'The Longest Yard' Star Burt Reynolds Dies at 82

Reynolds received an Oscar nomination in 1997.

CP PHOTO/J.P. Moczulski

Former movie star and Florida State running back Burt Reynolds died at Jupiter Medical Center in Florida on Thursday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 82.

Reynolds played the role of quarterback Paul Crewe in The Longest Yard, which was a 1974 film about a former pro QB playing on a prison football team. He also appeared in the 2005 remake starring Adam Sandler. 

While the original Longest Yard was Reynolds' most famous sports role, it wasn't his last. Reynolds played a professional football player in Semi-Tough in 1977 and a NASCAR driver in Stroker Ace in 1983. He also starred in The Cannonball Run, a 1981 film about an illegal cross-country race through the United States. 

Reynolds' sports roles were a natural transition from his time before acting. He played running back for Florida State in 1954 before knee injuries in 1955 and 1957 ended his career. He caught a 33-yard reception against Georgia in his first game as a freshman.

Reynolds was named to the Seminoles Hall of Fame in 1977. He received an Oscar nomination in 1997 and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in 1998.