Photo: sadistik wolfman / Youtube

Dick Butkus, as an evil teacher in an early film role, talking to a slime ball.

Last week the Tribune reported that former Bears receiver Brandon Lloyd is set to star in a zombie movie called Affect Effect, also starring Daniel Baldwin.

Lloyd joins a proud tradition of Chicago Bears who have made the jump to the big screen. Here's a brief look at some examples:

Dick Butkus in Hamburger: The Motion Picture

Bears legend Dick Butkus has actually forged a pretty decent acting career in his post-football life, appearing in numerous TV shows and movies that you may have actually, voluntarily watched. However, every acting career begins somewhere. With Butkus, one of the first feature motion pictures was 1986’s Hamburger: The Motion Picture. Butkus plays the evil teacher Drootin, the head bad guy in charge of making the protagonist’s life a living hell. Here, before uttering a predictable anti-gay epithet, Butkus drops the memorable line “Do not raise your voice to me, slime wad!”

Frank McRae in Used Cars

Frank McRae played defensive tackle for six games in the 1967 season. But before going onto the NFL, he majored in drama at Tennessee State University. He has gone on to make a respectable film career for himself, appearing in movies like Last Action Hero and TV shows from ER to Columbo. He also earned a title credit in 1980’s Used Cars (directed by Robert Zemeckis) as the mechanic to Kurt Russell’s sly used car salesman.

Bob Sapp in Devilman

Technically, Bob Sapp didn’t actually play for the Bears; the would-be offensive linesman was cut just prior to the start of the 1997 season. But still, even if for a short period of time, he was a Bear. And now he is a legend in Japan for his mixed martial arts fighting. Check out his role as a “world newscaster” in the Japanese film Devilman, based on a comic book about a teenager who merges with a demon in order to fight other demons. Here, in the film's trailer, he gets the enviable job of uttering the line “Humans are killing humans!”

Tim Wrightman in lots of stuff

Tim Wrightman has had a fun career. Tight end for the Bears for two seasons (including the team that won Super Bowl XX), he also played for the USFL Chicago Blitz. Since then, he's dabbled in radio hosting, standup comedy, and he's hosted a video called “Tackling Football,” which aims to explain football to women. (Thanks!) On an extensive IMDB page, Wrightman is credited with appearances on shows from Silk Stalkings to The Drew Carey Show. It wasn’t hard to dig up Tim’s work online: he handily provides many reels on his website, organized by hosting gigs and, as you’ll see here, acting roles:

The Fridge in The Fantastic Two

William “Refrigerator” Perry doesn’t have an extensive acting roster. But he did appear as a character named “Fridgie Bear” in a 2007 fantasy-football-themed web series called The Fantastic Two. Fridgie Bear might not be a huge departure from Perry’s actual self, but a name change is good enough. Enjoy this clip, which seems to feature Fridgie Bear on trial. Warning: contains a fart noise and Kato Kaelin.

Mike Ditka as “coach” in 3rd Rock From the Sun

Is Mike Ditka capable of playing anyone other than himself? Not really. But technically, he stretched and played “the coach” for an episode of 3rd Rock From The Sun. Enjoy the transformation as his character (seven minutes in) transforms from a sexist pig to a guy who will treat a lady (or rather, an alien in lady form) like “one of the guys” as long as she can help his team win.

Jerrell Pippens in a promising upcoming role

Cornerback Jerrell Pippens had an abbreviated career with the Bears, playing but a small portion of the 2004 season. After two more years in the league, he hung up his cleats and his pursuing a nascent acting career. His IMDB page only boasts three roles so far, but according to his Twitter page, he is chasing his destiny in L.A. Check out his reel—he seems a natural as a cop, veteran, or sportscaster.