Filed under: Celebrity News, Careers
![Albert Haynesworth]()
Let's face it: professional athletes tend to greatly exaggerate their sense of self worth, sometimes resulting in some truly mind blowing statements. No sport pushes the boundaries of hyperbole more than the NFL, which seems to tie to the sport's violent nature. From Kellen Winslow, Jr. referring to himself as a "soldier," players repeatedly speaking about themselves in third person, to virtually anything mouthed by Terrell Owens, football players clearly have a healthy sense of entitlement. But a recent quote by troubled Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth may have just taken the all-time "stoopid comment" crown.
Albert Haynesworth said Saturday his $100 million contract doesn't make him a slave to the Washington Redskins. In an interview with 106.7 The Fan, the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle said the big paychecks don't mean he can't push back when the team asks him to play a different position.
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Black Actors In Football Films
With the new NFL season now underway, we thought it was the perfect time to look at some of the actors who have donned a helmet and uniform for roles on the big screen. From Denzel Washington to Cuba Gooding Jr., Blackvoices.com has compiled a who's who of black actors who have appeared in football films.
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BlackVoices.com
Black Actors In Football Films
With the new NFL season now underway, we thought it was the perfect time to look at some of the actors who have donned a helmet and uniform for roles on the big screen. From Denzel Washington to Cuba Gooding Jr., Blackvoices.com has compiled a who's who of black actors who have appeared in football films.
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Running Back
Player's name: Gale Sayers
Played by Billy Dee Williams
Film: 'Brian's Song' (2000)
Actor's Scoreboard: Williams starred opposite Diana Ross in both 'Lady Sings the Blues' and 'Mahogany,' and is best known for his role as Lando Calrissian in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, but he gained critical acclaim for his role as Chicago Bears running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers in 'Brian's Song.' Sayers helped teammate Brian Piccolo through his struggle with cancer.
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Defensive Coordinator
Player's name: Montezuma "Monty" Monroe
Played by Jim Brown
Film: 'Any Given Sunday' (1999)
Actor's Scoreboard: Considered one of the greatest NFL players, Brown, who played only nines years as a running back for the Cleveland Browns before turning to acting, got a chance to get back on the field when he was featured as a coach in 'Any Given Sunday' with Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx.
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Quarterback
Player's name: Levander "Bird" Williams
Played by Mykelti Williamson
Film: 'Wildcats' (1986)
Actor's Scoreboard: Long before he starred opposite Tom Hanks in the Oscar-winning film 'Forrest Gump,' Williamson played a number of supporting roles in smaller films and TV series. Known as Mykel T. Williamson in the early '80s, the St. Louis native played a quarterback alongside Wesley Snipes and Goldie Hawn in the film 'Wildcats.'
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Defensive Lineman
Player's name: Julius Campbell
Played by Wood Harris
Film: 'Remember the Titans' (2000)
Actor's Scoreboard: Best known for his roles as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale in the HBO television drama 'The Wire' and Motaw in the 1994 motion picture 'Above the Rim,' Harris gained critical praise for his role as high school football player Julius Campbell in the film 'Remember the Titans.' The film also starred Denzel Washington, Donald Faison and Nicole Ari Parker.
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Defensive Lineman
Player's name: Andre Krimm
Played by Sinbad
Film: 'Necessary Roughness'
Actor's Scoreboard: Better known for his stand-up and his comedic role in the TV series 'A Different World,' Sinbad once played a college professor recruited for the defensive line in 'Necessary Roughness.'
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Defensive Lineman
Player's name: Charles Jefferson
Played by Forest Whitaker
Film: 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' (1982)
Actor's Scoreboard: Before moving into the director's chair -- and winning an Academy Award for his role as Idi Amin in 'The Last King of Scotland' -- Whitaker suited up to play opposite Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage and Anthony Edwards in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High.'
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Offensive Lineman
Player's name: Michael Oher
Played by Quinton Aaron
Film: 'The Blind Side' (2009)
Actor's Scoreboard: Based on the true story of NFL player Michael Oher, 'The Blind Side' featured Quinton Aaron in his film debut. The movie not only captured the hearts of audiences but also led to an Academy Award for co-star Sandra Bullock, who won an Oscar for best actress.
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Defensive Back
Player's name: TJ Banks
Played by Nicoye Banks
Film: 'Invincible'
Actor's Scoreboard: Based on the true story of Vince Papale, a former player for the Philadelphia Eagles, Banks played a defensive back alongside Mark Wahlberg in 'Invincible.' Earlier this year, he costarred with Matt Damon in 'Green Zone' and Wesley Snipes in 'Brooklyn's Finest.'
Black Actors In Football Films
Position: Wide Receiver
Player's name: Rod Tidwell
Played by Cuba Gooding Jr.
Film: 'Jerry Maguire' (1996)
Actor's Scoreboard: With small roles to his credit after taking a leading role in John Singleton's 'Boyz n the Hood,' Gooding refined his acting career when he played the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver who told Tom Cruise's title character to "Show me the money!" His performance led to an Academy Award for best supporting actor.
Black Actors In Football Films
Haynesworth, who rarely speaks to the media, was upset this year when the Redskins switched to a 3-4 defense and told him he would be playing nose tackle. Haynesworth protested by staying away from the team's off season conditioning program and practices. He also skipped a mandatory minicamp and was unable to pass the team's conditioning test until the 10th day of training camp - all despite receiving a $21 million bonus on April 1.
"I guess in this world we don't have a lot of people with, like, backbones," Haynesworth said. (See the full story on The Huffington Post.) "Just because somebody pay you money don't mean they'll make you do whatever they want or whatever. I mean, does that mean everything is for sale? I mean, I'm not for sale. Yeah, I signed the contract and got paid a lot of money, but... that don't mean I'm for sale or a slave or whatever."
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No, you didn't read that wrong. Haynesworth, who fleeced the Redskins for a record $100M contract last year, is indeed comparing his plight to that of an indentured servant. If getting paid 9 figures to play a child's game is slavery, then sign me up Massa!
If nothing else, given his piss poor conditioning and lackadaisical effort on the field, Haynesworth owes Redskins fans a refund. Chronically out-of-shape, chronically complaining, and chronically underperforming, Haynesworth is a big part of why the team's off to a terrible 1-2 start. Despite his massive build and undisputed physical talent, Fat Albert would make a very lousy slave. Plus, getting paid and doing what your bosses say
is called doing your job.
That said, who among us hasn't resorted to extreme hyperbole when complaining about our own day jobs? Everyone's probably referred to their employer as some variation of the phrase "slave master" when asked to do something more or something different than we're paid for. I'm clearly not excusing Haynesworth, a guy who could probably afford to lay off the half smokes and mix in a book or two, but maybe his comment wasn't as far out there as it sounds.
Yet at the same time, as the people who descended from slaves, perhaps we should lay off this particular form of hyperbole. Really, nothing we go through in our jobs, however horrible, compares to what they went through and survived. We can certainly complain about our careers and our bosses, and define boundaries, but let's have some respect for the people we came from who
really were slaves.
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