LaDainian Tomlinson made his living capturing the hearts and minds of football fans every Sunday.
Now he's making the leap to the big screen.
The Hall of Fame running back makes his movie debut in "God Bless the Broken Road," which will be released this weekend. For LT, filming his first movie was quite a different experience than his first NFL game.
"(Acting) was foreign to me," Tomlinson remarked. "Being a running back came natural to me. My instincts as a runner made me a good running back – I should say a great running back. But acting is something that's not natural, you've got to work on it."
Based on Rascal Flatts' song of the same title, the film centers around a young woman who loses her husband while he is at war in Afghanistan, and struggles with her faith while raising her 9-year-old daughter. Tomlinson plays the role of Pastor Williams.
"The opportunity came about from someone that I've known a long time," Tomlinson said. "The gentleman called me up one day and said, 'Hey, we're trying to fill this role of a pastor and I thought about you.' And I said, 'What? You thought about me?' He said, 'Yeah, I think you'll be great at it.' So I read the script, I went over it and over it, and I practiced and I practiced. It takes a lot of practicing just to remember your lines. Once I got it down, I felt pretty good about it."
LT says he took inspiration from actors such as Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, but knows he has a lot to still learn about the acting world as he's just a rookie.
What really drew Tomlinson to be a part of the film wasn't just the chance to be on screen, but the fact that part of the proceeds from the movie will be donated to an organization known as DAV (Disabled American Veterans). The group is a nonprofit charity that helps over 1 million veterans and their families each year.
Also associated with the movie is an event sponsored by DAV called "Bless A Vet," where you can pay to take a veteran to dinner and a movie.
"That's what it's all about," Tomlinson said. "We all need to do that. I think we're all in some way connected to our military. To people that sacrifice so much for this country, they deserve to be blessed."
