NBA’s Charles Oakley and NFL’s Vernon Davis to Participate in Live Taping of New Season of Dancing With the Stars
On September 2, ABC’s Dancing With the Stars released its list of “stars” who will be competing for the coveted mirror ball trophy during its newest season. And among the list of celebrities, which includes that of Carole Baskin, Nellie, and Monica Aldama from the uber-popular Netflix docu-series, Cheer, are also two athletes who you were maybe once a fan of.
Retired NFL tight end Vernon Davis, and retired NBA star Charles Oakley will also be competing. And if the last 28 seasons of the show have taught us anything it’s that athletes make for pretty good dancers.
From Emmitt Smith and Apolo Ohno to Shawn Johnson and Hines Ward, athletes are apparently born with a rhythm that is too hard to beat in the ballroom. Now it will be Davis and Oakley times to shine in a uniform that will undoubtedly be more sparkly than their last.
So who are Davis and Oakley? Well, Vernon Davis is a Super Bowl champion who has played with the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, the Denver Broncos, where he won his only Super Bowl ring, and the Washington Football Team, before retiring from the sport in 2020 at the age of 36.
Davis is also a father of two, who has passed up being a contestant on DWTS before. He told GMA that he’s “ready to go. I passed it up, but I’m prepared now. I’m putting all the time and energy into it to make sure that I can be successful.”
Now, who is Charles Oakley? Oakley is a retired NBA star who played for the Chicago Bulls alongside a few other greats like Micheal Jordan. In 1985, he was the 9th overall pick of the draft after being taken by the Clevland Cavaliers. He would go on to be immediately traded to the Bulls and play for the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and Houston Rockets before retiring in 2004 after 19 years.
Also a father, to one child, Oakley told GMA that he’s “now got to get my finesse on.” Additionally, former Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir will also be competing for the mirror ball.
Weir is a two-time Olympian, who has three U.S. Championship gold medals. Following his retirement in 2013, Weir is now a commentator for the Winter Olympics on NBC. Known for not just his talents on the ice, Weir has made a name for himself in the world of fashion as well.
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He told GMA that fans can expect his costumes on the show to be “loud and big and sparkly and everything you’d expect from me.” The 29th season of Dancing With the Stars will kick-off on September 14 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Sara Vallone has been a writer and editor for the last four and a half years. A graduate of Ohio University, she enjoys celebrity news, sports, and articles that enhance people's lives.
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