

At Palm Beach High School, he first made a name for himself as a football star and earned an athletic scholarship to Florida State University.

CNN: Burt Reynolds 'feeling better' but still in Florida ICU, rep says

At age 17, fearing a potentially long sentence, the college football prospect followed the advice of his attorney and pleaded no contest to assaulting a Long Beach, California, high school classmate in 2002.

CNN: SHARE THIS

Count Americans who play tackle football at least once a year, and it looks barely more popular than ultimate frisbee or beach volleyball, according to PAC data.

WSJ: Sports Results That Leave Final Score Unclear