When Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson began shooting the football scenes, they were working with actual pro athletes. They hit Kristofferson so hard, they broke a couple of his bones.
The reenactment of the EST meeting with Bert Convy was exactly what Werner Earhart used to open his program with calling everyone "Assholes" right from the beginning of the seminar.
Both Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson were outstanding footballers while attending college. Reynolds almost turned pro. Kristofferson was also a Golden Gloves boxer, but quit football after he started losing his short-term memory.
This picture was the first film of a two picture contract between star actor Burt Reynolds and producer David Merrick. The second movie in the deal was Rough Cut (1980).