Former Student-Athletes Tackle Different Playing Field

Having played football together at SDSU, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, Ricky Sharpe and Robert Ortiz know a thing or two about physical activity.

When they were cast as “The Football Players” on ABC’s new reality TV show, “Expedition Impossible,” the former Aztecs’ pigskin skills were nearly sacked.

“I thought this was just reality TV,” said Gbaja-Biamila, who played defensive end at SDSU. “I didn’t realize that I had signed up for something that was the real deal. It caught us by surprise — the intensity of it, the level of difficulty.

“This is by far one of the hardest things I’ve ever done physically, even more so than a football training camp.”

“Impossible doesn’t really exist.”

‘Survivor’ meets ‘Amazing Race’

From plowing through the vast Sahara desert and trekking through riverbeds, to climbing snow-capped mountains and repelling off cliffs, “Expedition Impossible,” which premieres Thursday, June 23 at 9 p.m. on ABC, challenged each of the 13 three-person teams to race across Morocco’s diverse terrain in 10 stages.

“All this stuff was unfamiliar to us,” said Gbaja-Biamila, who was a roommate of Sharpe at SDSU and emceed Ortiz’s wedding. “This wasn’t tackling, catching balls, intercepting balls — it had nothing to do with that.”

However, the trio said the intangibles of playing football, such as knowing how to face adversity in high-stakes situations, gave them an advantage on the show.

“The fact that we had played together and had been in situations where things were good, things were bad … I feel like that gave us an edge to just be a part of this competition and be successful at it,” said Ortiz, a former Aztec wide receiver.

The three best friends, who each had a stint in the NFL, also said the camaraderie they developed on and off the football field enabled their success throughout the competition.

“I think one thing that helped us on the show to stay together as friends is just knowing how to work as a team,” said Sharpe, who played defensive back at SDSU.

“It was definitely cool to be able to go through that experience with them, to be able to share that with guys that you’re best friends with,” he added.

Though they would not say whether or not they won the grand prize of $150,000 and a new Ford Explorer, “Expedition Impossible” gave the men new perspectives on life. For Gbaja-Biamila, it was simple.

“Impossible doesn’t really exist.”