Loneker is one ‘Superbad’ dude

By Staff     Sep 4, 2007

Like just about every male ages 18-35 not named [Ryan Wood][1], in the past couple of weeks, I’ve found my way to the local movie theater to see [Superbad][2].Twice, actually. The second trip was to hear all of the lines I had laughed through during the first go-around.Now why am I talking about this flick on KU sports-related web site? Well, think about it. That means there must be a KU connection. And there is.A KU football connection, in fact.Keith Loneker, who was a offensive line anchor for the Jayhawks from 1989-92 and played three seasons with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, has also built himself a nice little [resume on the big screen][3] since putting away the pads.”I love to entertain,” said Loneker. “Everything I’ve done, even the football, is a form of entertainment. Acting is something I always wanted to do. “This is fun, I think I can get good at this. Or at least the people supposed to know tell me I’m good at it. It’s hard to fight the whole ‘ex-NFL player become actor’ type of deal. But my stint in the NFL was short enough that people can forget it.”The Superbad screen is stolen by three nerdy high school seniors on a mission to basically live like frat guys for a couple of months before heading off to college. Loneker’s part was a smaller one.His character was at a house fiesta where [Seth][4] and [Evan][5], the movie’s two main characters, are trying to steal booze from to take to another party. The last you see of Loneker on the screen is as he’s being tackled to a couch, pinning Evan underneath him while absorbing punches to the side after a senseless fight breaks out.But Loneker, a Roselle Park, N.J., native who resides in Lawrence and works as a substitute teacher so that he can go to acting gigs on the fly when the come about, has more coming up outside of that one cameo.Due for release on Dec. 7 is [Leatherheads][6], which on imdb.com is described as ‘A romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, where the owner of a professional team drafts a straight-laced college sensation, only to watch his new coach fall for his fiancee.The movie seems to have the potential as a breakout for Loneker, who is part of a star-studded cast, including [George Clooney][7], who also wrote and directed it, [Renee Zellweger][8] (who ‘completed’ Jerry Maguire), [John Krasinski][9] (‘Jim’ from [The Office][10]) and Stephen Root (from [Newsradio][11], [Office Space][12] and a zillion other things).He’s also done filming [Lakeview Terrace][13], which stars [Samuel L. Jackson][14] and is directed by KU alum [Neil LaBute][15], slated for a 2008 release. In fact, LaBute hired Loneker off an audition tape linked over to him via a Greene Room favorite – YouTube.But Leatherheads has a great back story. Loneker formed a friendship with Clooney back while working on [Out of Sight][16] back in the late 1990s. At the premier for Out of Sight, Loneker was offered the role in Leatherheads. He accepted, though the project went back onto the shelves, came off, went back on and so on and so on. It was passed from writer to writer, until it finally went into production nearly 10 years later.Rubbing elbows with the likes of Clooney and other big names is a long way from what could be considered one of Loneker’s first acting gigs – entertaining children as Santa Claus on the Jayhawks’ trip to the Aloha Bowl over Christmas in 1992 with KU teammate Chris Maumalanga as his elf.But if there’s something Loneker has seen in the past few weeks, it’s that a successful project with even a small role can land recognition.”I was in Kwik Shop, about 2 a.m., so obviously everybody just let out from doing whatever they were doing that night,” he recalled. “Some guy started yelling at me ‘Hey aren’t you the guy from Superbad?’ “I think it’s cool. I don’t think it would be something that I’d be as proud of if all the other guys who were in it weren’t cool guys.”But by the looks of things, if these next two projects go well – ones in which Loneker’s name is higher up in the credits, too – his schedule could get a bit busier in the near future.”Now it seems I’m always in the top two or three on everything I audition for it,” he said. Though no matter where his career goes, his name can always be attached to what is sure to go down as one of this generation’s top comedies and be a staple for any dorm room DVD collection.Only one question remained at the end of our conversation, though: Would he let his kids (13-year-old Kylee and 11-year-old Keith Jr.) see the movie?”Absolutely not, no shot,” he replied. “But something tells me they’ll still see it…”**_-And now for this week’s clips…_****I dug [this][17] up from an old** Saturday Night Live skit after watching “Saturday Night Live in the 80s” on NBC. I was falling off the couch laughing (though it might have been funnier if Eddie had spoofed [this James Brown moment][18], instead).**Sticking with the 80s**, whoever is the man who accomplished [this][19] has earned my lifelong respect. That was one of the biggest blows to the ego as a kid when you’d finally get to Iron Mike and be done in before you could finally get your hands to stop shaking.**I hadn’t seen this movie** in quite some time, and watched it on TNT this weekend while kickin’ it on the couch, and [this moment][20] completely grabbed me. Someone needs to show it to Tom Keegan. Might help him crack 70.**And now**, a much less-inspiring but equally entertaining [golf scene][21].**There’s one more video** which I’m also deeming a near-must-see, but it’s not appropriate enough to be linked directly to this site. It involves KU sophomore Raimond Pendleton’s 77-yard punt return for a touchdown last Saturday against Central Michigan and the tongue-lashing which came after earning a 15-yard celebration penalty. Search for it and you’ll probably pounce upon it. Raimond handled it well, though, and stood up well to the media this afternoon at the press conference. Read more about that in tomorrow’s Journal-World and on KUSports.com.**But one football clip worth linking** is [this one][22] from USC’s drubbing of Idaho. After their first touchdown, the Trojans didn’t send a kicker onto the field for the extra point try, taking a delay of game penalty first, in honor of kicker Mario Danelo, who passed away this summer. Very classy.See you Saturday for The Greene Room Live at 6 p.m.**_KUSports.com editor Ryan Greene can be reached at rgreene@ljworld.com, or by phone at (785) 832-6357._** [1]: http://www2.kusports.com/staff/ryan_wood/ [2]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829482/ [3]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0518828/ [4]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvEWNDMeww [5]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGOOzE4MM60 [6]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379865/ [7]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000123/ [8]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000250/ [9]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1024677/ [10]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386676/ [11]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0740535/ [12]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/ [13]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947802/ [14]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000168/ [15]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001438/ [16]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120780/ [17]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C2RhoTvzdQ [18]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GooPzffWkVc [19]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYR_acwm0VQ [20]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDC0E1joRGQ [21]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xNFPaPor8A [22]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD2U9J4Nwj8&NR=1

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