Former footballer turned actor Brian ‘The Boz’ Bosworth talks new-found Christian faith and the devils of his Seattle Seahawks arrogance
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Brian Bosworth appears in "Revelation Road 2." (Handout)
Brian “The Boz” Bosworth might be most remembered as an outspoken, often controversial all-American linebacker who rose to fame after being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 1987, but when his football passion was sidelined a few seasons later with a career-ending shoulder injury, the young star embarked on a totally different path personally and professionally.
Bosworth has been married twice and has three children. He has worked to sell real estate and starred in various films. But perhaps the real Bosworth emerged when he scored the leading role in the religion-themed movies “Revelation Road,” released earlier this year, and the upcoming “Revelation Road 2,” which hits theaters in July and is available on DVD in September. The filming experience, Bosworth said, turned him into a religious man.
“It’s not that I didn’t know God or didn’t have a relationship or an understanding of God. I knew the Lord, I just hated him. There was a feud and a grudge match because I felt He broke a promise we had and broke my trust. I would choose to ignore Him,” Bosworth told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “[In my football days] ‘The Boz’ was born, my pride became more than my agreement with God. That was me telling Him I didn’t need Him anymore, and being boastful of all the gifts I had. You have to be humble and ask Him for courage and wisdom, but I put me first and God last. I allowed people to guide me and my arrogance. [I used] my ignorance to play through the pain and getting a call that my career was over started my feud with God.”
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This year, while promoting “Revelation Road,” the former footballer said he began to notice gentle reminders of God’s presence throughout his life.
“I got saved,” Bosworth said simply.
The epic, end-of-world adventure film – produced by Pure Flix Entertainment – is set in a small California town. The story focuses on a brutal biker gang that robs a local convenience store and has internal grapples with faith.
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“Audiences can expect a chance to reflect on where they currently are in their journey, in their individual life. If it is important to you to secure your place in Heaven with God’s Kingdom, this movie will give you a reflective moment to do so,” Bosworth continued. “What we see in the film is a slice of life in a regular town, in a regular place with all the evil around them. Your heart is a great navigation tool as to the directions to God.”
But unlike most who come to Hollywood with stars in their eyes, Bosworth never intended to lead an acting career.
“Every film I have worked on prior to this one was not my film. It was always someone else’s film. I never wanted to be an actor. It was always my agent’s dream. My dream was to play football and it’s what God gave me the talents to do, but I screwed that up,” he added. “I didn’t know how to act really, and no one wants to do something they don’t have a passion or training for… ‘Revelation Road’ is my movie and the rest were ‘Boz’ movies. I have made some horrible movies and I don’t know if I will do another movie, but I am so grateful that this one came.”
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Danielle Jones-Wesley contributed to this report.