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Ron Lester gave us the heart and soul of 'Varsity Blues'

Ron Lester’s movie career was defined by his role as Billy Bob in “Varsity Blues.”

That’s how Lester, who died Friday at age 45, will be remembered by most people. He played the lovable, overweight offensive lineman in the MTV Films production that depicted high-school football craze in West Texas.

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Lester dealt with those weight problems in real life. The New York Daily News reported at one point that he was “more than 500 pounds, though he had gastric bypass surgery in 2001 and lost 350 pounds.