Eddie George has led one of the most fascinating lives of a former NFL player.
The ex-Titans running back has done a variety of jobs, most notably starring on Broadway in Chicago as Billy Flynn last year, an experience he equated to “three-a-day practices,” but a profession he could compare to his time on the field.
“When you’re on the field, you have to be on the same page,” he told For The Win on Friday. “You can’t allow yourself to be distracted by what the defense is trying to do. It’s a trust factor, trusting that your guy’s going to be there to make his block. That’s the only way to make that work. The same holds true in theater. It’s just you and the actors, you have to support one another. There’s no upstaging each other. You’re there to serve the story.”
While speaking behalf of FedEx, which is calling for fans to vote for the best “air” and “ground” performers this year — George picked Matt Ryan and Ezekiel Elliott as winners — we asked him to tell us which NFL players he could see taking on acting as well.
Here’s who he chose and why:
1. Arian Foster
Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Why him: “He’s an artist in all forms. He raps, he’s a poet, he’s really into the arts and tapping into his creative side.”
2. Ezekiel Elliott
(AP Photo/Roger Steinman)
Why him: “He seems like an in-the-moment kind of guy. He doesn’t premeditate anything. I can see him doing something on stage.”
3. Cam Newton
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Why him: “He’s a character. From the way he dresses to how he performs in press conferences, it’s all a performance. He’s more Hollywood than stage. I could see him doing an action thing with his stature and size. He has a humorous side to him, too.”
4. Richard Sherman
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Why him: “He could be a Shakespearean character. He could be like Iago or Richard III or somebody [laughs]. He’s intelligent, has an opinion and point of view that’s interesting. He is a fireball, he stands in his truth — those are some of the elements you have to have in terms of being an actor. He possesses that. I could see him doing monologue with a lot of vim, vigor and honesty. You tap into that stuff he already has and he’d be great.”
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