NEW ORLEANS — Beloved actor Carl Weathers died peacefully in his sleep at age 76 on Thursday.
Before playing in the NFL and becoming a Hollywood movie star, Weathers was a Purple Knight.
While in New Orleans, Weathers attended – and played football for – St. Augustine High School in the early- to mid-60s.
St. Aug officials issued a statement on social media not long after the announcement of his passing.
The statement read:
"The Purple Knight nation mourns the loss of Carl Weathers. He was a student at St. Augustine from 1962 - 1965 participating in the Glee Club and football. We enjoyed witnessing his success over the last six decades as a former NFL linebacker and a movie star. He will be missed!"
Following his time at St. Aug., Weathers played college football at San Diego State University, where he majored in theater, and went on to play for one season in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders in 1970.
"When I found football, it was a completely different outlet," Weathers told the Detroit News. "It was more about the physicality, although one does feed the other. You needed some smarts because there were playbooks to study and film to study, to learn about the opposition on any given week."
After the Raiders, he joined the Canadian Football League, playing for two years while finishing up his studies during the offseason at San Francisco State University. He graduated with a B.A. in drama in 1974.
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