Eddie George's Second Act - On Stage In 'Chicago'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Eddie George never played a regular season game at Soldier Field.
But the former NFL and college football standout has a starring role in Chicago. As in "Chicago the Musical."
CBS 2's Megan Mawicke reports on how George is now literally performing on the big stage.
NFL great Eddie George is used to the bright lights. He won the 1995 Heisman Trophy, then to a Super Bowl and to four Pro Bowls.
His second act is on Broadway.
"I just went toward the things that made me scared. Things that were going to challenge me, stretch me and push me beyond my limits," George said.
He plays the lawyer Billy Flynn in the long running play "Chicago." It is his 13th year acting, longer than his nine year NFL career.
"I went and auditioned for a couple of different roles in the Nashville community theater and wound up getting those roles and had my confidence coming through from that point on," George said. "I did Shakespeare, I did straight plays and worked with the Nashville Repertory Theatre," George said.
Eight shows a week. Singing, dancing and acting give him a rush but it's a little different than on the football field.
"You are communicating differently. On the football field, you're communicating in a physical, dominant way," George said. "But here you're communicating through speech, through movement, through emotion, vunerability."
So does he consider himself a 21st century Renaissance man?
"I guess you could say that if you want to label it. I like to say I operate under the three E's: education, entrepreneurship and entertainment," said George.
And he's already dreaming up what his next act will be.
You can catch Eddie George in "Chicago" in a limited run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre May 7-12. Acting is not the only thing he's dabbled into since his playing days were over.
George owns a landscaping company, has an MBA from the Kellogg at Northwestern University and a sports bar in Columbus, Ohio.