Eddie George is gunning for a role on “House of Cards.” More specifically, the Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State and Pro Bowler with the Tennessee Titans wants to play Robin Wright’s love interest on the Netflix political drama. He didn’t start taking acting seriously until after he retired in 2005, so he realizes it’s a long shot.
“Wishful thinking,” said George, who will serve as the grand marshal Saturday at the Big Ten Network’s 10K race at Soldier Field, over the phone Wednesday.
As the story goes, George developed a true appreciation for acting after watching Jude Law on stage in “Hamlet” in New York. He told his wife that night that he wanted to give Shakespeare a shot and she joked “You have to learn English before you learn the King’s language.” He began meeting with an acting coach three times a week to help him with his goal.
“When I left the game, I was searching for what was next,” George said. “There was something about getting into the life of another character. It was very therapeutic. I had to express different emotions. With how my career ended – it didn’t end on my terms – there was a lot of frustration inside me and the arts was an opportunity to express myself in a way that I couldn’t do physically. I started reading plays and writing.”
George’s love of Shakespeare was on display recently when a TMZ cameraman caught up with him in Los Angeles and had him recite a few lines on the spot. He starred in Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Othello,” so naturally he went with a passage from that play. In addition to acting lessons, George — who earned his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management in 2009 — takes singing lessons. He hopes to improve his acting voice’s presence and range.
That voice is expected to give runners a pep talk prior to the BTN Big 10K’s 5K and 10K races, which will include appearances by BTN analysts Howard Griffith, Stanley Jackson and Marcus Ray. Over 15,000 people registered for the Fleet Feet Sports-produced race in 2014. The 41-year-old George said he is content watching this year’s race from the sidelines.
“I don’t mind running,” said George. “I run four days a week. But I’d rather watch others do it (Saturday) and sip a beer and cheer them on.”
George’s Buckeyes head into the upcoming football season as the defending national champions, with all three of the quarterbacks who played a role in the title run competing for the starting spot. Who does George think should get the nod?
“I think the best one should start,” he said, apparently not wanting to pick a side. “There should a healthy competition. Get each of them reps and let them be judged. It’s very simple – the best one is going to play. It’s a great problem to have.”
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On the record: “We have a family saying: We have two favorite teams in the MLB, the White Sox and whoever is playing the Cubs. That gives you an idea of how much we love this team.” – Former Wisconsin men’s basketball star Frank Kaminsky (On Wisconsin!) before throwing out the first pitch at Tuesday’s White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field, via espn.com
Heads up: The Cubs’ Jon Lester will host NVRQT Night Aug. 13 at Metro, which will include a “Hollywood Squares”-like game show. … The Bulls’ Nazr Mohammed will host his All In For Autism charity casino gala August 7 at Galleria Marchetti.
Sightings: The Cubs’ Kris Bryant, White Sox’s Chris Sale and NBA Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler dined, separately, July 10 at RPM Steak. Michael Wilbon (“Pardon the Interruption”) dined there Saturday. … UCONN men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie was spotted Friday at Celeste.
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