unilad homepage
unilad homepage
    • News
      • UK News
      • US News
      • World News
      • Crime
      • Health
      • Money
      • Sport
      • Travel
    • Music
    • Technology
    • Film and TV
      • News
      • DC Comics
      • Disney
      • Marvel
      • Netflix
    • Celebrity
    • Politics
    • Advertise
    • Terms
    • Privacy & Cookies
    • LADbible Group
    • LADbible
    • SPORTbible
    • GAMINGbible
    • Tyla
    • UNILAD Tech
    • FOODbible
    • License Our Content
    • About Us & Contact
    • Jobs
    • Latest
    • Archive
    • Topics A-Z
    • Authors
    Facebook
    Instagram
    X
    Threads
    TikTok
    YouTube
    Submit Your Content
    Keanu Reeves was so good at one role that a real-life sports team 'invited him to try out'

    Home> Celebrity

    Published 18:12 9 Oct 2024 GMT+1

    Keanu Reeves was so good at one role that a real-life sports team 'invited him to try out'

    Keanu Reeves really is the one who can do it all

    Gerrard Kaonga

    Gerrard Kaonga

    google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
    Featured Image Credit: Getty/Frazer Harrison/Warner Bros.

    Topics: Keanu Reeves, NFL, Film and TV

    Gerrard Kaonga
    Gerrard Kaonga

    Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

    Advert

    Advert

    Advert

    Keanu Reeves has been in a lot of films, some brilliant and some awful, but only one seemed to get the attention of an NFL team.

    Even if you don’t like all of his films, Reeves definitely likes to vary the kind of roles he picks up.

    From the savior of Zion to a surfing undercover FBI agent, the man can do it all.

    But there is an often-forgotten football film he starred in that could have sent him on a very different trajectory.

    Advert

    Reeves starred as Shane Falco, the star quarterback for the fictional Washington Sentinels in the 2000 football film, The Replacements.

    Star quarterback might even be a bit of a stretch as the film focusses on a group of replacements being brought in for the team as there is a pro players’ strike and boom, hilarity ensues.

    But to get ready for the role, many of the cast had to undergo intense training, something which is actually pretty normal for actors when they star in sports films.

    They've got to look the part and move like they belong.

    The training camp was headed by football coordinators Allan Graf and Mark Ellis and it seems Reeves made quite an impression.

    Reeves reportedly impressed with his footwork and ability to move in the pocket as quartback (Warner Bros)
    Reeves reportedly impressed with his footwork and ability to move in the pocket as quartback (Warner Bros)

    While the film is set in Washington, the film was actually shot in Baltimore and won him praise from NFL coaches for his footwork and the ability to move around in the pocket.

    This reportedly led to the Baltimore Ravens extending an invitation to the actor to come to camp for a tryout.

    However, Reeves declined due to having additional Hollywood projects on the cards.

    While it might sound a little bit too good to be true, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst & Insider Matt Miller claimed it really did happen back in 2013.

    Keanu Reeves likely would have won more fans if he actually made it to an NFL team (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
    Keanu Reeves likely would have won more fans if he actually made it to an NFL team (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

    Writing on his Twitter page he said: “I leave you with this: Keanu Reeves was offered a tryout at QB with the #Ravens while filming The Replacements."

    When Miller was asked whether he was joking from people on social media he insisted it was a ‘100 percent true story’.

    Despite this, some people have remained unconvinced, not that it necessarily didn’t happen, but that Reeves might have been invited due to his star power rather than his actual prowess on the football field.

    But the charismatic Reeves has shown he is a man of many talents, so who knows, maybe he also has a cannon for an arm and surprised the coaches.

    Choose your content:

    4 hours ago
    8 hours ago
    a day ago
    • Theo Wargo/Getty Images
      4 hours ago

      NBC host Sara Gore announces breast cancer diagnosis live on air

      The diagnosis came as ‘an emotional blow’ for the star despite her strong family history of the disease

      Celebrity
    •  VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
      8 hours ago

      Britney Spears formally charged in California with driving under influence

      The singer was arrested last month after driving 'erratically' on a southern Californian highway

      Celebrity
    • Jim Spellman/Getty Images
      a day ago

      Vampire Diaries alumni Ian Somerhalder details how he overcame 8-Figure debt

      The 00's icon was hit by a crippling debt he struggled to get out of after a business deal went awry.

      Celebrity
    • Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
      a day ago

      Hereditary disorder contributed to Days of Our Lives star Patrick Muldoon’s death

      The Starship Troopers star was 57 when he suffered a heart attack at home in Beverly Hills on April 19.

      Celebrity
    • Keanu Reeves proves he's the 'nicest guy in Hollywood' responding to girl's request
    • John Wick director reveals one thing Keanu Reeves does more than speak in his films and it won't surprise you
    • Scientists invent compound that's so good at killing they named it after Keanu Reeves
    • Keanu Reeves is worried AI will soon replace journalists who interview him