Football Great Terry Bradshaw Talks Football, Acting
The Cowan Center at The University of Texas at Tyler. Courtesy Photo.
By WHITNEY WORLEY/Staff Writer
If NFL Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw could talk to the Dallas Cowboys, he would tell them one thing: “Take it easy. If you’re comfortable, you open up and you see everything. When you’re tight, you can’t see.”
Bradshaw’s advice to the Cowboys, which have lost in in early rounds of the playoff, was one of many topics he discussed with KTBB Sports Director Bill Coates at the Cowan Center on March 5. In a sit-down style interview, Bradshaw shared his career experiences, engaging the audience with personal anecdotes and laugh-out-loud moments.
To uproarious laughter from the crowd, Bradshaw recounted the time his venture onto the big screen forced him to deliver an awkward message to his mom. After his mother scheduled an outing– complete with a bus and sandwiches – to see his movie “Failure to Launch” with her Sunday school, he had to issue a disclaimer.
Terry Bradshaw spoke March 5 at the UT Tyler Cowan Center. Courtesy Photo.
“Mom, better hold up on that bus. You don’t want to see this movie, I’m naked.”
The bus trip was promptly canceled. Eventually, donning a baseball cap as a disguise, his mom slipped into a small theater to see the movie and reluctantly enjoyed it.
But before he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Bradshaw was a back-up quarterback to future “Duck Dynasty” star, Phil Robertson, at Louisiana Tech University. He credits Robertson for coining his nickname: the Blonde Bomber. First pick of the 1970 NFL draft, Bradshaw led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships, but the team wasn’t always competitive.
“In 1972 I remember telling my father we had four playoff teams on our schedule, and if we could beat two of them, we were gonna be a good football team,” Bradshaw said. “And in 1972 we got really good.”
Every Super Bowl, Bradshaw called the plays, but admitted to relying on his teammates when the strategy wasn’t working.
“There were times when I was in the huddle and I’d say, ‘I’ve got no idea,’” Bradshaw said. “When I tried all of the stuff I thought would work and it didn’t, I would talk to the line-up.”
Now, Bradshaw hosts “Fox NFL Sunday” along with Curt Menefee, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer.
“[They’re a] bunch of good people,” Bradshaw said. “We are all best friends; we have such a good time together.”
But, in everything Bradshaw has done, connecting with people is what he most enjoys.
“I just love people; I like being with people,” Bradshaw said. “I like entertaining people; I like to make people laugh.”