John Amos may no longer be with us, but his cultural impact will be felt for generations through the films and projects he played a role in. Good Times, Coming to America, Roots. The list goes on.
But, before Amos was the groundbreaking actor that so many came to know and love, he tried his hand at several other things — one of which was football.
Amos played football at Colorado State University, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He had training camp tryouts with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs when the teams were still in the American Football League.
Amos was cut by 13 pro and semipro football teams in his 20s, according to the Washington Post. His attempts weren’t just one-offs — he gave the sport a real shot. He didn’t officially play, but Amos remained a diehard Chiefs fan.
Amos kept that passion with him through the years despite never latching on to a team. In a Facebook post last year, he posted photos of him in his various football uniforms ahead of the NFL season.
I don’t know if the Chiefs or the NFL will do anything for Amos, but it certainly would be a fantastic gesture if the team did.