Apart from being incredible at their chosen sport – be it football, basketball, or driving Formula One cars – athletes are also often known for one other thing: having incredibly awesome hairstyles.

Whether it’s because of more money to spend on the fanciest hairdressers, or if they simply feel that they need to look different from the common man because they are in the spotlight so much, athletes always have hair that is talked about nearly as often as their playing.

As you can see here, hair is a big deal for celebs. Here are some of the best male athletes who have simply the coolest hairstyles on the planet.

Clay Matthews

It’s a shame that NFL linebacker Clay Matthews doesn’t play for the Minnesota Vikings, because he would be the perfect depiction of the team. At 6 feet and 3 inches and 255 pounds, Matthews certainly has the giant physique of a Norseman, but it’s his long, flowing blonde hair and epic beard that really hits the mark.

Matthews is currently a free agent in the NFL, but with already one Super Bowl ring and six Pro Bowl selections, it seems crazy that no team has signed this modern-day Viking to a contract yet.

Still, when his career in the NFL is over, Matthews would be impeccable as an extra in any type of medieval-based show like Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings. If you do want to have a similar men’s hairstyle to Clay’s, then make sure you know all about these tips so you at least come close to rocking this look.

Odell Beckham Jr.

If we stick with the NFL players for the moment, then it would be remiss of us not to mention Los Angeles Rams’ star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. It isn’t just his tattoos or three Pro Bowl appearances that make him cool, but his awesome hairstyle of a mini black afro with bleached tips. Although he has recently cut his hair shorter, we much preferred it when the hair was long, but at least he still has blonde on the top.

Beckham Jr. will make his Super Bowl debut this year on February 13^th, so we wish him good luck, but even if the Rams don’t win the championship, we’re sure that Becks will enjoy our Best NFL Hair of the Year award.

Ja Morant

If Ja Morant had plain shaved hair, he would still be the coolest NBA player in the league. The Memphis Grizzlies point guard is a highlight package every single night with his explosive dunks and nifty lay-ups, but thankfully for this hair article, Morant also has a mane to die for.

Ja rocks stunning black dreadlocks, which he often ties up into a bun when playing basketball, but he differentiates himself with a couple of dreads that are expertly dyed red and green. Good luck competing with that! His beard game is also strong, with a very well-groomed mustache and goatee, but it’s the small details like shaved patterns into his eyebrows that make Ja’s coolness enter another dimension.

Lewis Hamilton

Although Lewis’ hair is unfortunately stuck under a helmet or hat whenever he’s at a Formula One race, there are many instances when we get to see the true greatness of his hairstyle. Lewis is currently rocking some awesome braids that he usually ties back into a ponytail. He has been known to bleach his braids, too, which adds yet another layer of cool to the hairstyle that the rest of us can only dream of having.

If you look at pictures of Lewis at the beginning of his F1 career, then it’s hard to imagine that it’s the same man. With shaved hair, a patchy beard, and none of the tattoos or piercings that we know him to have now, Lewis might as well have been a different person. Thankfully, Lewis got his act together and is not just one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time with seven championships, but easily the coolest as well.