Ranking every athlete who has been on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Jones has been the target of a lot of criticism with many damning the media’s coverage of her for accomplishing so little. Her turn on “Dancing with the Stars” didn’t do much to help as she was the first competitor eliminated in season 19.

Over a year after winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the NBA, Metta World Peace went for the Mirrorball Trophy. You could say he fell a little short — and by short, I mean eliminated-first, short. Good thing he loves basketball.

The Grand Slam Champion moved effortlessly on the tennis court, but she couldn’t make it work on the show. She was the first victim of elimination in season 14.

The retired figure skater wasn’t able to get her competition legs under her before she had to walk away. After two dances, Hamill was forced to withdraw because of the strain practice was putting on her lower back, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.

Johnson may have been a 10,000-yard wide receiver in the NFL, but he couldn’t equal the success other pass-catchers had on the show. He remains the only NFL player to be the first eliminated from competition.

Many don’t consider jockeys athletes, and Victor Espinoza didn’t help the cause with his quick finish on DWTS. By the time the second week of the competition was over, Espinoza was gone.

Seles moved across the baseline with ease as a tennis champion, but that grace was a little harder to come by on “Dancing with the Stars.” She didn’t last long, being the second celebrity eliminated in the competition.

Liddell literally pummeled the competition in the UFC, but he couldn’t use his feet for other means as successfully. Liddell finished in 11^th place.

Not one to shy away from anything, the former New York Ranger (and all-time provocateur) was included in season 18 of “Dancing with the Stars.” With no one to trash talk or annoy, he wouldn’t go far, being eliminated Week 2 in a double elimination.

Randy Couture made a living tossing around grown men in the UFC Octagon. Curiously, he couldn’t throw partner Karina Smirnoff around the DWTS set gracefully enough. He would be eliminated in the third week of competition.

Fisher made a name for himself making clutch shots in the NBA Playoffs. However, he couldn’t get things together on the dance floor, finishing in 11^th place in season 25.

Moving through sand takes a special kind of athlete, but so does moving around a dance floor in heels. Arguably one of the greatest beach volleyball players ever finished in 10^th place, withdrawing because of an ankle injury she suffered while rehearsing.

The former Olympian is one of the most decorated athletes to come out of American swimming. That success did not translate to the dance floor though, as she was eliminated from the show on the fifth episode of season 9.

A year after he became the first openly gay player selected in the NFL Draft, Sam was drafted to participate in “Dancing with the Stars.” Much like his stint in the NFL, however, it was short. He would be the third celebrity eliminated from the competition.

In October 2007, Floyd Mayweather was on top of the world after defeating Oscar De La Hoya, and he showed it by displaying some impressive footwork paired with Karina Smirnoff. They couldn’t advance far though, sharing the honor of being the fourth couple eliminated.

Leonard has some sweet moves in the boxing ring and was hoping to show how they could cross over on “Dancing with the Stars.” However, the judges and fans voted “no mas” week four of the competition.

After Mr. T squashed villains on "The A-Team," he had an impactful stint in professional wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer wasn’t able to advance far in DWTS though, being part of the third couple eliminated.

Mr. Hail Mary himself worked miracles on the football field, but he couldn’t figure things out on the dance floor. He paired with Karina Smirnoff and ended up finishing 9^th in the competition.

Clyde “The Glide” Drexler got his name for how he gracefully got up and down an NBA court. Unfortunately, that signature fluidity did not translate on DWTS. He would be the fourth celebrity voted off the show.

Months before he was representing the United States at the Vancouver Games, the Ohio-born snowboarder was cutting a rug on “Dancing with the Stars.” He trained for the Olympics while also training and competing for the show, which may have contributed to his 8^th place finish.

There’s something about men in combat sports and finishing quickly on the show. Victor Ortiz skirted the bottom of the standings for a while before finally being eliminated in Week 6. He never received a score higher than an eight.

Castroneves couldn’t get enough of DWTS, so he returned for the All-Star showdown season 15. Unfortunately, he was unable to recapture that same magic that got him the win in season 5, finishing in 10^th place.

The WWE Diva announced she was taking time off from the company in April 4, 2017, and she didn’t waste any time moving on to other opportunities. One of those was “Dancing with the Stars.” Bella would finish in seventh place and returned to wrestling a couple months later.

L.T. was one of the fiercest linebackers to ever play in the NFL and tried to help others by telling his story of drug addiction and subsequent recovery. Taylor couldn’t get any further than week seven but gave plenty of inspiration.

The Playmaker paired with Anna Demidova for season nine of “Dancing with the Stars.” He couldn’t replicate his stellar play in the NFL though, finishing seventh in the competition.

Jericho is a man of many talents: WWE superstar and rock star. But dancing wasn’t one of his strengths, finishing in seventh place without a single 10. But he did parlay his stint into appearances on Jay Leno and eventually creating his own podcast.

Michael Waltrip is the only NASCAR driver to make an appearance on DWTS. He did not find the same success as his IndyCar counterparts, however, finishing seventh in season 19.

2016 started really well for Von Miller. Not only did he win Super Bowl MVP at Super Bowl 50, he took the stage at “Dancing with the Stars.” He finished in 7^th place, but being on top of the NFL definitely helped heal that wound.

Weeks after embarrassing himself and the entire country, Ryan Lochte went on a redemption tour including his appearance on DWTS. He would finish in 7^th place.

Not a stranger to controversy, Kerrigan couldn’t avoid being a part of one while competing on the show. She got higher scores than fellow athletes Bonner Bolton and David Ross, but she was still eliminated in 6^th place. Some people just attract bad luck.

Rick Fox is no stranger to life outside of basketball, starring in television shows and getting movie roles. Still, participating in “Dancing with the Stars,” sixth place or not, is a feather in the cap for this jack of all trades.

T.O. was always a performer especially with his touchdown celebrations. It’s only natural that he would shine on DWTS. The former NFL superstar finished sixth but was able to continue to build on his life after football.

While he was the second competitor eliminated in the first season, Holyfield holds the title as the first athlete to compete in “Dancing with the Stars.” Not bad for one of the greatest heavyweight champions ever.

Having quick feet just comes with the territory, when you’re the world’s fastest man. Maurice Greene used those feet to get him to the quarterfinals of DWTS. Unfortunately, he was eliminated after doing the quickstep and paso doble.

Kurt Warner has had one heck of a journey from grocery bagger to NFL quarterback to “Dancing with the Stars.” While he made it far in the competition, he would be eliminated in Week 8.

Romeo Miller may not have played professional basketball, but he did suit up for the USC Trojans during his college years. Much like his time on the USC basketball team, Romeo didn’t finish “Dancing with the Stars,” getting eliminated in fifth place.

Ohno returned to “Dancing with the Stars” in hopes of being the star amongst stars. The former speed skater would fall short, partnering with Karina Smirnoff and finishing fifth place in the All-Star competition.

Going head-to-head with his ice dance partner, Charlie White showed his dancing skills were not just limited to the ice. However, he was eliminated before the final round in fifth place, but he did wow the crowd with two perfect scores.

It’s no surprise that the best wide receiver in the NFL would have dancing chops. His immaculate footwork carried him a long way, but he was unable to break into the final round.

After being temporarily paralyzed from a broken C-2 vertebra, the bull rider celebrated his recovery competing on “Dancing with the Stars.” His remarkable recovery outweighs the fifth place finish he achieved.

After the success of Amy Purdy, fellow Paralympian Victoria Arlen tried her hand at DWTS. She may have finished in fifth place, but the fact that she only learned to walk again, a year and a half earlier, makes this one of the best stories of the competition.

Solo took time away from dominating women’s soccer to try and win the Mirrorball Trophy. Unfortunately, her talent on the field didn’t translate into a win on the dance floor, as she was eliminated at fourth place.

Not satisfied with winning the competition, Emmitt Smith returned to dance with the All-Stars. He paired up again with Cheryl Burke to attempt to win their second championship but fell short of the podium at fourth place.

Before she was winning gold medals and dismantling Larry Nassar for women everywhere, Raisman was dancing her way to the final round in DWTS. She would end up finishing fourth despite scoring a perfect score on her last dance.

No one put on a show quite like Chad Johnson in the NFL and DTWS. Then known as Chad Ochocinco, the former wide receiver showed flair and personality dancing with Cheryl Burke. Still, it wasn’t enough to win the competition, as he was the 100^th contestant eliminated from the show in the final round.

Nastia Liukin got over on her teammate Shawn Johnson at the individual all-around competition in Beijing, but she couldn’t top her on the DWTS stage. Like Simone Biles, she displayed her ability to make every move as graceful as possible but was unable to break into the final round.

The Rio Olympic’s Golden Girl tried her hand at dancing like other gymnasts before her. While she got high praise and scores, she was eliminated before the final round.

Calvin Johnson went from the best wide receiver in the NFL to retired quickly, but he didn’t stray too far from the public eye. The former Detroit Lion looked as graceful as he did on the field, making it all the way to the final round. Despite getting two perfect scores, Johnson would lose to two other athletes, Laurie Hernandez and James Hinchcliffe.

Jones’ NFL career lasted eight years, including a Super Bowl win. The wide receiver did plenty of dances in the end zone and it showed on “Dancing with the Stars.” Jones tippy-toed his way to third place, even notching a perfect score in his last dance.

The undefeated Laila Ali made good on her boxing destiny, but she carved her own path as a dancer. She never danced before “Dancing with the Stars” and still finished in third place behind Apolo Anton Ohno and Joey Fatone.

“The Legs of the WWE” put her long limbs to work on “Dancing with the Stars.” She finished the competition in third place and got a new nickname to boot: "The Weapon of Mass Seduction."

Jerry Rice had no problems making plays with his feet as the greatest wide receiver ever, so it was no surprise that he took those skills to the dance floor. Unlike the NFL, Rice wasn’t able to get it done in the final round, losing to Drew Lachey.

The former Miami Dolphin wowed the crowd with near-perfect scores in the quickstep and tango. He made it all the way to the final round where he got a perfect score on the quickstep, but he wasn’t able to top Kristi Yamaguchi.

During his NFL tenure, Warren Sapp made it a habit of lifting defenseman off the ground. On “Dancing with the Stars,” he swept partner Kym Johnson off her feet all the way to the final round. The 350-pounder showed light feet, but he was unable to prevent Brooke Burke from securing the win.

A few years after Kristi Yamaguchi won the first Mirrorball Trophy for figure skaters, Evan Lysacek nearly scored a victory for the guys. The Olympic champion partnered with Anna Trebunskaya and made it all the way to the final round before losing to Nicole Scherzinger.

Not one to let limits get in her way, double-amputee Paralympian Amy Purdy took her talents to “Dancing with the Stars.” With two prosthetics, Purdy gracefully danced herself to the final round where she scored perfect scores on the salsa and tango-cha-cha-cha fusion. She stopped just short of the win though, finishing second in season 18.

Three years after her season 8 win, Johnson returned in the All-Star season and nearly took it down for all the athletes. She made it all the way to the final round with Derek Hough and scored two perfects but lost out to Melissa Rycroft.

Many equate professional fighting as a dance in the ring. Paige VanZant showed that isn’t the only dance fighters can do. The UFC brawler managed to make it to the final round where she got two perfect scores but was unable to defeat Nyle DiMarco in season 22, finishing second.

Following in the dance steps of Helio Castroneves, IndyCar racer James Hinchcliffe took a turn on the dance floor and did well. The Canadian racer made it all the way to the final round but finished second to Laurie Hernandez despite notching two perfect scores in his last two dances.

Baseball players don’t seem to have the dancing gene like the other athletes on this list, but David Ross is the exception. Months after retiring a World Series champion, Ross became the first (and so far only) baseball player to compete in DWTS. Unlike his retirement at the top of his primary sport, Ross felt just short of winning, losing to Rashad Jennings in the 2017 competition’s final round.

Dancing around the NFL is no problem for Rashad Jennings, but he made dancing around the DWTS set look easy. Jennings paired with Emma Slater to score two perfect 40's out of the three final round dances to win season 24. He would be the fourth NFL player to win the competition.

Not even a year after securing a gold medal at the Beijing Games, Shawn Johnson added another championship in February 2009. She joined forces with DWTS champion Mark Ballas but started slow in the competition. Still, every week she improved, making it to the championship round where she notched two straight perfect scores to win the Mirrorball Trophy.

Driver made a habit of tapping his toes on the sidelines while playing for the Green Bay Packers. He then employed some of the same techniques on DWTS, showing energy and the light feet that made him a respected wide receiver. He and Peta Murgatroyd overcame tough competition from William Levy and Katherine Jenkins to win the Mirrorball Trophy in 2012.

Ice skaters basically dance on ice, so it only makes sense that they would do well on non-slick surfaces. Kristi Yamaguchi paired with Mark Ballas to defeat another athlete, Jason Taylor. It didn’t hurt that the figure skating gold medalist took ballet as a child, but her ability to adapt to all those different styles is something to behold.

Many don’t respect racecar drivers as being athletes, but Helio Castroneves showed they can do more than steer. The IndyCar legend put that precision footwork to good use, pairing with Julianne Hough to take the season five title. It turns out racecar drivers are as light on their toes as they are on the pedals.

Whipping around an Olympic short track takes incredible power. Apolo Anton Ohno used that power and surprised everyone with impressive rhythm during his run on DWTS. He was the first competitor to get a perfect 30 in 2007 for the samba. He rode that momentum to be the season 4 champion.

The former Dallas Cowboys running back translated his Super Bowl-winning footwork to the dance floor, becoming the first athlete to win “Dancing with the Stars.” He wasn’t the first athlete to compete on the show but being the first winner puts him in a special place on this list.

After three straight years of nonathletes winning DWTS, Super Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward broke the drought. Ward notched four perfect scores in the last five scored dances, winning the 2011 competition in spectacular fashion.

Experience? Who needs that? Laurie Hernandez basically went from Olympic Champion to the youngest DWTS champion ever in the span of a few months In 2016, and she did it in style. In her final seven dances, Hernandez managed to get six perfect scores. Talk about domination.

Davis ditched her ice dance partner Charlie White to compete against him at DWTS season 18, and she somehow became more dominant at dancing than she was on the ice. Davis finished with an average score of 28.4, the highest average in all seasons where the highest score was 30, to secure the championship. Her five straight perfect scores to end the competition didn’t hurt either.