San Antonio is not the first place directors go to film a "major motion picture." That was proven wrong this week when Hoosier and Rudy director Angelo Pizzo came to the city to film his newest movie, My All American.
The script revolves around the true story of Freddie Steinmark, a defensive back for the University of Texas Longhorns. Steinmark and the football team won the national championship in 1969. Six days later, Steinmark was diagnosed with bone cancer and had his left leg amputated before succumbing to the disease two years later. Since then, Steinmark, a key leader for the team, has been remembered at every home game for the Longhorns.
Locally, filming has been taking place in the Alamodome. Pizzo said the Dome was the perfect location for a controlled weather environment. The scene being filmed at the Dome is the Southwest Conference Championship, where the No. 1 Longhorns faces the No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks.
Among the more than 500 extras hired for the film, two San Antonio high school football coaches, Andy Skelton, an assistant football and baseball coach for East Central High School and Bobby Allen, a football and track coach for Clark High School, were hired as Razorback coaches in the movie.
Well-known faces in the movie include Aaron Eckhart, who is playing Darrell K. Royal, the head football coach of the Longhorns and now namesake of the stadium at UT.
Funding for the film has been independently raised by orange-bleeding UT alumni, with a majority of the funding being led by Austin Energy Executive Bud Brigham.
Crews will continue to shoot in the city through July 3. From there, filming will move to Dallas/ Forth Worth and Austin. There is still an active casting call for San Antonians to attend the Dome shoot and possibly be featured in the film.
