NFL Stars Score Guest Starring Roles on CBS Primetime Shows

CBS Primetime Shows Get NFL Guest Stars
Tom Selleck and Phil Simms in ‘Blue Bloods’ (Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS ©2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Four CBS primetime series have snagged former NFL players as guest stars in the upcoming new fall season. Tony Gonzalez will show off his acting chops in NCIS, Phil Simms will be playing himself in Elementary, Boomer Esiason will be visiting Tom Selleck in Blue Bloods, and Eric Dickerson will not be surfing but he will be seen in Hawaii Five-0.

Per CBS, here’s the details on the former football players’ roles in the primetime shows:

NCIS – Tony Gonzalez

Tony Gonzalez, analyst for THE NFL TODAY on CBS and contributor to the Network’s inaugural coverage of THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, will guest star as Special Agent Tony Francis, who is fishing for information on Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). The episode will air Tuesday, Sept. 30 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). Gonzalez’s NFL career spanned 17 years, 12 with Kansas City and five with Atlanta. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns (111) and yards (15,127) by a tight end. He also is the NFL’s all-time leader in consecutive starts (120) and Pro-Bowl appearances (14) by a tight end, and ranks second overall among all players in catches with 1,325. Gonzalez has missed only two games in his career.

BLUE BLOODS – Boomer Esiason

Boomer Esiason, an analyst for THE NFL TODAY on CBS, will appear as himself when he pays a visit to Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) at his office. Reagan thanks Esiason for his work with the Women and Kids Fundraiser and asks if there is anything he can do for him in return. Boomer then makes a request that even the Chief of Police will find difficult to grant. The episode will air Friday, Oct. 3 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). Esiason quarterbacked the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals during his 14-year NFL career. Also, he earned four visits to the Pro Bowl and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player by the Pro Football Writers of America and the Associated Press in 1988.

HAWAII FIVE-0 – Eric Dickerson

NFL Hall of Fame inductee Eric Dickerson will play himself when McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) runs into him in a bait shop on Oahu and takes a selfie with the football legend to make Danno (Scott Caan) jealous. The episode will air Friday, Oct. 31 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). During his 11-year career as a running back, Dickerson became the seventh in his position to gain more than 10,000 yards and the fastest ever to do so, reaching the milestone in just 91 games.

ELEMENTARY – Phil Simms

Phil Simms, lead NFL TODAY and THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on CBS game analyst, will play himself as an associate of Sherlock’s (Jonny Lee Miller) who has a surprising, little-known talent. The episode will air Thursday, Nov. 13 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). As an All-Pro quarterback, Simms led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles during his 15-year career with the team. He completed 22 of 25 passes in Super Bowl XXI, as the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39-20, to win their first Super Bowl title. Simms was named MVP of that game. He established team marks for most passes completed and attempted for one game (40 completed, 62 attempted), season (286 completed, 533 attempted) and career (2,576 completed, 4,647 attempted), most career touchdown passes (199) and most 300-yard games in a career (21).


-By Rebecca Murray

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