AP

Plenty of former football players aspire to become actors after they retire, but few realize that the craft is far more nuanced than showing up and reading words from a cue card. Most who give it a try fail miserably, with performances far more hilarious than they ever were intended to be.

The exception to the well-established rule is Eddie George. He’ll soon be making his Broadway debut in Chicago, and not in some courtesy or cameo role. George will be playing Billy Flynn, the lead role first played on Broadway in 1975 by the late Jerry Orbach. And the role is more than acting; George also will be singing and dancing.

George’s run begins on January 11 and lasts through February 28.

It’s an amazing accomplishment for George, who has previously played Othello and Julius Caesar at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival.

His athletic accomplishments include winning the Heisman Trophy at Ohio State before becoming a star tailback with the Oilers and Titans. He ranks 27th on the all-time rushing list with 10,441 yards, and he started in Super Bowl XXXIV against the Rams.