Two Former Bison Linebackers Meet on Pilot of NBC TV Drama
6/17/2014 2:23:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Last week Bucknell assistant director of athletics development Terry Conrad received this neat email from former Bison football player John Bolger '77.
I have a story I thought might interest you. I got a last minute call back in March to work a few days on a pilot that NBC happened to be shooting on Long Island. It's called "State of Affairs" and stars Katherine Heigl as a CIA analyst and Alfre Woodard as the President of the United States. I played Alfre Woodard's husband and a major story plot involves our son, who was romantically involved with Heigl's character. In the one scene we had together, we made the unlikely discovery that we had both attended Bucknell, and that we had both played linebacker for the Bison. His name is Mark Tallman, and I believe he played around 2000. I played from from '73 to '76. Anyway it was an amazing coincidence and a pleasant surprise to discover our mutual history. Ball players share a bond no matter how many years separate them.
The good news is NBC picked up the show to begin airing in November, Mondays at 10 p.m. I have not heard if they will be using either Mark or myself in the series. But I always hope for the best and I look to working with him again. It is truly a small world.
All the best,
John B.
Bolger was a three-year letterman as an inside linebacker under coaches Fred Prender and Bob Curtis in the mid-1970s. He earned the Lewisburg Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Week Award after the Gettysburg game his senior year. Since graduating from Bucknell as an art major, he has enjoyed a very successful acting career, including a six-year run on "General Hospital" and appearances on other his shows such as "Law & Order," "The Black Donnellys," "True Blue" and "Sex and the City."
Tallman is a 2002 Bucknell graduate and was a team co-captain as a senior in 2001. He was a four-year letterman at outside linebacker and long-snapper on four straight winning teams under head coach Tom Gadd. Tallman was a First Team All-Patriot League selection in 2001, when he also earned the team's C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award as the team's most inspirational player. At the 2002 Senior Awards Dinner, Tallman received the the Lee S. "Bud" Ranck Memorial Award, presented for outstanding spirit and contributions to the Bucknell athletic program.
Since launching his acting career, Tallman's credit list includes television programs such as "All My Children," "Damages," "Single Ladies" and "In Between Men."