Doc Five: College football players turned famous actors – No. 5, Carl Weathers, San Diego State
This offseason we will count down various topics from Monday through Friday, bringing you the top five of the important and definitely some not so important issues in college football. It's the Doc Five, every week until we will thankfully have actual games to discuss.
BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS: ACTORS WHO PLAYED COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NO. 5 – CARL WEATHERS
Apollo Creed, ya’ll.
But before Weathers took on Rocky in 1976, he had a decent college football career that started at Long Beach City College and ended with two letters at San Diego State.
Weathers was a freshman at Long Beach City College in 1966 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury by tripping over the curb that surrounds the track where he was warming up. He transferred to San Diego State and lettered as a linebacker in 1968 and 1969. His play was good enough to land him on the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He played seven games. And he played in the CFL with the BC Lions.
But his true calling was definitely acting.
Weathers did a short Q&A with the Sporting News back in 2007, explaining how he went from the NFL to the big screen.
SN: How come the NFL gig -- two years with the Raiders (1970-71) -- didn't work out long haul?
WEATHERS: I'll give you a completely honest answer. I wasn't present. I was a guy who had a tremendous amount of ability, but my head was always in the world of wanting to be an actor. I majored in theater at San Diego State. My one eye was on football, and my other eye was on Hollywood.
While playing boxing villain turned friend Apollo Creed was not his first acting gig, it was his most memorable as he returned to play in four total Rocky films before his character finally died in Rocky IV.
"If he dies, he dies" — Ivan Drago
Personally, I’m a fan of his later works in Predator and Action Jackson, and of course, his role as Chubbs in Happy Gilmore.
Weathers will be returning to Arrested Development when the series hits Netflix at the end of this month.
And if you’re wondering, Weathers never boxed before making Rocky. His physique was thanks to his football days, as was his agility and quick hands.
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