Batman Still Inspires Hall-of-Famer Ahman Green

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Last weekend, in Overland Park, Kan., my oldest grandson went with friends to see Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, the blockbuster movie in which Ben Affleck plays Batman. I would have asked my grandson if he recognized Ahman Green in the movie, but I knew better.

At 38, the Green Bay Packers’ superstar played such a tiny cameo role, you wouldn’t know Green was in the movie unless you read the online cast and crew list, which describes the Husker legend as Thug #2, an uncredited role. Even though Green's scene didn't make the movie's final cut, it will be included in what promises to be a worldwide smash hit DVD.

Green told me he was 12 years old and living in Los Angeles when he became so captivated with Batman that he went to get a haircut and asked his barber to cut the Batman logo into the back of his head. A few hours later, during a Pop Warner football practice, “the minute I took my helmet off, my coaches started calling me Batman,” Green said. “As a kid, I was fascinated watching Adam West and Burt Ward in the old syndicated Batman and Robin series.”

Batman Memorabilia Collection, a Batman Tattoo and Comic Book Conventions

Now Green is best known nationally as the Packers’ all-time rushing leader who shares his wisdom on a CBS television affiliate in Green Bay, where he also connects with fans while hosting “Packer Talk” on Sunday mornings and evenings.

“I loved Batman growing up,” said Green, whose fascination with the character is so deep, it’s still woven into the fabric of his daily life. Only one word can describe his enthrallment – Rabid, and we choose to spell that with a capital R to represent his reputation as a runner who also happens to own a vast collection of Batman memorabilia, has a Batman tattoo and even carves out time to attend comic-book conventions dressed as the “Caped Crusader”.

Ahman Green’s quarter-century preoccupation with Batman is real, and his cameo appearance creates meaningful pride for the former Omaha Central All-Stater, Nebraska All-American and Green Bay career rushing leader with 8,162 yards. Green revels in his unnoticed movie role.

Green: One of the Few American Heroes Who Emulates Batman in Real Life

How did Green land a spot in a movie that’s already approaching nearly half a billion dollars when you combine domestic and international box office receipts? Talk about worldwide heroes and truth being stranger than fiction. In half a week, this Batman-Superman standoff has collected $254 million internationally and $166 million domestically. Holy Smokes!

The synopsis of the movie delivers the ultimate intrigue. Fearing the actions of a god-like super hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. With Batman and Superman at war with each other, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it has ever known before.  

Green is one of the few American heroes who actually emulates Batman and, in fact, used the character as a childhood launch-pad to manufacture his own folklore on a football field.

“At first, I thought it was just a cool thing to do,” Green said. “But once everybody started calling me Batman, it got more intense, especially when Tim Burton directed a movie with Michael Keaton playing Batman and Jack Nicholson playing the Joker.”

Batman Parallel: Whenever You Get Knocked Down, You Have to Get Back Up

The more Green identified with Batman, the more he could relate qualities that applied to football in general and life in particular.

“Batman knew how to get up when he got knocked down,” Green said. “He had to get back up because his parents were murdered right in front of him. Even though I was just a kid, I got knocked down, and I learned to get right back up no matter what.”

How many Batman enthusiasts have gotten knocked down and get right back up more than Ahman Green? Pictured above in his Batman hat and Batman t-shirt, Green embraced simplicity while rushing for 3,880 yards in three years at Nebraska and for 9,205 yards in the NFL.

As a freshman on Nebraska’s 1995 national championship team, Green rushed for 1,086 yards, averaged 7.7 yards a carry and scored 13 touchdowns. “He had excellent strength, speed and balance…all the tools of a great running back,” Nebraska Football Coach Tom Osborne said. 

In 42-17 Win Over the Vols, Green Rushed for 159 Yards in Third Quarter Alone

Never was that more apparent than Osborne’s final game as head coach – a 42-17 thrashing of Peyton Manning-led Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl. That same Orange Bowl also became Green’s last collegiate hurrah as a junior who declared early for the NFL Draft.

Green rushed for an Orange Bowl record 206 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee, breaking the game open in the third quarter with 159 rushing yards on 13 carries.

A year ago, Green was inducted into the Orange Bowl Football Hall of Fame, two years after he was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. His decision to declare early for the NFL proved wise. In addition to becoming the career rushing leader for the fabled Packers, Green earned Pro Bowl honors five times. He rushed for 1,000 yards in six of his eight Packer seasons.

Lincoln and Green Bay are both blue-collar towns and have similar cultures. Both pack the stadium and live the brand. Fans buy tickets and support the team no matter what and then pass those tickets on when they can no longer attend games.

Husker Fans, Packer Faithful Show Up Whether It’s Sleet, Snow or Sunshine

“Green Bay fans are like Nebraska fans. They come whether it’s sleet, snow or sunshine,” Green said. “I was fortunate to play in two places where everybody watches everything and everybody keeps track of everything. Both football cities have high expectations and both have almost exactly the same kind of passion. In my mind, the only difference is one team wears red and the other team wears green.”

Green, of course, is Ahman’s last name, and red is a color that he will always embrace. That’s why Green has plans to give back to his home state. In addition to his television job, Green owns a training facility in Green Bay where he’s a personal trainer and sport-specific specialist. He’s also starting a similar operation in Nebraska.

Green is partnering with Kyle Vanden Bosch, Doug McDermott and Danny Woodhead to open a training facility in Omaha. Vanden Bosch, a former Husker, played 12 seasons in the NFL. McDermott, a Creighton alum, is in his second NBA season with the Chicago Bulls. Woodhead, a Nebraska native who's now a San Diego Charger, has played eight NFL seasons.

Thanks to his training facility, Green works out every day and still looks like an NFL running back. As a trainer, Green says it is imperative that he practices what he preaches. “If I’m going to hold people accountable when I teach, I have to be accountable to myself,” he said.

A staunch believer in accountability and giving back, it’s easy to see that Batman continues to inspire Ahman Green to this day, and yes, "Thug #2" is a very happy and healthy man, just like the fictional figure that still motivates him more than a quarter century later.

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