When I was playing football, I was getting up to 240 pounds, and they wanted me to get to 260.

It took me a few years to realize I might want to get into acting as a profession.

Athletics provided a life preserver for me, and that maybe kept me out of trouble. I never partied in high school. I mostly just dated.

Because I was small, I was getting the hell kicked out of me playing football.

Your basic physical makeup does influence the parts you're offered. If you're big, they cast you either dumb or tough, although there are exceptions. Clint Eastwood and James Arness carved out niches for themselves in Westerns. I just hope I won't be faced with doing 'Li'l Abner' in dinner theater for the rest of my career.

Everybody who knows anything about me knows all I ever wanted to do is play pro football. But I didn't have the talent, and I got hurt a lot. I'd do anything to be out on the field.