Gary: Bill Goldberg, ex NFL football player, to professional wrestler and now Bill Goldberg the actor starring alongside Adam Sandler in the remake of the 1974 film The Longest Yard. What is The Longest Yard about and what is your role?

Bill: Obviously it is a remake of the rendition that Burt starred in back in 1974. It is a remake, we have changed a couple of things along the way but the premise is the same. A football player gets involved with gambling on his own team's games. He bet on a game and threw the game. He ends up getting nailed, put in a penitentiary. The warden actually got him transferred there to help with his prison football team. Which was a team that basically consisted of the guards that worked there in the prison on a semi-pro team. They are a part of a small league that played the other prisons and are basically the warden's baby. The warden lured Paul Crewe which was Burt Reynolds in the original and Adam Sandler plays him in this one and basically black mailed him with more time to help out his team by forming his own team consisting of the inmates. It all culminates at the end with a game between the inmates and prison guards.

 

Gary: What is your role in the film?

Bill: My role in this movie was not in the original. I'd like to take that as a compliment. My name is Joey Battle in the movie and I'm a homicidal maniac. Whatever spin you want to put on that. I'm a fun loving guy who likes to go out reek havoc on the football field and get back at these guards who are a pain in my ass everyday. I bit of information about my character, is everybody on the football field has a number except my character who has an "X". He's a middle linebacker for the cons and he likes to inflict as much pain as possible.

 

Gary: Is this version more of comedy than the original?

Bill: I'd say it's very close to being along the same lines as the original but it might be a bit more of a comedy with Adam Sandler, Chris Rock side by side then put Tracy Morgan into the equation, you know there's some serious talent there.

 

Gary: What has shooting been like? Has it been a good experience for you?

Bill: Oh yeah, it's been a very good experience. It's been a long and arduous task, especially when you get that many personalities out there for a long period of time. I mean it's a big movie. But I've learned a lot. I've become very good friends with Burt Reynolds and I look to him as a mentor. There's no question about it he's one of the kings of this business and I'm a little pup and I try to listen to everything he throws out to me.

 

Gary: Bill, you were born is Tulsa, Oklahoma. In college you were a Bulldog playing for the University of Georgia. What were your experiences like playing college football?

Bill: It was a great experience man. I got to play for one of the biggest legends of the modern football era Vince Dooley. I made a lot of long lasting friendships and learned a lot of valuable lessons in college. One is probably how much not to drink. It was pathway to the NFL, which I was very lucky to be a part of. Looking back it was just a great experience.

 

Gary: You signed with the Falcons in 1991 and played for 3 years before suffering from an abdominal injury, which eventually lead to your retirement from the NFL. From the public point of view you seem to be a very energetic motivated guy who I can't see being stuck injured. How did you cope with the situation?

Bill: Well you know I'm human like everybody else. Unfortunately at that time it was pretty much the end of a dream of mine to be a professional football player. To have that cut short by an injury, unfortunately my ability also I think cut my career short. But at least I was able to be there for a short period of time. You know after I got hurt it was a very depressing time because I really didn't plan to do anything else. That was a lesson learned, that you really need to have something concrete to fall back on. I just didn't have any other interests. Then I fell into the wrestling gig. There's no question I'm very motivated going from playing professional football to picking up three hundred pound guys above my head. You know go figure.

 

Gary: I read that it was Sting that convinced you to get into wrestling while you were working out at a gym in Atlanta owed by him and Lex Luger? Can you tell us how you got into the WCW?

Bill: Yeah, you know Sting was an important part of me actually deciding to do it. I was looking for another career. I didn't want to waste all the time that I had spent building up my body and my mind for football and I tried to at least try to make a living doing something where I was able to apply the talents I had developed. Reality is, all I was in the wrestling ring was a defensive lineman with a really bad attitude.

 

Gary: You kicked so much ass in WCW that you now hold the longest win streak in wrestling history, something like a hundred and sixty victories in a row. I can remember when you came on to the scene. I would watch you every Monday just waiting for the WCW to actually give you some worthy opponents. What was it like coming onto the wrestling scene and becoming one of the biggest names in the history of the sport in such a short time?

Bill: It was an honor to be able to pick up a profession that I really didn't know that much about. But there were a lot of factors that went into it. I was there at the right time. I had the right attitude and the right physic. These were contributing factors. You know I was very honored and very ashamed at times to go in and steal the lime light from guys who have been working there entire lives for what I had been in many peoples eyes, been given. But what a lot of those guys didn't understand is I had been working for that type of reward since birth.

 

Gary: Well obviously the people spoke because the crowds were insane when you came out.

Bill: Well let me tell you it's a killer feeling man, rivaled by nothing else I've ever done.

 

Gary: On July 6, 1998 you pinned Hollywood Hulk Hogan, arguably the most legendary wrestler in history. What was it like during that match when you realized you were going to beat the legend and become the next wrestling icon?

Bill: I was in awe of everything that night. It was all going in slow motion. It was an honor to be wrestling. I think I was something like 70-0 that night. I had only been in the business for six months or something like that. We were in front of 40,000 people and I'd say half of them were friends of mine. It was where I played pro football; it was where I went to school. Man it couldn't have better. Hollywood could not have written a better script for that night.

 

Gary: You made your return to wrestling with the WWE and beat Triple H for the belt. Then after a short time at Wrestle Mania XX, you fought a much-anticipated match against Brock Lesnar. The match didn't go over very well with fans and it seemed that internal conflicts were getting both of you. For the fans Bill, what was really going on during that time with yourself and the WWE? That was Brock's last match and shortly after you left too?

Bill: Yeah, you know that was a very tumultuous time to be perfectly honest with you. My decision to become a member of the WWE was a very hard one to come by. And when I actually made the decision I knew what the road could be like and I knew what it was probably going to be like and unfortunately it was the latter of the two. Even though the only reason I went back was for the fans; still dealing with the B.S. at the WWE, it still wasn't worth it. It's hard for me to say that and I hope people understand what I'm talking about. The fans are first and foremost the reason why I stuck with wrestling as long as I did. Fans are the reason why I kept coming back after injuries. It was very unfortunate that my first Wrestlemania and my last match at the WWE had to be like that. As bad as the people felt, believe me Brock and I felt even worse. I would have loved nothing more for it to have been the hyped up match it should have been. It should have been the main event. It should have been different than it was. It was a shame they didn't let it crescendo to what it could have been. And the people that got screwed the worst were the fans and the WWE screwed themselves.

 

Gary: They really screwed themselves when most of the talent they have right now...

Bill: (interrupts) Sucks.

 

Gary: ...yeah I mean I don't watch wrestling like I used to. I catch it when I'm home and nothing else is on.

Bill: Yeah, nobody does man.

 

Gary: I remember when you were coming onto the scene and they had the Monday night wars. That was good times and good competition between the WCW and WWE.

Bill: Yep, when Vince monopolized the business it really went to hell.

 

Gary: Was it mostly an issue of them not utilizing your character?

Bill: There's no question. Let's be honest a moron can see that Vince holds a grudge, and when WCW was kicking their ass I don't think he'll even forget the people who were at the helm, that were managing the boat and beating him on Monday night. For some reason it always stuck. We were never really a member of the family. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks this, and if so that's still my thoughts. His pride gets in the way of his business sense I think. And if you ask me that's pretty stupid. But it's a public company now.

 

Gary: Are you still affiliated with the WWE?

Bill: Not at all.

 

Gary: Who's the toughest wrestler you have ever faced?

Bill: Had to be Ming.

 

Gary: Ming?

Bill: Yeah there's no question. That guy would take one of those sidekicks right to the head and look at you.

 

Gary: You are now working in film more and more. Universal Soldier the Return in 1999. Looney Toons Back In Action in 2003. And now I hear you have a film coming out called Santa's Slay where you play Santa Claus? What is that about?

Bill: We're trying to figure out when this thing is going to break. We ended the filming just before I started on The Longest Yard back in like April or something. It's a funny little story. It's a lower budget film. First directorial job for David Steinman. It was a fun job. It was filmed in Edmonton. I am the son of Satan. I lost a bet with an angel a thousand years ago and had to be good for a thousand years playing the role of Santa Claus. Hence in 2004 the thousand years is up and I get to turn back into Santa Goldberg. It's a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun filming it. I feel the bumps and bruises resurfacing as I think about it.

 

Gary: Will you return to wrestling?

Bill: It depends upon the situation. I'm looking to sign another deal in Japan. I'd like nothing more than to be back out there for the kids. But if it's the way it is now I'd say the chances of me going back to wrestling are about the same as me wearing a too-too. It ain't gonna happen.

 

Gary: Any upcoming projects after The Longest Yard?

Bill: Well I don't want to jinx them but I am currently hosting a show on the History Channel. As of now it's called Inside the Ride. Don't know if we're going to keep that title but it's basically a show on the history of vehicles. A 13-episode show, which should be coming out in March. Last week we did the history of the cop car. It should be very cool.

 

Gary: What advice would you give to young athletes interested in a career in football or wrestling?

Bill: Number one advice I can give is make sure you stay in school first and get a solid concrete education. So if something ever happens along the journey of you chasing your dream you have something to fall back on. That's the most important thing and it sounds like a cliché' and I don't give a damn. It's the truth. I'm lucky; everybody doesn't get a second chance. Not many people get that opportunity. I'm very lucky.

 

Gary: Thanks for your time Bill.

Bill: It's my pleasure.

Gary Schultz is an independent filmmaker in Chicago.