Raised in Columbus, OH

Retired from professional football after having set receiving records for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams

Screen acting debut, "The Guns of the Magnificent Seven"

TV-movie acting debut, "Brian's Song"

Played major supporting role in Martin Scorsese's "Boxcar Bertha"

First starring role, "Hit Man" (opposite Pam Grier)

Starred in the comedy-drama "Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" in the dual roles of Dr. Pride and Mr. Hyde

TV series debut, starred as assembly line worker Mike Harris on "Harris and Company", one of TV's first black family drama series (aired for only a month)

Cast as a regular on "The Bay City Blues", a short-lived NBC drama about a minor-league baseball team