Mike Henry (1936–2021), actor in Tarzan movies, “Smokey and the Bandit”

legacy.com:

Mike Henry was an NFL linebacker who became an actor, known for his roles in Tarzan movies of the 1960s and the “Smokey and the Bandit” series.Henry played football for USC and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958.

After several seasons with the team, he wanted to pursue acting, so he requested a transfer to the Los Angeles Rams. His request was granted, and he played for the Rams from 1962 to 1964, when he caught the eye of a Warner Bros.

producer. He was cast as Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Valley of Gold” (1966), “Tarzan and the Great River” (1967), and “Tarzan and the Jungle Boy” (1968).

Henry bowed out of the Tarzan franchise after being bitten by a chimpanzee while filming, frustrated with this and other unsafe conditions while.