Courtesy of Angel Studios
Audio By Carbonatix
In a state where Friday night lights burn brighter than city skylines and football isn’t just a game but a generational covenant, The Senior arrives as both love letter and battle cry to the enduring spirit of Texas gridiron culture.
The film, which premiered at last year’s Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) and hits theaters September 19, tells the remarkable true story of Mike Flynt. At age 59, Flynt returned to Sul Ross State University to complete his college football eligibility, at which point he became the oldest player in NCAA history.
Shot in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, The Senior follows Flynt’s journey as he battles age, skepticism and his own demons to prove that dreams don’t have expiration dates. Michael Chiklis (of The Shield fame) leads the cast as the determined Flynt, supported by Mary Stuart Masterson, James Badge Dale and newcomer Chris Becerra, who plays Fernie Acosta, a character inspired by Flynt’s real teammates.
For Becerra, a former football player making his acting debut, filming in Texas felt like discovering a second home.
“The Texas dynamic was truly something extraordinary,” he says of his first experience in the Lone Star State. “Everyone was so kind – it’s definitely a different vibe from me growing up and living in Southern California.”
The authenticity of Texas football culture proved essential to the film’s emotional core. Director Rod Lurie and producer Justin Baldoni – whose Wayfarer Studios has faced recent controversies but maintains a strong track record with faith-based content – partnered with Game Changing Films to cast real former football players as background talent, creating an atmosphere that honored the sport’s sacred place in Texas society.
“The football guys from the area were just absolute physical studs,” Becerra says. “Seeing these guys soldier through 8 to 16 hours of filming with such high intensity energy when it came to the football scenes was truly remarkable to witness.”
The production utilized local venues throughout North Texas, with significant filming taking place in Haltom City. The choice to shoot on Texas soil wasn’t merely logistical; it was also cultural. In a region where high school stadiums rival professional venues and entire communities organize their weekends around game schedules, The Senior found its worthy home.
Becerra’s own journey to the role mirrors the film’s themes of perseverance through adversity. After his college football dreams fell through due to financial constraints, he stumbled into acting through Game Changing Films while scrolling Instagram. His path to landing the role of Fernie came during one of life’s most challenging moments, as he was caring for his terminally ill grandmother.
“Something told me to leave it all out on the field,” he recalls of submitting his last-minute audition.
The next day brought both triumph and tragedy: he landed the role but lost his beloved grandmother within hours.
“It was one of my best days, but also one of the worst days,” he says, his voice carrying the weight of that September 30, 2021, memory.
Suiting up for the gridiron, Chris Becerra (right) and the cast of The Senior filmed in Dallas-Fort Worth to capture the true essence of Texas football.
Courtesy of Angel Studios
The film’s central relationship between Flynt and his younger teammates, particularly Becerra’s Fernie, captures the mentor-protégé dynamic that defines Texas football culture.
“It was almost like a father-son dynamic, but also like a coach and player relationship,” Becerra explains. “That happens all the time in football – someone coaching you up and being a mentor.”
That authenticity resonated powerfully at the film’s DIFF premiere, where audiences cheered during football sequences “like you’re watching a real football game,” according to Becerra. The energy is likely to be equally electric at the upcoming Bedford premiere on September 8, bringing the story full circle to the community where it was born.
The Senior arrives at a time when Texas continues asserting itself as a major film production hub, with state incentives and world-class facilities drawing projects from Hollywood. For Becerra, who now hopes to relocate to the DFW area permanently, the experience represented more than career advancement – it was homecoming to a place he’d never been.
“I really fell in love with the area and the people,” he says. “It felt like home.”
In a state where football dreams die hard and second chances define character, The Senior stands as a testament to the enduring power of both, wrapped in the unmistakable spirit of Texas.
