Brian Bosworth was one of the biggest and brightest of shining stars in the college football scene of the 1980's. Under the expert tutelage of coach Barry Switzer (who essentially became a surrogate father figure for Bosworth who was much more warm and nurturing than Bosworth's impossible to please perfectionist dad), Bosworth established a formidable reputation as an exceptional linebacker playing for Oklahoma State University. Alas, Bosworth also cultivated and played to annoying perfection a brash, cocky, and obnoxious alter ego known as the Boz, which in the long run did Bosworth a lot more harm than good in his career as a professional football player. What makes this documentary so poignant and compelling is that Bosworth himself admits with startling and unsparing candor that he was his own worst enemy at the height of his popularity: While his irritating and outrageous antics fit in nicely with the excesses of the 1980's, Bosworth eventually went way over the line with the publication of a notorious self-glorifying autobiography in which he trashed the very college that enabled him to launch his football career. The scenes with Bosworth rummaging through a storage locker and going through various items that chronicle his triumphant rise and agonizing fall with his son Max possess a wrenching poignancy. What gives Bosworth's story a surprisingly potent tragic component is that once you get past all the arrogant bragging and crude idiotic behavior there's no denying that he was a gifted linebacker. Very moving and brutally honest.

30 for 30: Brian and the Boz (2014) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Another winning episode for the ESPN series takes a look at the rise of Brian Bosworth and the quick fall of his "other" half, which became known as The Boz. We hear about Bosworth's early playing days and how he struggled with his father. From here we learn about him getting into Oklahoma and the firestorm, which would eventually have him released from the program and onto the NFL where another disaster awaited. If you were a fan of college football during the time Bosworth played then you certainly know who he was and what he stood for. The documentary really examines in good detail what went so wrong and how The Boz pretty much took over Brian and ruined whatever chance at a career he had. The film also does a nice job at getting several teammates and coaches who knew him interviewed about their thoughts on the matter and the now notorious book he wrote. Overall the film is certainly entertaining, although there were times it felt a bit too rehearsed included a lot of the stuff dealing with Brian going through a storage unit with his son to "discover" some of his old items. This bit seemed too staged but fans of the series will still want to check this out.

This "30 for 30" episode from ESPN is about Brian Bosworth--a HUGE figure in college football in the 1980s and a self-destructive jerk as well. Now this is NOT meant as a personal attack on Bosworth, as he himself describes himself pretty much as a jerk for his actions that ultimately led to an early retirement and the label that he was one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. This film is about the man, the myth he created and the actions that led to his alienating so many folks along the way. In many ways, this is a fascinating show despite the Boz persona being so unlikable and brash. Unlike some films that that about guys who were stars who failed, this one actually spends much of the time interviewing Bosworth today to get his insights and his own condemnation of the caricature he became at the time--making it very interesting and self-revealing. It is also a bit embarrassing to watch, as he did make a fool of himself and now is shown today owning up to these actions. Interesting and well worth seeing.