MORE than three decades on from his legendary matchup against Bo Jackson, Brian Bosworth looks virtually unrecognizable.
Famed for his trademark mullet and trash-talking, College Football Hall of Famer Bosworth no longer sports his trademark hairdo.
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Long gone are the bold patterns shaved into the side of his head as well, with the 58-year-old sporting a sleek beard.
Bosworth is now a successful actor, having worked in the industry since retiring from the NFL in 1992.
A two-time All-American and Dick Butkus Award winner while at Oklahoma, Bosworth made his way to the league in 1987 when he was picked in the Supplemental Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.
The 248-pound trash-talking machine signed a record-breaking deal worth $11 million over ten years - the biggest rookie contract in history at that time.
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Known for his larger-than-life personality, Bosworth made an early impact in Seattle.
In twelve games as a rookie, he racked up four sacks and two returned fumbles, being named to the PFWA's All-Rookie Team.
But despite the highs of his debut season, arguably Bosworth's most memorable NFL game proved to be one he may wish to forget.
In Week 8 of the 1987 season, 'The Boz' came up against fellow rookie Bo Jackson.
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The Los Angeles Raiders star had not only established himself as a star running back but also as an up-and-coming outfielder for the MLB's Kansas City Royals.
The battle of the rookies was well and truly dominated by Jackson.
He rushed for a career-high 221 yards and two touchdowns - one of which saw him carry Bosworth into the end zone for the score.
Jackson went on to become an NFL, MLB, and cultural icon, reaching the Pro Bowl, being named an All-Star, and becoming one of the faces of Nike and the Tecmo Bowl video game.
Unfortunately, his NFL career came to a sudden end in 1991 following a devastating hip injury during the playoffs.
As for his MLB days, he was named the AL's Comeback Player of the Year in 1993 and eventually retired the next year.
Bosworth's football career was also brutally shortened by a shoulder injury.
He made just twelve appearances in 1989 and 1990, before turning his attention to acting.
In the years since Bosworth has appeared in CSI: Miami, as well as The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler and Three Kings alongside the likes of George Clooney.
Reflecting on his and Jackson's careers, Bosworth told ESPN in 2015: "Bo and I do have an interesting parallel.
"I know he came into professional baseball and football with great expectations of a prolific and long career. And it was cut short.
"Same with me - cut short. We were both cut short by injuries that required joint replacements. We pushed our bodies so far.
"We just kept beating our bodies, beating it and beating it. The level of competition we had inside ourselves, we just didn't know when to quit. I still don't know when to quit."
And looking back at why this one game proved so memorable for fans, even decades later, Bosworth posited: "I think it was Monday Night Football. A single night. A single game.
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"If it had happened on a Sunday, it would have gotten about half as much play. Bo had a phenomenal game, and everybody wanted to set the game up as a Darth Vader-versus-Luke Skywalker moment.
"And I'm, of course, Darth Vader in this deal."
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