DALLAS, Texas —
In 2015, former Green Beret and Seattle Seahawk Nate Boyer had an idea.
He'd faced the struggles of transitioning off the football field and the battlefield. Was there a way to merge the experiences of both vets and former players so they could benefit one another and provide camaraderie and support resources to help ease the transition?
Boyer and FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer joined forces to create Merging Vets and Players, otherwise known as "MVP." And now a fictionalized movie version of that origin story is making its way into theaters across the country.
For Boyer, it's a chance to tell stories of America's veterans and help support his cause.
"A lot of these veterans and pro athletes who are pretty young, they feel like they're losing that uniform and losing their greatness and they'll never capture it again," Boyer said. "And it's a scary situation and it's a tough transition to make."
Boyer's had to make several of those transitions. After his time as a Green Beret, he enrolled at the University of Texas and made it onto the Longhorn football team as a deep snapper. After that, a stint in the NFL.
Since then, he's made several appearances as an actor in TV shows and movies. He found himself in the national public eye after counseling Colin Kaepernick during the NFL quarterback's protests around the playing of the national anthem. And now he's added the title of film director to his resume.
"People can see who we are on screen, and then also support us, it’s just like a huge win and a way for us to get out to the world who we are and what we’re doing," he said.
Boyer has gotten plenty of help along the way. Good Morning America host and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan is a supporter of Merging Vets and Players. And he plugged "MVP" the movie during a recent GMA segment.
Sylvester Stallone is an executive producer on the film, which features cameos from Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, MMA fighter Randy Couture, and NFL Network host Rich Eisen, among others.
But Boyer says it's not the celebrity cameos he's most proud of. Rather, it's how many military veterans were involved in making the movie - behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
"All the vets on screen are played by actual vets. It’s almost like more more of a documentary," Boyer said. "But it's not, it's a scripted film."
The goal now is to make sure people can see the movie. It's released in select theaters across the country and will be screened at the Dallas International Film Festival in October. And Boyer said anyone can visit the charity's website, VetsandPlayers.org, to request a local screening, with proceeds going to benefit the organization.
Boyer said it's an opportunity to see an uplifting story and help honor the men and woman who serve our nation.
"There is an audience for this," he said. "The veteran community, which is 20 million strong, we’re going to support our own, so let’s figure this out."