Steve Austin and Joel McHale Swap College Football Stories in 'Straight Up Steve Austin' Exclusive Clip

[meangreen11]

Austin went on to say it takes a "special-breed cat" that goes the walk-on route because you have to love the sport. He then asked McHale what made him want to walk-on at Washington. "It was more like to see if I could do it," McHale, 49, added. "The second year, I got the hang of it. I feel like I did. I came to a crossroads where I'm like, what's the end goal? I was having a great time, but I really need to kind of focus on acting. And that's why I became one of the biggest movie stars in the history of Hollywood."

Austin didn't dive into too much of the details of his college football history, but the WWE Hall of Famer played at the University of North Texas “It was a fun experience,” Austin said on The DA Show back in January. “I had dreams of being a pro football player but just couldn’t quite make the grade by a long-shot on that. I was a good player at the local or regional level. Beyond that, those guys had too much talent." Austin played linebacker and defensive end while at North Texas. He was a running back in high school.

 

[Matt from A700]

Huge Community fan and I just started reading Joel McHale's book he published a few years ago. What a coincidence.

[C Rod]

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Stone Cold Steve Austin for an in-game promo for the Dallas Cowboys. We were on set in LA, and I wasn't sure what to expect from the man, the myth, the legend. I knew I would soon find out if he still a Texan or if he had gone all Hollywood on us. 

We only had him for a few hours and due to LA traffic, he arrived to set a few minutes behind schedule. He came in with dark sunglasses on, and his phone pressed to his ear. He sounded irritated with the call, so I gave him some space before introducing myself. Wardrobe pulled me aside to look through the options quickly. And then I heard it - a booming voice from across the room, "Alright, which one of you is the director?!" The intensity and slight aggression in his voice brought the crew to hush. Eyeballs quickly darted my way. My heart rate quickened. 

He was testing me. Now, he never came out and said it, but it's known that established actors often test directors. They want to see our grit, and most importantly, they're looking for confidence. How I responded next could make or break the day.

"RIGHT HERE!" I shouted back, matching his intensity. We made eye contact, and he hits me with the look you see below. You know the look. It's a look he's perfected over his career, and let me tell you, when it's you he's looking at, you feel it. Adrenaline hits my system, and my inner dialogue steadies me: Don't break eye contact, don't bitch out. 

When getting dressed that morning, I decided to wear my only pair of boots to set. Why? Because I'm 5'10 and in boots, I'm 6 ft tall. Feeling confident at my new fighting height, I strode over with a smile on my face. The man doesn't break eye contact either and keeps the same energy. But I'm undeterred because I have an ace up my sleeve. 

Halfway across the room, I start speaking, "Mr. Stone Cold Steve Austin, my name is Chris Rodriguez. Graduate from THE University of North Texas. Class of '06". I thrust out my for a handshake, and I kid you not -  the moment North Texas left my mouth, his demeanor completely changed. He breaks character, shakes my hand, and says, "Is that right? Go Mean Green." We go on to talk about his days playing for UNT and our shared optimism for better days ahead for the program. A smile later, and he looks down and says, "I don't often see directors wearing boots in LA. You really are from Texas. I like it, let's roll!".