(This interview was originally published on Examiner.com on January 15, 2016.)“Love on the Sidelines” brings football and romance together as the Hallmark Channel airs the romantic comedy this Saturday, January 16 at 9:00 PM EST/ 8:00 p.m. Central. The movie stars Emily Kinney, John Reardon and football legend Joe Theismann. In the movie, Laurel Welk (Kinney) is an out of work aspiring fashion designer who lands a job as a personal assistant to handsome all-star quarterback Danny Holland (Reardon). Holland’s been sidelined with an injury and the last thing he wants is a female assistant, especially one who knows nothing about football. But the two opposites strike a bargain and agree to work together on a trial basis. While Laurel struggles to master her job, knowing she’s in way over her head, Danny struggles to maintain his star image even though he’s concerned his injury might end his career. Things get even more complicated when employer and employee start to notice there’s more to each other than meets the eye… and what they find is love on the sidelines. Danny’s father, Owen Theismann), is a retired football player himself and who better to play the role than the NFL superstar who led the Washington Redskins to two Superbowls. The Washington franchise won the Superbowl in 1985.
When the character of Danny gets injured, Theismann himself could relate to that situation most since he himself broke his leg during a game thirty years ago. That moment is one of the most memorable and most talked about in football and in sport’s history.
Examiner had the chance to catch up with the Hall of Famer at a Hallmark Event to promote the movie.
Check out the interview with Theismann below:
Phyllis: How did you become aware of the project?
Joe Theismann: I got a phone call a couple weeks before shooting to see if I wanted to do the movie. I’d done motion pictures before I did “The Man That Saw Bogart’s Face” I did “Cannonball II,” I did “That 70s Show and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” a year ago. So I and was pretty familiar with [acting]. I lived in Los Angeles for four years and so it was an opportunity to challenge myself, get back in front of the camera, it was a role that seemed to fit me. I play the father of a football layer that got hurt. So I can understand the emotion what Danny Holland, which was my son, was going through.
Phyllis: You’ve had some injuries in your career. The leg break and several concussion scares. When you do a role like this where life imitates art, what goes through your mind?
Joe Theismann: I can relate to it. When I was talking to him in one of the scenes, he’s coming in on crutches and he’s just not sure… he has those doubts just like I did. As we shot the scene on a number of occasions, I thought I’ve been exactly where he’s been. Even though this is a movie, I thought “I’ve lived this movie. It was very real for me.”
Phyllis: You’re a busy guy, how do you juggle everything you have going on?
Joe Theismann: I’m blessed in the things I’ve done. I travel a lot. I get to sort of pick and choose the things that I want to do and the projects that I want to get involved in.
When you think of the Hallmark Channel, there are so many things going on in this world that are negative , Hallmark has decided, “we’re just going to put nice positive things out that people can enjoy… and that’s what they do It’s great to be associated with them and have a chance to do it. I get to watch it on Saturday night like everybody else.
Phyllis: Is there one thing you want people to take away from this movie about football, especially for someone who might not be familiar with football?
Joe Theismann: What I would love for people to take away from this in general is, no matter what happens in your life, don’t think it’s the end. There is that opportunity to find something, somewhere that can get you going again. Don’t be so hard on yourself. And if you need somebody to support you to help you to get going, that’s what you should do.
Phyllis: When people recognize you today, what’s the conversation you have the most with fans about your football career.
Joe Theismann: They talk about my leg break. People say, “You know, I know exactly where I was the night your leg was broken and I hope you’re okay and I appreciate every one of them. It’s great that people ask me how I’m doing.”
CatchLove on the Sidelines, airing on Hallmark Channel.
