Notable CFB QBs as 80s Action Movie

I really hope this makes a little bit of sense

I am not sure if this is going to make sense to literally anyone, but this idea popped into my head while doing work one random Tuesday and I felt it necessary to share with other weirdos. This blog is going to combine my two favorite things into one probably incoherent article but here we go:

Shedeur Sanders = Commando (1985)

Shedeur, son of NFL Hall of Famer and current CU coach Deion Sanders, has been called a lot of things over his two years as an FBS QB, but boring is not one of them. He is outspoken, talented, and most importantly, fun to watch. Most people agree that Shedeur is not the overall best quarterback in college football, but he is must-watch TV every Saturday for most casual college football fans. Similarly, Commando is not considered Schwarzenegger's best, or even one of his best, films, but it is still wildly entertaining. Commando is a ridiculous, over-the-top movie that sees Arnold murder over 70 enemies while inexplicably avoiding bullets from anyone who dares attempt to shoot at John Matrix. No action film explains Sanders as a ball player and entertainer quite like Mark Lester’s 1985 (almost satirical) action thriller.

Cam Ward = Die Hard (1988)

Stay with me on this one because it may seem like a stretch but there is some logic. Cam Ward started his career at Washington St where he was their signal caller for two full seasons. During his tenure, the Cougars went a combined 12-13 despite Ward’s above-average performances. Ward entered the transfer portal last off-season and ended up choosing the Miami Hurricanes as his new home for his senior season. The Canes were not criticized for their choice to bring in Cam, but there was speculation entering the season. Most of his critics have been silenced as after Week 5 Ward leads the ACC in both TD passes and passing yards. In a similar vein, John McTiernan’s 1988 classic Die Hard was not without its skeptics before becoming a smash hit and spawning four sequels. The star of the film, Bruce Willis was relatively unknown and was seen as a risk to star in an action movie of this magnitude. The concern was so great that Willis was absent from the original posters of the movie. Like 80s movie critics before Die Hard’s release, few were confident in Ward to be the star that he has been so far in 2024.

Arch Manning = Aliens (1986)

James Cameron tackled the tough task of following up Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi/horror classic, Alien, by making one of the quintessential 1980s action movies in Aliens. Arch Manning, like Cameron, also had to carry the baggage of a famous name. Almost every sports fan is aware that Texas’ backup quarterback Arch Manning is the nephew of NFL superstars Peyton and Eli Manning. Despite having the enormous pressure of carrying the last name that many associate with football royalty, Arch has excelled in his few games filling in for Quinn Ewers. Also, like how Cameron expanded on Scott’s original film by adding multiple alien antagonists to Scott’s original vision, Manning has the ability to scramble outside of the pocket in addition to his incredible arm talent (something his uncles were not exactly known for).

Let me know how you feel about this blog and if you would be interested in part II!