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 1961, he returned to Broadway to appear in "Look, We've Come Through" under the direction of José Quintero, but it lasted only five performances. Reynolds continued to guest star on shows such as "Naked City", "Ripcord", "Everglades", "Route 66", "Perry Mason", and "The Twilight Zone" ("The Bard"). He later said, "I learned more about my craft in these guest shots than I did standing around and looking virile on "Riverboat"." In 1962, Dennis Weaver wanted to leave the cast of "Gunsmoke", one of the top rated shows in the country. The producers developed a new character, "halfbreed" blacksmith Quint Asper: