DALLAS — When Mark Staten collected his money from his football knee injury settlement, leased a Geo Prizm and headed to Hollywood in the mid-1990s, he didn't know what would happen next.
He only knew his friends were heading out to California, and that he could always get into teaching or coaching — his ultimate career aspirations — later. So he asked himself: What do I really, truly want to do?
The answer was obvious: Act. Staten, now Michigan State's offensive line coach, pursued an acting career that spanned about three years.
"I always try to encourage my guys to take a shot at something," Staten told USA TODAY Sports this week.