Coach Dick Vermeil weighs in on 'American Underdog' and how Dennis Quaid portrayed him

Legendary football coach Dick Vermeil wasn't ready for his Hollywood close-up, but it came anyway in "American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story."

Vermeil, portrayed by Dennis Quaid, played a central role in Warner's incredible real-life story as the St. Louis Rams head coach who gave Warner (Zachary Levi) a chance – first signing him as an undrafted free agent, then starting the unknown player as quarterback.

"American Underdog" (in theaters now) shows Warner amazingly taking the Rams to victory in the 2000 Super Bowl, where he was named MVP. But watching the real-life inspirational movie was a bumpy ride for Vermeil.

"It's so different when you see somebody playing you – you don't quite know how to react. It sort of makes me nervous," says Vermeil, 85. "But I think Dennis Quaid did a very good job, probably a better job of being me than I do. My wife even said that he did a better job than I do."

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While Vermeil insists he has a "minor part' in the movie and Warner's story, he's so pleased with "American Underdog" that he has hosted three screenings.

Warner's early football career had stalled after being cut by the Green Bay Packers. He had resorted to stocking supermarket shelves to make ends meet before joining the Arena Football League.

Vermeil saw there was something special about Warner when he signed the untested quarterback as a Rams practice squad player in 1998. Even leading the practice squad against the best defenders on the Rams, Warner excelled.

"It came down to me and my staff evaluating what we saw every day in the practice field, with (Warner) running the opponents' offense in practice against our defense," Vermeil says. "I would say, 'Either this kid can really play, or our defense is lousy.' You would rationalize it and say, 'He probably can't do what he's doing in practice during a game with 80,000 people watching.' "

But Warner was thrust into in the starting role and spotlight when Rams quarterback Trent Green was injured in 1999.

Vermeil is especially pleased that some of his actual encouraging words were used in "Underdog" Quaid delivers the line, exactly as spoken, after Warner was named starter: "There's something special about you, son, and I can't wait to find out what it is."

Warner thrived running the Rams' high-powered offense. Against all odds, he led the team to a Super Bowl victory. Even Vermeil wouldn't have been optimistic enough to dream for that outcome.

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"Never, ever did we expect him to be what he ended up being," Vermeil says. "I sincerely believed the team would play well with him and we would be a good team. But I couldn't predict we'd even be a Super Bowl team."

Hollywood has come calling before for Vermeil, the famed coach who was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.

Vermeil was also the Philadelphia Eagles head coach in 2006's "Invincible," with Mark Wahlberg in the lead role as underdog Vince Papale. Papale played for the Eagles from 1976 to 1979 under Vermeil's guidance. The younger "Invincible" Coach Vermeil was portrayed by Greg Kinnear.

Vermeil says he can't choose the best Dick Vermeil screen actor: Kinnear in "Invincible" or Quaid in "American Underdog."

Warner, an executive producer on "American Underdog," says Kinnear was briefly considered to play the Vermeil role in the new film as well. But the producers ultimately went with Quaid in the new role.

"I'm really glad they went with Dennis. He pulls off the likeness really well," Warner says. "And I think Dick Vermeil was a completely different guy when he was with me than he was with Vince Papale. I like that there are two different actors playing him in two movies. Both of them pulled off who Dick Vermeil was at that specific time."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Underdog': Dick Vermeil reacts to Dennis Quaid's portrayal