Actor Carl Weathers, who passed away last week at age 76, is leaving fans with one unforgettable final appearance. Weathers will be front and center in an TV advertisement during the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
The online sports betting company FanDuel confirmed that Weathers will appear in a commercial featuring former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski as he attempts to kick a field goal.
“We have been viewing edits through tears,” Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel’s executive vice president of marketing told The Independent. “We really enjoyed the short time we had to work with him. He’s a wonderful man and he genuinely is an inspiration and had such a positive outlook on the world. We want to make sure we try to meet this moment with the respect it deserves.”
At last year’s Super Bowl, Weathers appeared in a similar commercial with Gronkowski, helping to pick him up after a failed goal attempt. It is not clear how Weathers will be depicted in this year’s commercial, but his family is on board with the ad going ahead.
“The family has been very supportive that they would still like to see Carl in the work,” Sneyd said. “We need to change what we are doing in the Bowl. The live event itself carries forward and as is. Rob will kick the field goal and he will be even more inspired to make it. He really enjoyed meeting Carl and found him to be such an optimistic and energetic person.”
Weathers’ Financial Legacy
Weathers died on Feb. 1, leaving a legacy as an actor, director, and football player. Weathers’ net worth is between $8 and $9.2 million, according to various sources stemming from his time as a defensive end in the NFL and his work in the film and television industry.
Weathers first came into the spotlight on the football field as a linebacker at San Diego State, where he was a theater major. Signed by the Oakland Raiders after not being selected in the 1970 NFL draft, he played for one season in the NFL before jumping Canadian Football League while completing college at San Francisco State University.
Following his graduation, Weathers turned to acting. The actor is best known for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise from 1976 to 1985. Roles in films such as “Predator,” “Action Jackson,” and “Happy Gilmore.” Weathers also portrayed roles in television series such as “The Mandalorian,” for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and HBO’s “Arrested Development.” In total, his career included more than 80 roles and also included his work as a director on television series such as “The Mandalorian,” “Law & Order,” and “The Last OG.”
