Finally, Rod Tidwell gets the recognition he deserves. Show him the documentary.
It’s been 20 years since Jerry Maguire was in theaters, an anniversary we recently commemorated. But with the passage of two decades, a natural question is to ask what happened to the characters in the story since then.
Did Jerry and Dorothy Boyd make it after that heartful appeal in her living room? Or did his love of career once again hurt their relationship? (We know that Dorothy’s kid, Ray, got into bodybuilding and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Maybe we’ll see him in a MMA ring someday.) Recently, we found out that Frank Cushman’s career with the Denver Broncos didn’t go as hoped, with the quarterback becoming more known as a C-list pitchman rather than Super Bowl champion.
But what about Arizona Cardinals receiver Rod Tidwell, the one athlete who stuck by Jerry Maguire after that snake Bob Sugar stole all of his clients in a power-play at their agency Sports Management International? Tidwell got the money he wanted to be shown after a great 1996 season for the Cardinals, giving up his body to make those tough catches over the middle. Twenty years later, his performance on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys is still memorable.
Now, Tidwell’s career is finally receiving the retrospective it deserves: An episode of A Football Life on NFL Network. Check out the trailer.
A Football Life: Rod Tidwell – Extended trailer
20 years ago NFL fans were given the gift of Rod Tidwell. His star burned bright and fast but his mark on the game will forever be remembered.
OK, this is a sneaky trailer for the Jerry Maguire 20th anniversary Blu-ray. But it’s kind of clever. What better way to attract football fans who either remember the movie fondly or perhaps aren’t familiar with the story at all to the commemorative edition? (According to the Arizona Cardinals website, Tidwell’s career ended after rupturing his Achilles tendon.)
It would be great if there was an actual A Football Life documentary featuring Rod Tidwell as a Blu-ray special feature. Our fingers are crossed that director Cameron Crowe did create something along those lines, even if it’s only a 15-to-20-minute production, rather than the full one-hour documentary that A Football Life usually provides. Give Roy Firestone some more camera time! (And Cuba Gooding Jr., of course.)
Finally, let’s all relive Tidwell’s magnificent touchdown celebration against the Cowboys 20 years ago, one that would have drawn multiple penalties and fines these days and probably been missed on camera because of commercial breaks.
The Jerry Maguire 20th anniversary Blu-ray is available on Jan. 3, just in time to use that gift card you received for the holidays.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.