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Hobbies For Athletes: Runescape, Piano Playing, and More

Richard Janvrin by Richard Janvrin, January 27, 2026

Men in the wildlife watching birds

For fans, we may look at professional athletes and assume that, given the dedication required to reach that level, they must not have time for anything else. Well, hobbies for athletes are incredibly common, from a novice level to something much more professional and extremely impressive.

Below, I’ll dive into various sports hobbies. These can also include hobbies for former athletes.

Spoiler: There aren’t any athletic hobbies found, but Myles Turner’s is a must-see.

Sam Darnold: Bird Watching

During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, former No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold, revealed that he enjoyed birdwatching. However, it’s not the type of bird watching with binoculars in a field.

Instead, he uses an app on his phone to identify bird calls. As far as hobbies for athletes go, that’s not what most would expect, I’d imagine.

“I have a bird app, so like if a bird makes a noise and I turn the app on, it’ll tell me what bird is chirping,” he said in a TikTok video with the NFL on DAZN.

The video then cuts to Darnold sitting on a porch, using the app, before identifying the bird as a Northern Mockingbird. This would be one of the more relaxing hobbies for injured athletes who decide to take it up.

Damian Lillard: Rapping

As far as hobbies for injured athletes go, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been doing this one for a good chunk of his career, regardless of his injury status: Rapping.

He goes by the name Dame D.O.L.L.A. and has over 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

He has songs featuring Snoop Dogg and Shaquille O’Neal.

In an interview with SLAM in 2017, he was asked about his routine with music compared to basketball:

“Not really. With basketball—even on a game day—it’s on the fly. I don’t have a set lunch time. Some days I take a nap; some days I won’t take a nap. It’s the same with music. I get up on Tuesday, workout and if I’m not doing something, I’ll call the studio if I want to come record. I go there sometimes with stuff I have to record. Other times I’ll go, listen to beats and it’ll make me feel some kind of way and then I’ll end up recording something to that specific beat. It’s never a schedule or planned out real well. It was different with my first album, though. That was planned out. I knew what I wanted to get done and that was that,” Lillard said.

Larry Fitzgerald: Photography

Hobbies for former athletes are important. After all, when you stop playing your sport, this can leave a massive void.

However, former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has had a hobby that kept him busy during his playing days and the offseason: photography.

“It’s an awesome way to capture the moment,” Fitzgerald said. “The only time that has happened is that time, during that lighting. … Eventually when you look back at that picture, it tells a story — and one only you can tell,” Fitzgerald said in an interview with ESPN.

Tim Duncan: Dungeons and Dragons

Here’s one of the more interesting hobbies for former athletes: Dungeons and Dragons.

In an ESPN article from 2007, they highlight his interest in D&D. The writer of the article was informed by a reader who said:

“Tim Duncan is the NBA’s first superstar nerd. I find it very interesting that Tim Duncan’s off-the-court pursuits include sword and knife collecting, Dungeons & Dragons, fantasy video games & paintball. Add to that, dude’s got a freakin’ tattoo of Merlin from Arthurian lore! His other tat is of a Skeleton Jester. No barbed wire or homages to dead relatives here. Just pure (and endearing) D&D nerdcore.

Another NERDCORE story: He wanted his nickname to be “Merlin” when he first got to the league, but his teammates weren’t having it.”

It’s cool to imagine the five-time NBA champion hosting a campaign or rolling a 20-sided dice to determine his fate.

Myles Turner: Building With Legos

OK, some of these other hobbies for athletes have been cool, but I was stunned to see what Milwaukee Bucks big man Myles Turner has been able to accomplish with Legos.

In a video posted on Reddit, Turner gives a tour of his Lego collection, showing builds like a WWE belt, a massive Mario, a dunk of his in a game, a Lego City, the house from Home Alone, a Super Nintendo, Yoda, and so much more.

It’s truly a work of art and incredibly impressive. I like to imagine fans of the Bucks spending time on top sports betting apps and considering a prop bet for Turner while he’s at home, hanging out, and building his next Lego project.

Chig Okonkwo: Runescape

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo set the Runescape world ablaze in January 2025 when he shared a screenshot of his account that he maxxed out.

For those who aren’t aware, in Runescape, you have numerous skills, and the goal is to get them all to 99.

Runescape, one of the most popular MMORPG video games, likely only second to World of Warcraft, has been played by millions, and the amount of hours that go into reaching 99 on every skill is lengthy.

To make it even more impressive, it was an Ironman account, which means that you cannot trade with other players and more.

He appeared in an interview with Runescape creator Sae Bae where they discussed his passion for Runescape.

It may not seem as impressive to some because it’s a video game, but let me tell you: This individual put in significant hours to accomplish that. The best part is that this doesn’t fall into the “hobbies for injured athletes” category as he’s never missed an NFL game.

Christian McCaffrey: Piano and Harmonica Playing

Not only is McCaffrey arguably the best dual-threat running back in recent memory, but he’s also an incredible piano player.

In 2023, he appeared at a Zach Bryan concert in Colorado. During Bryan’s song “Revival,” McCaffrey took to the piano and began playing.

“One of my big passions I do in the offseason, or just when I get off time in general, I love to play music,” McCaffrey said to ESPN. “I’ve been playing piano for a really long time now. When you talk about mental escapes, it’s definitely something that is essential for me.”

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