A last-minute tweak to a FanDuel Super Bowl ad added a tribute to “Rocky” star and former Oakland Raiders linebacker Carl Weathers, who died earlier this month.
Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” series and Greef Karga in “The Mandalorian,” had deep Bay Area ties. Before his acting career took off, Weathers played two seasons on the Oakland Raiders as a linebacker, later enrolling in San Francisco State University’s drama program.
Shortly after he graduated from SFSU, he quit football, and was cast in his iconic “Rocky” role a couple years later.