Keanu Reeves has been in a lot of films, some brilliant and some awful, but only one seemed to get the attention of an NFL team.
Even if you don’t like all of his films, Reeves definitely likes to vary the kind of roles he picks up.
From the savior of Zion to a surfing undercover FBI agent, the man can do it all.
But there is an often-forgotten football film he starred in that could have sent him on a very different trajectory.
Reeves starred as Shane Falco, the star quarterback for the fictional Washington Sentinels in the 2000 football film, The Replacements.
The Replacements trailer
(Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers)
0 seconds of 2 minutes, 24 secondsVolume 90%
Star quarterback might even be a bit of a stretch as the film focusses on a group of replacements being brought in for the team as there is a pro players’ strike and boom, hilarity ensues.
But to get ready for the role, many of the cast had to undergo intense training, something which is actually pretty normal for actors when they star in sports films.
They’ve got to look the part and move like they belong.
The training camp was headed by football coordinators Allan Graf and Mark Ellis and it seems Reeves made quite an impression.
Reeves reportedly impressed with his footwork and ability to move in the pocket as quartback (Warner Bros)
While the film is set in Washington, the film was actually shot in Baltimore and won him praise from NFL coaches for his footwork and the ability to move around in the pocket.
This reportedly led to the Baltimore Ravens extending an invitation to the actor to come to camp for a tryout.
However, Reeves declined due to having additional Hollywood projects on the cards.
While it might sound a little bit too good to be true, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst & Insider Matt Miller claimed it really did happen back in 2013.
Keanu Reeves likely would have won more fans if he actually made it to an NFL team (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Writing on his Twitter page he said: “I leave you with this: Keanu Reeves was offered a tryout at QB with the #Ravens while filming The Replacements.”
When Miller was asked whether he was joking from people on social media he insisted it was a ‘100 percent true story’.
Despite this, some people have remained unconvinced, not that it necessarily didn’t happen, but that Reeves might have been invited due to his star power rather than his actual prowess on the football field.
But the charismatic Reeves has shown he is a man of many talents, so who knows, maybe he also has a cannon for an arm and surprised the coaches.
