Allan Graf: Movies & Box Office

Allan Lee Graf is an American athlete‑turned‑actor whose career spans over five decades of football, stunt coordination, and second‑unit directing. Born on December 16, 1949 in Wichita, Kansas, Graf grew up in Sylmar, California before moving to San Fernando High School, where he captained the Tigers and earned a Parade Magazine All‑American honor at defensive tackle. His talent earned him a scholarship to the University of Southern California, and he became a starting offensive guard on the 1972 national‑champion Trojans, playing alongside legends such as Lynn Swann, Pat Haden and Sam Cunningham, and earning a Rose Bowl ring after the Trojans defeated Ohio State. After going undrafted in 1973, Graf briefly joined the Los Angeles Rams training camp and later the World Football League’s Portland Storm, but a premature end to his football aspirations led him to Hollywood. While still a pro football player he performed stunt double work for Dick Butkus in a Disney comedy, and the experience opened the door to a prolific stunt career; he soon became known for his physically demanding football stunts in films like Any Given Sunday and Friday Night Lights, where he personally auditioned over 900 candidates and built a realistic playbook for actors. Graf’s expertise caught the eye of director Walter Hill, who invited him to coordinate stunts and direct the second unit on Johnny Handsome (1989), launching a long‑standing collaboration that included second‑unit direction on Wayne’s World, The Replacements, The Waterboy, We Were Soldiers and Jerry Maguire. Known on set as “Coach,” Graf is praised for his insistence on safety—“we never hit an actor”—while still delivering violent, authentic action. He has also contributed to television, notably creating realistic brawls for HBO’s Deadwood and appearing as Captain Joe Turner. Off‑camera, Graf is married to Betty, with whom he has three children—Derek, Nicole and Kevin—who all followed his USC legacy on the football field.