Ed O’Neill was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, decades before he became Jay Pritchett on Modern Family. Long before his famous sitcom roles, O’Neill’s first dream was a career in the NFL.
Ed O’Neill’s Football Career
Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, O’Neill was a talented football player. He played college football at Ohio University and Youngstown State University as a defensive lineman. In 1969, the Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent, but his time with the team was short. He lasted about two weeks of training camp before he was cut.
From Teacher to Actor
After his NFL dream ended, O’Neill went home to Youngstown and took a job as a social studies teacher. Acting had become a growing interest during his college years, and eventually he decided to give it a real shot. He moved to New York to pursue acting when he was around 30, working in theatre and taking small roles before his big break.
How Ed O’Neill Became a TV Legend Twice
That break came in 1987, when O’Neill was cast as Al Bundy on Married… with Children. The shoe salesman who never stopped talking about scoring four touchdowns in a single high school game became one of the most iconic characters in sitcom history, and the show ran for 11 seasons.
Then, in 2009, he joined Modern Family as Jay Pritchett, the gruff but loving patriarch of the family. The role earned him three Primetime Emmy nominations and another 11 seasons of TV success. Not bad for someone who got cut by the Steelers.
Learn more about Ed O’Neill’s career on Wikipedia.
Ed O’Neill: Related Reading
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- Brenda Feldman Has the Longest Gap Between Appearances on the Show
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