Burt Reynolds his spleen and injured his other knee in a bad car accident. These injuries hampered his abilities on the field, and after being beaten in coverage for the game-winning touchdown in a 7-0 loss to North Carolina State on October 12, 1957, he decided to give up football. Ending his college football career, Reynolds thought of becoming a police officer; however, his father suggested he finish college and become a parole officer. To keep up with his studies, he began taking classes at Palm Beach Junior College (PBJC) in neighboring Lake Park. In his first term at PBJC, he was
Burt Reynolds the character. Reynolds played the title character in police drama "Dan August" (1970–71), produced by Quinn Martin. The series was given a full-season order of 26 episodes based on the reputation of Martin and Reynolds but struggled in the ratings against "Hawaii 5-0" and was not renewed. Albert R. Broccoli asked Reynolds to play James Bond, but he turned that role down, saying "An American can't play James Bond. It just can't be done." Following the series' cancellation, Reynolds did his first stage play in six years, a production of "The Tender Trap" at Arlington Park Theatre. He was offered