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IFL Iowa Barnstormers

From the Set of American Underdog

December 22, 2021 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Iowa Barnstormers News Release


American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story hits theaters on Christmas Day and tells the story of Warner's journey to Super Bowl MVP.

The Lionsgate movie details Warner's rise from being a second-string quarterback at the University of Northern Iowa to stocking shelves at a local Hy-Vee to becoming an Arena Football legend as the first quarterback of the Iowa Barnstormers before earning his shot in the NFL and ultimately becoming a Super Bowl champion.

While the movie details the life of the former Iowa Barnstormers QB, if you look closely you may also spot a few other former Barnstormers.

A movie production takes a village, from writers to directors to producers to cameramen to production assistants to set and costume designers, the list goes on and on. You also have your stars like Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin who portray Kurt and Brenda Warner.

Another key piece of a production like this one? Extras.

Four former Iowa Barnstormers had the opportunity to participate in the production of American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story as stunt actors.

Collin Taylor (WR), Chris Dieker (QB), Rodney Gnat (DL), and Chad Kolumber (OL) were all on set to film American Underdog in Oklahoma last winter. Appearing in the football scenes, each athlete played a different role in the production.

Collin Taylor joined the Iowa Barnstormers in 2012 at wide receiver, appearing in two seasons with the team. He quickly became a fan favorite for his talent on the field and his personality and community involvement off the field. Taylor was already working on movie sets as a football extra at the time of his signing with his first experience on the set of The Dark Knight Rises.

In addition to being a stunt actor in the film, Taylor had the opportunity to take on an even bigger role in American Underdog assisting with the choreography of the arena football scenes.

Chris Dieker also joined the Iowa Barnstormers in 2012 at quarterback. In American Underdog, Dieker took on the role of Kurt Warner as one of the stunt doubles in the football scenes under Zachary Levi. A fitting honor.

Rodney Gnat joined the Iowa Barnstormers in 2012, staying with the team for three seasons as a defensive lineman. A force to be reckoned with on the field, Gnat remains a fan favorite for his larger-than-life personality off the field. Gnat also took on the role as a stunt double in the film.

"I was the stunt double for Ser'Darius Blain and his character Mike Hudnutt," said Gnat. "It was a very interesting experience for me. It was my first movie. I had done some independent wrestling spots but never any stunts or acting."

Chad Kolumber was with the Iowa Barnstormers during the 2016 season on the offensive line, in American Underdog he was a stunt actor appearing on the offensive and defensive line in various scenes for the college, AFL, and NFL training camp scenes and game scenes.

"It was such an incredible experience, a dream come true really," said Kolumber. "To be able to have played the game of football my whole life and travel through the ranks from high school to college to professional football and then to be able to become part of the film industry for the making of a movie is what kids dream of."

Gnat and Kolumber remember their time on set last winter as an incredible experience, both detailing how welcoming and friendly everyone working on the production was including Kurt Warner, himself, who they both had the opportunity to meet.

"I was lucky enough to meet Kurt Warner and got to tell him how much of an honor it was to play one of his former teammates," said Gnat. "Also, it was especially a pleasure because of being a Barnstormer for three years and he was as proud and happy as you would expect. Surprisingly he asked how close the set was to playing at Wells Fargo Arena."

Kolumber had similar sentiments about his interactions with Warner, stating "That was truly one of the biggest blessings of the movie to me. Getting my first professional start with the same organization that he had his was a blessing to begin with, but then to be part of a movie about his life story was amazing. We got to throw the football around several different times while in between takes for different scenes. We got to talk a lot about our football experiences while playing for the Barnstormers and the similarities from when he played to my time as well."

As former Iowa Barnstormers, getting to be part of the telling of Warner's story was a special honor for Tayor, Dieker, Gnat, and Kolumber. These athletes resonate with Warner's experience, having found themselves in Des Moines with the Barnstormers as they chased their football dreams and having firsthand experience with the unique atmosphere the fans create.

"Putting that uniform back on after almost ten years felt just like Des Moines," said Gnat. "From the smoke, to the PA announcers, to the fans grabbing us by the wall and high fives for all the players, everything was on point."

Another special moment for these players was the opportunity to put the familiar uniforms and helmets back on.

"It felt like I was back in the locker room for the Barnstormers when I played with the team," said Kolumber. "The real feeling though came from putting on the retro gold helmets with the Barnstormers goggles and the wings on the jerseys. I felt like I was getting ready to play another game with such a storied franchise and when we walked out into the arena it really felt like we stepped back in time to [Warner's] era of the game and man being a football player I was ready to go play the game for real again."

The fact that Taylor, Dieker, and Gnat played together in Des Moines only added to the nostalgia of the whole experience.

"One of the perks of getting to do the movie was seeing former teammates who I haven't seen in forever which led to one of the greatest trips down memory lane," said Gnat. "Words can't really do the experience justice and getting to do it with former teammates and talk about how blessed by God we are and humbled by the experience of our arena football days and get to show part of our lives with the world."

After working closely with the Iowa Barnstormers front office to get the details right, these former players felt American Underdog did the team justice.

"It was incredible to see the great lengths they went into for the detail to recreate it all," said Kolumber. "The dashers and advertising of that time, the field and logos were well done, the barn doors to the Barnyard were a great touch. The company did a great job recreating the uniforms for the Barnstormers as well as for the other teams. It really felt like I was transported back into the Kurt Warner era."

Kolumber went on to describe the recreation of the Barnstormers atmosphere, stating that no detail was left out.

"They did a great job with the overall atmosphere of the arena and what Barnstormers football is all about."

Fans can keep an eye out for Collin Taylor, Chris Dieker, Rodney Gnat, and Chad Kolumber in American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story when it hits theaters everywhere on Christmas day.



Indoor Football League Stories from December 22, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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