Longhorns, Aggies learn how to act with Terry Crews in new Sonic ad campaign

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Terry Crews knows football and how to act, and the former NFL linebacker turned “America’s Got Talent” host took both Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies under his wing in a new Sonic ad campaign.

It’s the fast food restaurant’s first venture into the Name, Image and Likeness space, and Crews takes three Longhorns — Colin Simmons, Ryan Wingo and Michael Taaffe — along with Aggies Marcel Reed and Rueben Owens, to acting school. The “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star teaches them the finer points and nuances of the craft, all while showing off Sonic’s Smasher cheeseburger.

• See the first ad in the campaign

The players will appear in a series of four commercials for the drive-in burger joint beginning the weekend of Aug. 30, the official opening weekend of the college football season. Texas takes on defending national champions Ohio State at 11 a.m. CT while the Aggies face UTSA at 6 p.m., so chances are high that you’ll see all five players on and off the field that day, just on your TV.

The ad starts with text on a black screen that says, “Brands are rushing to put college athletes in their ads, but no one’s bothered teaching them how to act. Until now.”

And then, the master goes to work.

Crews hilariously leads the players through vocal exercises, which Owens and Simmons don’t quite nail, but they gave it a good try. Then, the “Terry Crews School of Acting for Athletes,” really takes off when Crews appears to legitimately scare Reed by yelling at him and looking through him, rather than at him.

The players then learn how to hold the Sonic Smasher with squeaky toy burgers, and then make it to the real thing, taking a big bite and giving a smile so convincing that sales will skyrocket. At least, that’s what executives at Inspire Brands (Sonic’s parent company) are hoping for.

The initial ad ends with the players graduating from the esteemed acting school and earning the title of “athlors” that Crews made up.