New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce - Keanu Reeves revisits "The Replacements" | New Heights Film Club

Episode Date: October 17, 2025

On this edition of New Heights Film Club brought to you by REESE’S Pumpkins, we revisit "The Replacements" with Shane Falco himself, Keanu Reeves!We discuss if he could have gone pro, what life was like in an actual football training camp, working with Gene Hackman, and decide who is the Shane Falco of the NFL.New Heights airs every Wednesday during the NFL Season so make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube Channel and follow New Heights on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts.You can listen to new episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify....Download the full podcast here:Wondery: https://wondery.app.link/s9hHTgtXpMbApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-heights/id1643745036Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1y3SUbFMUSESC1N43tBleK?si=LsuQ4a5MRN6wGMcfVcuynwFollow New Heights on Social Media:https://lnk.to/newheightshowMerch:https://homage.com/newheightsREESE’S: Enjoy REESE’S PUMKINS now, found wherever you can find candy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I think you were, you were one of the most convincing film quarterbacks of all time. One of my favorite movies to watch. Is it true that the Ravens wanted to give you a tryout after this movie? That's absolutely nonsense. 92 percenters, welcome back to another edition of New Heights Film Club, brought to you by Reese's Pumpkins this time. God, man, it's Halloween time. They got those things.

in stores. We are your host. I'm Travis Kelsey. This is my big brother, Jason, Kelsey. We got a fun way for you. Subscribe on YouTube, 1-3-plus, or wherever you get your podcast, and follow the show on all social media at New Heights Show with 1S. Jason, tell the people what we got coming up for this episode.

Coming up, we got a little bit of that New Heights Film Club. That's right. And it's a special edition because today we are joined by Keanu Reeves to revisit his 2000 classic film, The Replacements. Enjoy. This is a sports podcast.

We do want to talk about one of your most iconic sports films as well. I mean, obviously, good fortune. Good fortune, which is coming out October 17th for everybody watching. Everybody, go check it out. But we also want to transition. We do this thing, film club at New Heights. Oh, cool. We wanted to break down a little bit of the replacements if you're comfortable with that.

Does that sound good? Yeah, yeah. So for anybody who hasn't seen it, stop you're doing, go watch it. The Replacements is one of the best movies of all time. One of the fucking good. No, go crazy. Well, here's why I love it. I love any sports film that catches the underdog

and the idea that they're going to climb the mountaintop and achieve their dreams. And the replacements is that film, right? The players have all gone on strike and now they have to introduce these scab players into the NFL and the pros are fighting them. And they're trying to bond and put together some type of product and team.

And Shane Falco leads the whole thing. So, number six. Let's go. That's right. That's right. Yeah. First of all, I mean, movie came out 25 years ago. When's the last time you've seen it?

Gosh, probably a long time ago. At least 15, 20 years, yeah. I feel like it's on some, it's on a cable channel near you every single week, man. It's one of my favorites. If I see it on the, like the TV guy, I'm putting it on and watching it. One of the craziest things about the movie is, yeah, the players go on strike, so we need to find replacement players. But they loop in the fact that there needs to be replacement cheerleaders, too. And what better place to get dancers last minute than the strip club.

Like they're a part of the same union. You got to put their bodies on the line. line. That's right. That's right. You got to, man. How do you think you did playing a quarterback? How convincing do you think you were as a quarterback in that film? Well, you know, my movie quarterback journey started with a point break. That's right. Also in Ohio State quarterback. Yeah. So I'm playing an Ohio State Buckeye both times. Come on now, baby. I had nothing to do with. And so I worked with Rick Neuheisel on point break. So he, I got some fundamentals. I got a lot of backyard street football experience, but never any

organized football. And then I worked with an ex-NFL quarterback T.J. Rubling, who was quarterbacking in the 90s. And he kind of, you know, Rick, I did some fundamental stuff. And then with T.J. doing a little more, a lot more footwork. And then we had a three-week camp, so offense, defense. No way. You guys did a whole camp. So we could run some plays. Then they had some ex-NFL guys, college guys, all, you know, playing football. And I'd never been in a football camp or warm up or, you know, locker.

How was that experience? It's fun. It's fun. All the guys are fucking down in, can I swear? Yeah, of course. Very welcome, Jim. So they're fucking doing fucking scooping, creatine

and protein shakes and creatine baby it still works super clean and I'm like it's a fucking 50 and I'm like anyway

and then just you know doing two a days was in Baltimore was hot and then just getting used to like you know coming to the line and then

you know what I didn't know about was the relationship between the quarterback in the center oh yeah baby you know that's a big one thing so i kind of started to get in um it was cool he was really uh supportive and he'd call me a shane a falco don't worry about it my first breaking huddles i was like and one or one one one and like trying to like get my

count, you know, like, blue it! Oh, yeah, man. You know, there it is. Here we go. There it is. And then, so I love, oh, not walking up under center, then down there. There's nothing like it, baby. But it was cool.

I mean, one of the things that was, one of the coordinators, guy named Mark Ellis, who had done some other football projects in Allen Graff, they had run some movie, uh, movie stuff. They've done, you know, they had done this before, taking actors, you know, on, playing people and integrating with, you know, pros, ex-pros. And so we're, you know, we're trying to get to a level where we can run plays and just so that they could fill me, like coming up to center, you know, do a call, cadence, whatever. Break the, sorry, break the huddle, come up, you know, do it and run a play.

And like week one, I had like a crossing route I had to hit because I also learned about the relationship with the tight end. Oh, there we go. Heck yeah. It's the safety blanket, baby. Heck yeah. So I had the center, tight end thing, you know, like, so I had to hit him on a cross. And I remember one of the things was, like, the first week I'm just missing.

I'm just fucking off. And they're all like, all the players are like, don't worry about it. Don't worry. It's cool, man. Let's talk about it. Let's go. It's fucking hot. Week two, week three, I remember we ran the same play.

I was late, missed it. No one said a fucking word. We're coming back to the huddle Like go do it again No one fucking said Nobody was happy No one said fucking shit That's so fucking funny

No one said shit No one said shit You could fuck up once If you do it twice He's like What's up? He's like They're treating you like a player now And I'm like what do you mean

He's like don't fuck up They're hot They don't want to fucking do this anymore You don't get anymore You got the full feel of it. I love it. Didn't say a fucking word. That's too funny.

Ice cold after incompletion is the worst. Got the full quarterback treatment right there, man. Yeah, but then I hit some stuff. And then we got to play at the, you know, Raven Stadium. You know, I was kind of coming together. And we got to play during halftime. But we filmed in the stadium, which was cool. And then we filmed at halftime.

So we got a feel of that. And the guy who was doubling me and quarterback who could actually play football. Christopher Robbins he had to he had to fucking do you remember the scene where he has to like huck it

oh yeah yes he had to do that live man he made the throw when it's cool that's so dope no I also you might learn how to like

catch for the for the field goal no now that's that's a that's a fucking talent right there like holding the snap dude

I'm just say I loved it I loved it awesome that's awesome did you take any actual hits or was this mostly like body doubles and things no they were like what a couple like when we would run plays at full speed yeah you know they would come in and basically they were all like don't hit the guy for the reason that we're all have a job yeah exactly it's a good reason i mean that's very good

that's very much like the NFL it's very much like if you touch that's exactly what it is in practice don't hit the guy who's helping us get paid that's right that's how it works golden rule baby and then uh and so i i once ran into somebody i have a two level fusion in my neck and i ran into somebody and got a stinger that's scary oh yeah yeah man nice man you got the full football it's nothing worse man the stingers are the worst three with my hand like the wrong a stinger. Oh, man. And I was like, oh, shit, because I have a plane in my neck. You thought it was, like, really messed up. I was like, oh, shit. Yeah, that's what I'm funny. Yeah. And it was okay. And then I did that dumb thing where you're like, they're always saying,

like, when you fall with the football, don't put it on your chest. Oh, yeah. Knock the wind out of yourself. Yeah. Gasp it for air. I think you were, you were one of the most convincing film quarterbacks of all time. It's one of my favorite movies to watch. Is it true that the Ravens wanted to give you a tryout after this? That's absolutely nonsense. My release would have obviously been lefty was like a, I don't know why, but we tend to have a lower release.

Getting out the ball was a little slow, but I could hit like, I mean, it wasn't on a rope, but like, yeah, we could do like 50-yard corner or I could, you know, I could hit, like, all of the fruit. Hey, man. Oh, you're an athlete. That's a hell of a throw right there. Five step, five, step, then long seven and go.

But don't start believing you can really do it. Well, listen. I don't know if you saw those 2,000 Ravens, but you didn't need to be that good. I mean, I think the opposing teams average like 11 points a game or something like that. Not even. It was nine. Yeah, we all needed defense.

What was it like working with Gene Hackman? Man. He's like one of the, I mean, obviously Hoosier, like, just plays a great coach. The temperament of, them like comes off as this wise sage person loved his and your relationship in the film what was it like working with him uh such a gentleman and you know hero of mine when you look at his career the breadth of roles like comedy drama the filmmakers um it's just so special and he was really um nice to me he was generous and he was like we had a good chemistry

and basically he was like no nonsense no bullshit came to work ready to go new lines knew what was going on and didn't really suffer people who weren't doing that yeah he had he had a look he had a look he was kind of patient but he would just be like sounds like a real coach right Sounds like Andy Reid. My coach gives you one look. You already know, you better tighten it up, man. Get this thing, rocking and rolling. I remember he had some.

Howard Deutsch was the director. And, you know, Gene Ackman was, had a hat, you know, kind of doing that. Yes. You have a landry doing. And he was like, do you want the hat or off the hat? Do you want the hat? And how he's like, when he was just like, say it. And I say it.

Anyway. But he was, yeah, total pro, total pro, kind of gentleman and sweet. And, you know, another legend who I got to meet there was Jack Warden, who played an owner of the team. Yes, absolutely. Just a legend as well. And I got to say hi to Pat Somerol and Madden. Nice. John Madden?

Yeah, they do their commentators in the film. So I went to go see them filming one day, and it's cool to me. Oh, dude, what was that like? John Madden? I mean, that's my, like, hero, man. That guy, listening to him call football games my entire childhood. What was that like?

He's a sweetie pie, too. Just, hey, how's it going? Hugh's head, hands. That's just a big old dude, man. Just fucking thing. And, like, he was kind of quiet and low-key, you know, but then he's there. And, you know, it was just, like you say,

when you meet those guys who you've grown up with and who did such amazing. scene, you know. So cool. You know, our connection to watching them work, you know. Yeah, absolutely. It was cool. One of my favorite quotes from this movie, probably one of the all-time quotes in sports

movies history, pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory last forever, boys. Let's go. I will say, though, sometimes pain doesn't heal. I'm still dealing with these back issues. I'm still struggling with it. Yeah, that stinger ever catch you when you yawn? you're like roll over and yawn it just kind of fizzles a little bit I just I do find I protect my head all the time

but how many years in do you yeah I'm 13 Jason played 13 yeah but we're uh feeling like we're we're 25 right now I'm amazing you guys all things consider we've done pretty pretty good for uh from the health I mean Travis still going so I don't knock on wood a little bit

I wasn't going from, because I was looking up kind of like your history a bit and I saw like early Eagle stuff like you sent it with Vic, right? Yeah, Michael Vic. That was the first quarterback I ever played with, which is crazy. So, I mean, that's, you put you in, put the whole team, put like, that's a modern quarterbacking. That's a whole other thing, right? He's a South Paw too now. He was, like, he could sling it and you would hear that thing whiz.

Like you could feel the spin on it coming past your head. Yes. It was crazy how much Mike just like flicking his wrist would put some spin on it. And that's the thing. He did it so effortless. It was like he had a whip on his arm. It was crazy how he could just sling the ball out there and you could throw it a mile and a half. Yeah, we had this question in here to ask you.

It was something about the scab players. You were going to ask me, Trav, if I was going to be, oh, gosh, what was it? You guys had a strike two and eleven or something. Yes. So we had a strike in 2011, that same year. Yeah. And Travis, you know, would we be tipping the scab cars if? But I'm like, dude, I would have been one of the scabs.

Are you kidding? I was a rookie. I had student loans I'm trying to pay off. I would have been playing. I'm not showing on strike. I hadn't played, realize my dream yet. I was about to say, I'm, I'm still living my dream. I'm not holding out.

Yeah. The players you and you would have fucking hated me. The movie's so wonderful because it captures a lot of guys. It's so relatable because so many people have tried to make it in sports. And when it came out, I was still at that stage. And like, it's interesting now rewatching it as I'm an older player having already played in the NFL and looking at it from maybe that lens. But growing up and watching it, I mean, this was like just beyond cool to showcase that kind

of mentality and like perseverance in particular with Shane Falco's character. And like, listen, he had a very traumatic experience playing in in college. and he gets another opportunity. Yeah, you know what I mean? I don't know. I mean, I think the film actually, I mean, never playing a game, so I can't say. But it seems like from the outside, like maybe the cliches, but also cliches are kind of created out of what actually happens often. Yeah.

They're cliches for a reason. Yeah. Crazy kicker, the linebacker who's just fucking crazy. Yeah, the tight end and the line men. So I felt like it got some things in a, I'll say Hollywood. kind of way, but it is. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but that's what makes the movie fun is that if they're all just exaggerated just a little bit to make the characters, that more appealing. Yeah. The replacements, 2,000, 25 years ago.

Don, how crazy is that? Still going strong, too, baby. And that was the first film I did after The Matrix. So I was really, that was, talk about a switchup. That's a switchup that's a switch up as genres it feels for sure. Yeah, I was moving prong food alike. The rage is crazy, dude. God damn it. We forgot to get to that. Fuck. All right.

We're going to do it right now. Travis, count of three. We're just going to name who we think is the best cop for Shane Falkman. There's only one. I'd be shocked if we don't say the same person. One, two,

three. Gardner, Minchew. Dude, this is the best. Cart is one of my favorite teammates, man. Minchuania, baby.

But you're talking about that, like, eco's, like, laid back. Yes. Vibes are always high. Like good vibes at that.

Falco was living in a boat, Minchu freaking like re-did like a bus and he was living on a bus for a whole off season one time. The hair. It feels like it's like reincarnation. Yeah. They're the same person.

Yeah. It's perfect. That out to my guy guard, man. Let's go, baby. That wraps up another edition of New Heights Film Club. Brought to you by Reese's pumpkins. Thank you to Keanu Reeves for joining us. Make sure you subscribe to the New Heights channel on YouTube

and follow New Heights on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. You can listen to New Heights to New Heights ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcast. Once again, New Heights a Wendry show. Follow the show on all social media at New Heights Show with WNS.

And thank you to the New Heights production team and to those 92 percenters. Appreciate you guys. Very much. So much. We'll see you guys next Wednesday. You know,