University of Houston Athletics
Former Cougar To Star In The Longest Yard
5/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 17, 2005
HOUSTON, Texas - Former University of Houston standout Maurice Bryant is set to make his acting debut, when the much-anticipated remake of the 1974 classic "The Longest Yard" hits movie theaters nationwide on May 27. Bryant wears #86 in the movie as a member of the prison team, Mean Machine.
A six-year veteran of the Arena Football League, Bryant is currently a member of the Philadelphia Soul where he plays both wide receiver and linebacker. Bryant lettered for the Cougars in 1996 and 1997 after transferring from Los Angeles Valley College. He finished his UH career with 49 receptions for 634 yards and two touchdowns.
Adam Sandler and Chris Rock star in "The Longest Yard," Paramount Pictures's and Columbia Pictures's comic story of a former pro quarterback trying to make good in the toughest possible situation. When former NFL player Paul Crewe (Adam Sandler) is sent to prison, the warden forces him to transform a diverse group of inmates into a football team. Unlikely teammates, the convicts unite when they find out who they are playing: the guards. With the help of fellow inmates Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds) and Caretaker (Chris Rock), Crewe promises the cons a chance to exact revenge in a bone-crushing showdown where anything goes. The Mean Machine returns to the gridiron in this new take on the 1974 classic.
Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures present a Happy Madison/MTV Films Production in association with Callahan Filmworks, "The Longest Yard," a Peter Segal film starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds. The film is directed by Peter Segal ("50 First Dates," "Anger Management") from a screenplay by Sheldon Turner based on the film written by Tracy Keenan Wynn from a story by Albert S. Ruddy. Jack Giarraputo is the producer. The executive producers are Adam Sandler, Van Toffler, David Gale, Barry Bernardi, Allen Covert, Tim Herlihy, Michael Ewing, and Albert S. Ruddy. The film also stars James Cromwell, Nelly, and William Fichtner. The film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for crude & sexual humor, violence, language & drug references.
The film also boasts a who's-who of competitive and world-famous athletes, including three-time Super Bowl-winner Michael Irvin (Dallas Cowboys), four-time Super Bowl-winner Bill Romanowski (Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers), and other NFL players, including Brian Bosworth (Seattle Seahawks) and Terry Crews (San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, and St. Louis Rams).
World Champion Wrestlers Bill Goldberg, Steve Austin (who wrestled as "Stone Cold Steve Austin"), and Kevin Nash and K-1 Kick-boxing champion Bob Sapp are also on board for the explosive action of "The Longest Yard."
Behind the scenes, Adam Sandler trained with former pro quarterback Sean Salisbury and trainer Mark Ellis to learn how to throw like the pros.
Paramount Pictures will distribute the film in the United States.
Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom, Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment news, sports and music.
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.
MTV Films is the feature film development and production division of MTV that releases films in conjunction with Paramount Pictures. Since its inception in 1995, MTV Films established itself as a unique movie label with a slate of diverse and successful films that have grossed nearly $600 million dollars at the box office. "The Longest Yard" marks the 17th film released under the MTV Films banner, following the sure-to-be cult classic "Napoleon Dynamite," "Better Luck Tomorrow," box-office hit "jackass the movie," the teen romance "Save the Last Dance," the animated feature "Beavis and Butt-head Do America," the Academy Award®-nominated and critically acclaimed dark comedy "Election," the rousing high school football movie "Varsity Blues," the breakout comedy "The Original Kings of Comedy," the poignant coming-of-age film "The Wood," the outrageous comedy "Orange County," Britney Spears' debut film "Crossroads," Tupac Shakur's biography "Tupac: Resurrection," "Martin Lawrence: Runteldat," and, most recently, the inspiring biopic "Coach Carter," starring Samuel L. Jackson. MTV Films's upcoming releases include the futuristic sci-fi thriller "Aeon Flux," starring Academy Award®-winner Charlize Theron, and "Hustle & Flow," the hit of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
