Blalock's off-season performance
August 24, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release
During the off-season, many Arena Football players have other jobs working in schools or coaching football, but Las Vegas Gladiators WR/LB Coco Blalock is spending his second straight off-season acting in a football movie.
"I'm a football player that has gotten lucky the past two years," Blalock said. "Playing football has opened doors for me that I never thought would be possible."
Blalock spent the 2004 off-season as the football double for Nelly in the remake of The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler, Burt Reynolds and a slew of other talented actors. He was one of a select few from that movie who were asked to audition for a football movie called Invincible that is being made this off-season staring Mark Wahlberg and Elizabeth Banks.
"Working with Mark (Wahlberg) has been great," he said. "He is a very talented actor and I am learning a lot working with him. I feel he is becoming one of the best actors in the business."
Invincible is a true underdog story about Vince Papale, who is played by Wahlberg.
Papale, a 30-year old bartender, was a Philadelphia Eagles fan who answered an open tryout and emerged with a spot on the team.
In the movie, first-year Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil decided to shake things up prior to the 1976 season by inviting fans to compete for a roster spot. Papale, a lifelong fan that never played high school football, lost his wife and his teaching job when he tried out and was eventually the only player invited to camp.
"I am really excited about this movie," Blalock said. "When I first heard they were going make a story about Vince Papale, I instantly thought of one of the best football movies of all-time in Rudy."
Last season with the Gladiators, Blalock finished his fifth season in the AFL with career-highs in every offensive category including 73 receptions for 851 yards with 13 touchdowns. He also returned 45 kicks for 865 yards and one touchdown. On defense, Blalock tallied 19.5 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one forced fumble.
"Since Coco is just coming off a season in arena football, he is in shape and prepared so it is an easy transition," Assistant Football Coordinator of Invincible, Aimee McDaniel said. "When they began talking about making this movie, I felt Coco was going to be a perfect fit because he is a great athlete. I saw he had the stamina and toughness while working with him on the set of The Longest Yard."
"I got lucky to be in The Longest Yard because I replaced someone who got injured during the shoot," Blalock said. "If that guy didn't get hurt I would probably not be in this movie now."
Blalock is one of 16 players under contract for next season with Las Vegas and he plans on making his sixth season in the AFL a memorable one for the Gladiators. He is currently only 281 yards and 566 yards shy of reaching 3,000 yards in both receiving and return yards.
"At the end of every season I take a break for about two weeks before getting right back out there training for the next season. This isn't to much different than my usual routine," he said. "Although, just thinking about getting back out there with my teammates gives me butterflies and I get excited."
Blalock is playing the role of Eagles running back Tom Sullivan in the movie that is set to come out in the fall of 2006 and he feels that he is just getting his football fix until the real season begins at the end of January.
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