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You may not be aware of this but Andrew Byrniarski was in a few Football films, usually playing the role of a defensive lunkhead. He did that in Necessary Roughness and Any Given Sunday, though his highest profile job came years after when he was cast as “Leatherface” in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot. For us, Byrniarski will always be “Steve Lattimer” the ESU Linebacker who discovered the benefits of steroids in the off season and showed us the joys of painting his face and how many Olympians beat a piss test. His role may be the most remembered of the movie, which considering starred James Caan and a young Halle Berry says something. This may be why Steve Lattimer gets into the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame before any other actor from the Program. The Bullet Points: Movie Appeared: The Program (1993) Actor: Andrew Byrniarski Position Portrayed: Linebacker Played for: ESU Timberwolves Why you should vote for him: He may be the most memorable character of “The Program” Why you should not vote for him: Overall, that movie was average. {youtube}
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It is not that Tom Cruise as a Football player is unbelievable. He is certainly athletic enough, but could they not have given a role as a receiver or in the secondary instead of Defensive Back? Really, the story is not what he did on the field (as his signature play is a pass interference penalty) but the relationship he had with his coach, his girlfriend and his desire to leave his small Pennsylvania town. Actually, when this came out, we were expecting a high school party movie (come on doesn’t the movie title sound like 80’s hilarity?), but overall it comes across as average fare. Had there been more focus on Football, this might have been a better film for the purposes of our Hall. The Bullet Points: Movie Appeared: All the Right Moves (1983) Actor: Tom Cruise Position Portrayed: Defensive Back Played for: Ampipe H.S. Why you should vote for him: Cruise was good in the dramatic parts, and it did help cement his career. Why you should not vote for him: We are still trying to buy Cruise as a Defensive Back. {youtube}
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How could you not love “Steamin” Willie Beamen? From the moment he took the field in place of second string option, Tyler Cheribini, his athleticism and swagger made him the instant star of the film and like those who he emulated in the NFL, the star of the fictitious league that “Any Given Sunday” was set in. In the world of Professional Football, a flashy star Quarterback can be born overnight, so the sudden rise to stardom of Beamen was not unrealistic. His swagger, candor and fearlessness made him almost iconic. Still, he grew through the picture, and his final speech with Coach D’Amato told us that Beamen would mature as a Quarterback, and damn it, didn’t you want to see what he did for the expansion New Mexico franchise? We know we did! We will say this though….how the hell did he manage a slickly produced rap song and corresponding music video two weeks into his starting career? The Bullet Points: Movie Appeared: Any Given Sunday (1999) Actor: Jamie Foxx Position Portrayed: Quarterback Played for: Miami Sharks Why you should vote for him: If you base your vote on swagger, this IS your vote. Why you should not vote for him: We never did see Beamen win the Pantheon did we? {youtube}
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We never did see Stan Gable throw a ball, but the Adams College Quarterback was the man who made life miserable for the poor Tri-Lambs for his hatred of the nerds. Ted McGinley (Gable) was dubbed by the former great site “Jump the Shark” as the one whose presence signaled the end of greatness for television shows, but we can say that he was a far better antagonist than Roger Lattimer (Bradley Whitford) who would go on to play even slimier assholes in future films. Still, how could he lose Betty Childs to Lewis Skolnick? That was his “pie”! The Bullet Points: Movies Appeared: Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Actor: Ted McGinley Position Portrayed: Quarterback Played for: Adams College Why you should vote for him: Because the patron saint of “Jump the Shark” needs love too. Why you should not vote for him: He lost his girl to a nerd. {youtube}
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