Burt Reynolds was supposed to have a stunt double for when he got hit by Brian Bosworth on a touchdown run, but Reynolds insisted on doing it himself, saying "I got one run left in me." Bosworth himself was honored by the whole situation, saying "Who else can say they got run over by Burt Reynolds?" Reynolds went through the hit in one take with no injuries, though he had to be helped off the field. The shots used in the movie of him being helped off of the field were not staged.
Burt Reynolds wears number 22 as coach Nate Scarborough. This is the same number he wore in the original 1974 movie as quarterback Paul Crewe.
The picture that Chris Rock shows to Paul is a real picture of his mother and him. His mother had the photo in the book she wrote called "Mama Rock's Rules."
The cast includes several former WWE superstars: The Great Khali (Dalip Singh), "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, and Bill Goldberg. It also includes former professional football players Michael Irvin, Terry Crews, Bill Romanowski, and Brian Bosworth, plus Singer and Rapper Nelly. Bill Goldberg and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin were also football players before they were wrestlers.
Rob Schneider: reprises his role, and famous line, as the townie from The Waterboy (1998), shouting "You can do it!" in the stands during the game.