design. He ended up with a minus-15 yards rushing.Though an FCS level prog

The remarkable -- and seemingly unbelievable -- comeback journey of world champion Vinny Pazienza (now Vinny Paz) makes its way to the big screen this week in Bleed for This. Written and directed by Ben Younger, the film stars Miles Teller (Whiplash, Fantastic Four, The Divergent Series) as Pazienza, the rough-and-tumble fighter from Rhode Island who claimed titles in two divisions. The toughest fight of his career was his inspirational recovery after breaking his neck in a horrific car crash. Bleed for This takes you into the mind of one of the toughest fighters in boxing history. And its a role Teller didnt take lightly.I got the script sent to me three years ago, before Whiplash came out, Teller said. I said, yeah this is amazing! Why are you sending it to me? I felt I wasnt at that place in my career playing guys with the kind of testosterone and masculinity that Vinny has. My agent said Ben Younger, the director, wants to meet you. I thought he was just doing her a favor. I met him and I was super relaxed because I didnt think he was actually thinking of me for the role. I got the call a couple of days later. I was shocked and excited. I felt like I had won a competition, even though I hadnt done anything at that point. His story is innately an inspirational comeback.Still -- Tellers physique wasnt quite that of a boxer. Not yet.I was cast in March. I looked into the mirror and realized this was going to be a long road, Teller said. I knew boxing training would be absolutely brutal. Genetics-wise, I was never that guy who worked out and looked jacked. I really had to diet and work out harder than other people. I knew it was going to be a big challenge. I didnt eat any bread. Didnt drink. I didnt even take a cheat day. I knew I wasnt this naturally gifted visual specimen, so I didnt. I wouldnt even eat a Jolly Rancher because there was like a gram of sugar in it. I didnt want to look at myself on screen and say, Ah, remember that day when you had that pizza? I ended up losing 20 pounds and down to 6 percent body fat, 168 pounds for the first fight scene. I also knew Vinny moved up in weight and that was part of his legacy. I had to regain 15 pounds in two and a half weeks.For years, Teller dreamed of taking on the role of a boxer.If you had asked me in college what parts I wanted to play, I would have said a soldier or a boxer. I like those blue collar stories. To me, this film was about Vinnys comeback. What was going on inside of this person? Whats in his DNA where he breaks his neck and five days later, go down into the basement and work out, literally risking paralysis. He knew hed rather box than walk. And when you really tap into that psyche, I knew it would be a challenge but very rewarding. I needed something at that point in my career to really go outside of my comfort zone. I had never boxed before. I had never done an accent on camera before. I knew the Providence, Rhode Island, accent was going to be very specific.Born in 1987, Teller wasnt familiar with Pazs story or, for that matter, what kind of personality the Pazmanian Devil had. That became crystal clear when he received a package in the mail.He knew I was playing him. It was about two months into my prep, and Im listening to all these interviews with him, and I get this package in the mail. It was a signed picture of him in his boxers. The rest is NSFW but suffice it to say, it was the icebreaker Teller needed. Later, when I met him I asked him about it. He said he was cracking up while writing it. He said he wanted to let me know I wasnt playing someone like normal. He was a crazy guy. I was so intimidated by this guy. I didnt want him to see me while I was working on the accent or working on my boxing. I wanted him to see a finished product. He was the first person I met when I got to Rhode Island for filming. That was a surreal moment because here was this guy who I had watched countless hours of footage on and really being obsessed with; pretty much idolizing for the past 8 months and hes the exact same as how he was. He still has the personality that people love.Certainly one thing Teller could relate to was the car accident that nearly killed the champ. In 2007, Teller was in a near-fatal car crash himself, and the scars on his face are a constant reminder.My accident was very similar to Vinnys. The car came out of nowhere. Its very traumatic for the people around you initially, and then its just you left to pick up the pieces. I had just started auditioning and all these casting directors were saying Miles is a good actor but it doesnt make sense for this character to have scars. For a couple of months, I felt that this vision I had for my life and this career that I love so much ... is that now taken away from me? I felt it was something I would be inhibited by and had no control over. Then John Cameron Mitchell, the director for Rabbit Hole called. He just really liked my scars. I dont know if he thought they told a story and gave it a mystery, but he gave me my first full length movie role. I thought I would be just that actor with scars.And, like Teller, Vinny wouldnt give up.Vinny never counted himself out. Even when doctors said fighting again was impossible. In the hospital scene when he asked the doctor how long until I can fight again, that was just how his mind worked. Hed rather box than walk.Adding credibility to the fight scenes, the film cast former middleweight world titleholder Peter Kid Chocolate Quillin playing Roger Mayweather and super middleweight and light heavyweight contender Edwin Rodriguez as Roberto Duran.Darrel Foster, our fight coordinator, trained Sugar Ray Leonard, Teller said. With Peter, we had 5 days to choreograph the fight. With Edwin we only had about 6 hours to rehearse. There were a lot of moments of free boxing because you couldnt choreograph everything. It was really amazing. You get a first-person perspective of what it must feel like to be that close, staring into the opponents soul.Being in the ring, even for staged fights gave Teller a new perspective on boxing.That ring is small, man. Its a lot smaller than you think. It was such a thrill, though. When Vinny knocks out Gilbert Dele in the movie, I was in the moment. He knocked him out in the 2nd round while being a 10-1 underdog. I jumped on the ropes and all the extras were chanting Vinny, Vinny! It was the most surreal moment Ive ever filmed in a movie. I felt like I just won the title.Bleed for This opens in theaters Friday. Clint Capela Jersey . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Gerald Green Jersey . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authentic-Eric-Gordon-Rockets-Jersey/ . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Robert Horry Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Steve Francis Jersey . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. LSU came into the season with some key questions for the season, and those questions remain as the No. 21 Tigers prepare for their home opener against Jacksonville State on Saturday in Baton Rouges Tiger Stadium.Still unsettled after the opening 16-14 loss to Wisconsin last week:--Is quarterback Brandon Harris any more advanced as a leader and consistent playmaker in his junior season than he was as a freshman or a sophomore?The answer was no, at least against the Badgers. Harris was indecisive and careless, leading to a poor overall offensive performance. The numbers showed him completing 12 of 21 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, the last snuffing out a final drive that seemingly had the Tigers in position for a field goal--Will the rebuilt offensive line find early season continuity after some shuffling during preseason camp?Again the first-game returns yielded a negative response, which contributed to Harris troubles and those of the offense as a whole. The Tigers also will be without Josh Bouette, who started at right guard, for his late hit in the loss to the Badgers.--Will new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda be able to return the defense to the elite level it enjoyed when LSU was a national-championship contender at the start of the decade?Though the defense yielded just 16 points and created three turnovers, it also allowed the Badgers to hold the ball for the majority of the game (36 minutes, 57 seconds).The defense was better than Harris and the offensive line, but still not good enough for LSU to win a game it had every opportunity to win.As a defensive backfield, we killed the team because we know that we needed the offense to get the ball back and we just didnt make the plays when we needed, cornerback TreDavious White said. That definitely hurts because I know how hard the whole team worked the whole time.As a result, the Tigers performance fell well short of what one would expect from team ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll.We knew what was at stake this season, LSU cornerback TreDavious White said. OOur goal is to win it all and to go undefeated.dddddddddddd. Its a hurtful feeling.The Tigers also got off to a slow start with their running game, and the plan to lessen the burden on junior running back Leonard Fournette proved futile. He had 23 of the teams 29 rushes and netted more rushing yards (138) than the Tigers wound up with as a team (126).He tweaked an ankle on his last carry, a 15-yard run to Wisconsins 30-yard line, and had to come out of the game. He is considered a game-day decision per whether or not he will play against the Gamecocks.Other than that, one of running back Derrius Guices two runs ended in a fumble that Wisconsin took advantage of for its first field goal and Harris four runs, only one was by design. He ended up with a minus-15 yards rushing.Though an FCS level program, Jacksonville State is not a team to be taken lightly, especially by a fragile LSU team.The Gamecocks took Auburn to overtime last year before losing the 27-20 decision.No. 5 in both major FCS polls this time around, the Gamecocks got their season off to a good start with a 31-12 victory over North Alabama last week.Senior quarterback Eli Jenkins accounted for 331 yards in total offense (230 passing, 102 rushing) and former Auburn running back Roc Thomas, who transferred last summer, had 71 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.Thomas is one of two Jacksonville State running backs with SEC experience. Josh Clemmons transferred from Kentucky for the 2015 campaign but saw his season cut short by injury. He had 28 yards on six carries last week. Freshman Tyus Flakes had 72 yards on just 12 runs.The Gamecocks do not go into the game with any sense of fear or awe.It gives us a chance to prove that we can play against anyone and play in front of more folks that would we normally not play in front of with the big crowds, Jenkins said. It gives us a chance to show what we got and a great opportunity to play our best football. ' ' '