Written by Media Services Intern Thomas Ranson
Don’t call him Mr. Hollywood just quite yet.
Talib Wise, a former running back and wide receiver for the University of Nevada who plays for the New Orleans VooDoo in the Arena Football League, appeared in his first movie, “The Game Plan,” which was released in theaters on Sept. 28.
“The only thing I had during the movie was a huge smile on my face,” Wise said when he saw the movie the day after its release. “I couldn't get up during the movie and scream that's me, that’s me.’ ”
Disney’s “The Game Plan,” which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, portrays Joe Kingman, a bachelor professional quarterback who discovers he has an 8-year-old daughter and tries to juggle football and his daughter in the midst of the long-waited championship game.
“It’s been great to be able to be part of something like The Game Plan,’ ” Wise said.
For Wise, he happened to be in the right place at the right time in appearing in his first film. He said one of his teammates informed him about the upcoming movie and the need for football players. Most of the football movies use players from the AFL and approximately 25 appeared in “The Game Plan.”
“You always see different sports movies and question how they get that opportunity,” Wise said. “Growing up on the south side of Chicago, never in a million years do you think you’ll be in a movie, especially a sports one.”
Wise spent the last 10 days in October 2006 working out at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., the home of the New England Patriots. Wise earned $5,000 for his role as a defender on the New York Dukes, the rival team of Kingman’s (The Rock) Boston Rebels.
“Basically we just played football,” Wise said.
Wise smiled when he learned he would be working with “The Rock,” the former WWF professional wrestler who switched careers to acting.
“It was really good, especially how down to earth they are,” Wise said about the well-known actors. “They tried to make it as fun as possible.”
The Rock was grateful to work with the top players from the AFL and said they made the movie a realistic football experience.
“They brought a special dedication and energy to the film, but more importantly, they brought a great reality to our movie,” The Rock said in a statement. “All of the AFL guys in the movie are great players in their league...they’re the top guys at what they do. I really had a great time working with them. They were all very patient with me, and I want to thank them for that.”
Although “The Rock” headlined the film, Wise didn’t disappoint his family with his appearance when they went to see the movie over the opening weekend.
“One of my brothers saw the movie, and my mom was going to see it,” Wise said. “He liked it. He took his daughters to see it and they enjoyed it.”
The September football flick will probably not be the last time you see Wise on the big screen.
“I built a nice friendship with the director and the guys who put it together,” he said. “I told them to keep me in mind next time they do a sports movie. It’s fun to see what the directors have been working on for some time and see it put together.”
Wise’s rise to the big screen ran through several obstacles after playing for the Wolf Pack. He was selected by the Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft but was released prior to the season.
Since then, Wise has lit up the field in the AFL. He played one season for the Arizona Rattlers in 2006 and then finished the 2007 season with the VooDoo.
Wise, though, is battling back into the NFL system as he enters his third season in the AFL.
At Nevada, Wise played one season each for Chris Tormey and Chris Ault and earned the Versatile Award his senior year. The award went to the player who demonstrated the most versatility on the Wolf Pack.
Ault couldn’t resist a smile when he learned Wise appeared in the movie. The Hall of Fame coach said Wise was a hard-working athlete and hopes he can make it to the NFL.
“He’s trying to work his way up,” said Ault, who took over the program in 2004 for the third time in his career. “He’s a good all-around athlete.”
Wise threatened the defense in both offensive phases. He showed that he could run the ball effectively as he rushed 124 yards against Fresno State for his top running game. His best receiving game came against Hawaii when he caught 10 passes for 104 yards.
The Chicago native, a transfer from Joliet Junior College in Illinois, still follows the Wolf Pack and saw the team compete against Northwestern earlier in the year.
“That’s one of the things where I wish I was still playing,” Wise said about college. “They played hard and well. It was good to see a lot of the guys and how they’ve matured. They’re looking nice and getting respect nationally.”
Wise only wishes Nevada would have played the bigger schools when he attended school. The Wolf Pack opened this season at Nebraska and has games lined up with Florida State and Notre Dame in the next couple of seasons.
“I would love that because of the national exposure,” Wise said. “You always get up for those games. You watch the Nebraska games when you grow up and that’s a dream come true.”
