Burt Reynolds mostly will be remembered as a famous, successful actor, but his career in the spotlight began in a role he later portrayed on screen -- as a football star.
Reynolds, who died Thursday at the age of 82, was a highly recruited running back in high school and earned a scholarship to Florida State, where he roomed with future coach and broadcaster Lee Corso.
He gave up football after suffering a knee injury early in his sophomore season, but that opened the door for him to pursue acting.
One of his early films, White Lightning, was filmed in several locations in Arkansas, including downtown England, the I-30 Speedway (known then as the Benton Speedbowl) and inside historic Cotham's Mercantile in Scott, which was destroyed by fire in 2017.
His love of sports continued as he went on to star in two football-themed movies: The Longest Yard in 1974 and Semi-Tough in 1977.
In The Longest Yard, Reynolds was cast in the role of a former NFL player who goes to prison and ends up recruiting a group of inmates to play a game against their guards. He played a coach in the Adam Sandler remake in 2005.
Semi-Tough featured Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson as pro football players who get caught in a love triangle with the team owner's daughter.
Perhaps his most famous movie role -- as the main character in Smokey and the Bandit -- was the inspiration for the nickname of the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits, of which Reynolds was a minority owner.
He also was part owner of a NASCAR Winston Cup team, whose No. 33 Skoal Bandit car was driven by Harry Gant and was sponsored by the smokeless tobacco company.
Reynolds even portrayed a NASCAR driver in the 1983 movie Stroker Ace.
NO NOTES ALLOWED
Joe West has been an MLB umpire since 1976. Since that time, West has seen his fair share of strange things and has made his fair share of tough, controversial calls.
West made another one last week, confiscating a "cheat sheet" from Philadelphia Phillies reliever Austin Davis in the eighth inning of the team's 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
"I saw him take it out and I went, 'What the heck is that?' " West said. "I told him we don't allow him to carry anything on their glove, person or clothing except in some cases where there's a rain situation we allow them to put a rosin bag in their pocket. Other than that, they can't have anything on the pitcher."
After the game, West even called the league office to see whether he made the right move, but MLB itself failed to clear up the situation at the time. The next day, the league said it is legal.
LIFE ON THE ROAD
Andrew McCutchen is still getting used to life as a Yankee after being traded to New York a week ago.
Now McCutchen has to get comfortable with a whole new reality during the Yankees road trip to Seattle, as the outfielder's luggage never quite made it to the Pacific Northwest.
McCutchen had a nice off day planned in Seattle until his luggage did not make it to the hotel, and he was stuck in his hotel room with nothing but his robe. That led McCutchen to chronicle his experience on Instagram as he described the perils of his day to his followers.
It all worked out for McCutchen when his sister reminded him that he still had the clothes he wore the night before. The Yankee reluctantly put on the suit he wore the day before and left his hotel room in search of some new clothes.
QUIZ
What does "Cowboy" Joe West do outside of umpiring professional baseball games?
ANSWER
He is a country music singer-songwriter, having appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. He has performed with Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee and Merle Haggard.
Sports on 09/08/2018