NFL players score a shot at Hollywood through hands-on training sessions with filmmaker Deon Taylor

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Isaac Ukwu's sights were solely set on just playing in the NFL — until two season-ending knee injuries in college served as a harsh reality of football's fragility.

The setbacks reshaped Ukwu's perspective, showing him that football was part of him, but not all of him. Even after signing with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent last year, the defensive end knew he needed more than just the game.

So, when the NFL introduced a program for players exploring careers in film and television, he seized the chance to build his off-the-field legacy.

“You can’t let your entire identity be football,” said Ukwu, an aspiring actor, who was one of 20-plus former and active NFL players selected to join film training sessions at the NFL Career Tour hosted by Hidden Empire and Skydance Sports. During the three-day sessions, athletes explored the nuances of filmmaking — learning behind-the-camera roles like directing, producing and other essential elements of bringing a project to life — while also sharpening their skills as actors.

The sessions recently concluded with the creation of short films at the Hidden Empire studios in Santa Monica, California. The power couple, Deon Taylor, director of “Black and Blue” and “The Intruder,” and Roxanne Avent Taylor, steer the company as co-CEOs.

“This experience is really invaluable,” said Ukwu, who hopes to break into acting before eventually exploring directing and producing.

Some of the players featured in the sessions included Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Cincinnati Bengals lineman Orlando Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward, Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins and Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley.

It’s the third year of program — which has featured panelists including entertainers Tyrese Gibson and Master P and retired NFL player Vernon Davis.

“They let you know there’s a way to enter that door,” said Heyward, a seven-time Pro Bowler, who's interested in becoming a director or producer. “It’s not like you have to come from a film background. But if you appreciate films and you’re a fan of it, there’s a space for you.”

Taylor’s vision is to redefine storytelling and build a pipeline for authentic, culture-driven narratives straight from the world’s top athletes.

He sees the Hidden Empire Sports Collective — launched last month — as a key step in helping athletes prepare for life beyond the game. This new entertainment division focuses on amplifying athletes’ voices through content creation and intellectual property development.

“We should be educating athletes on how to actually create content, make IP themselves,” said Taylor, who played basketball in East Germany before he ultimately directed other notable titles such as “Meet the Blacks" and “Fatale.” He’s become a major player in the independent filmmaking space.

“But then more importantly, it’s being a sound information highway for them to understand how they could take something that was great in their life or something that was painful in their lives, tweak it and make it become something that could be content,” he said.

Roxanne Avent Taylor described the sports collective as a hub for creating “stories that shape and define our culture.”

The sports collective has partnered with several athletes, landing developmental deals with stars like boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., NBA champion Scottie Pippen and Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden. One upcoming project is a four-part docuseries on Mayweather's life.

With the training sessions, Taylor believes athletes can find inspiration through the sports collective and Ephraim Salaam, who successfully transitioned from the NFL to Hollywood. After playing 13 seasons in the league, he has built a career as a screenwriter.

Salaam stressed to pro athletes the importance of owning their stories. He noted that they can offer a deeper perspective on their lives that might captivate the masses.

“The No. 1 thing I always tell them is ‘You’re one of one,’” said Salaam, who is the sports collective's creative executive. “You’ve been able to look and see life through a lens very few people have. That information is valuable in a writers room.”

In just a few days, athletes dove into filmmaking with the same intensity they bring to studying playbooks.

Players broke into different groups to film scenes for their own movie using iPhones. They went through career and educational panels along with interactive workshops that included a tour of Paramount Studios.

Many assumed acting was their standout skill — until they realized every role on a project is just as crucial to the final score.

For Ukwu, he learned that a film producer wears many hats, much like an NFL general manager, overseeing everything from reading scripts to securing directors and funding projects. He credits Taylor for guiding him and his peers through their early filmmaking journey.

“It’s like if I was in high school and I had access to Dan Campbell just to talk and coach me up on some things that can lead my success in the future,” said Ukwu.

The project took shape after an NFL Career Tour stop, an initiative designed to provide insight into the entertainment industry. This tour is part of Skydance Sports, a joint NFL-Skydance venture offering athletes a behind-the-scenes look at sports programming and storytelling.

The collaboration aims to equip players with the tools to transition into media, content creation and production to share their own narratives with the world.

“Without the players, there is no game,” said Tracy Perlman, senior vice president of player operation for the NFL. “We don’t want to build athletes. We want to build people."

Dion Dawkins said opportunities are ripe for the taking.

“You have to create your lane without that helmet on,” said Dawkins, a four-time Pro Bowler who's an aspiring actor with a big personality. He gets inspired watching former NFL players who transitioned into the TV and film industry such as Salaam, Terry Crews, Laith Wallschleger and Vernon Davis.

“If you think you’re bigger than a football player, you have avenues that can show it,” he said. “Because we have OGs that have done it, and doing it currently, it gives you that bit of ... I’m not an outsider, I’m an insider. As long as I conduct and control myself in the right manner, I’ll have a chance.”

Terry Bradshaw, quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers

Jim Brown, running back, Cleveland Browns

Terry Crews, defensive end, Los Angeles Rams; Green Bay Packers; San Diego Chargers; Philadelphia Eagles; Washington

Vernon Davis, tight end, San Francisco 49ers; Denver Broncos and Washington

Tony Gonzalez, tight end, Kansas City Chiefs; Atlanta Falcons

Ed Marinaro, running back, Minnesota Vikings; New York Jets; Seattle Seahawks

Ephraim Salaam, offensive tackle, Atlanta Falcons; Denver Broncos; Jacksonville Jaguars; Houston Texans; Detroit Lions

O.J. Simpson, running back, Buffalo Bills; San Francisco 49ers

Bubba Smith, defensive end, Baltimore Colts; Oakland Raiders; Houston Oilers

John David Washington, running back, St. Louis Rams (practice squad)

Carl Weathers, linebacker, Oakland Raiders

Filmmaker and former professional basketball player Deon Taylor, center, discusses the movie industry with NFL players Trayvon Henderson, left, and K'Lavon Chaisson during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Retired NFL linebacker Brennan Scarlett, right, hugs Detroit Lions defensive end Isaac Ukwu after they finished filming a scene from "The Matrix" during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Retired NFL linebacker Brennan Scarlett, right, directs actor and retired NFL player Miles Burris, left, and Isaac Ukwu of the Detroit Lions in a scene from "The Matrix" during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Retired NFL player T.J. Wright, second from left, watches footage on NFL player Charles Harris' phone as retired NFL player Copeland Bryan, right, acts out a scene from the film "Meet the Blacks" during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Former and current NFL players, from left, Reginald Kahlil McKenzie, Dion Dawkins and Tevaughn Campbell listen to filmmaker and former professional basketball player Deon Taylor, foreground, discuss the movie industry during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Retired NFL player T.J. Wright, left, and current NFL player Charles Harris, second from left, direct retired NFL player Copeland Bryan, second from right, and current NFL player Daiyan Henley as they film a scene from the film "Meet the Blacks" during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Retired NFL player T.J. Wright, center, watches footage on NFL player Charles Harris' phone as they film a scene from the film "Meet the Blacks" during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Filmmaker and former professional basketball player Deon Taylor, right, discusses the movie industry with NFL player Trayvon Henderson during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Filmmaker and former professional basketball player Deon Taylor, left, discusses the movie industry with Las Vegas Raiders linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Isaac Ukwu, a defensive end for the Detroit Lions, acts out a scene from "The Matrix" during a filmmaking workshop for NFL players on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

HONG KONG (AP) — About a third of Hong Kong 's registered voters elected a new 90-member legislature Sunday, a turnout that avoided an embarrassment for the government but fell short of a ringing endorsement of an electoral system revamp that eliminated the once feisty opposition in the Chinese territory.

The turnout rate reached 31.9%, surpassing the 30.2% in the 2021 election, the first held under the new system. It was much lower than before the electoral changes, when turnout topped 50%.

Many of the city’s 4.1 million eligible voters, especially democracy supporters, have turned away from politics since a crackdown that has stifled dissent. Candidates must now go through a vetting process that ensures they are patriots who are loyal to the Chinese government. The government says the changes were needed to bring stability after massive anti-government protests in 2019.

The government launched a major campaign to drive up turnout, adding polling stations, extending voting hours and holding candidate forums. But public anger over government accountability in an apartment fire that killed at least 159 people late last month threatened to keep some potential voters at home.

In the end, enough came out to nudge up the turnout rate from 2021, the lowest since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Ahead of the vote, Chinese authorities called foreign media to a rare meeting to warn them that they need to comply with the city's national security laws.

Election campaigning was suspended after the fire and remained subdued in the final days out of respect for the victims.

Government efforts to drive up turnout, seen as a referendum on the new electoral system, had been in full swing before the blaze. Promotional banners and posters were hung throughout the city and subsidies offered to centers for older people and people with disabilities to help them vote.

Authorities arrested people who allegedly posted content that incited others not to vote or cast invalid votes.

Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades has raised questions over government oversight and suspected bid-rigging in building maintenance projects. The 1980s-era apartment complex was undergoing renovations.

Some candidates pledged to combat bid-rigging.

City leader John Lee said in a statement on Monday that holding a smooth election during a difficult period for Hong Kong “carries profound significance," saying he expected the lawmakers would work with the government to drive systemic reforms following the fire.

Even before the 2021 electoral changes, only half of what had been a 70-member legislature was chosen by the general electorate.

Now, that has been reduced to 20 out of 90 seats and 40 others are chosen by a largely pro-Beijing election committee. The remaining 30 represent various groups — mainly major industries such as finance, health care and real estate — and are elected by their members.

The “patriots” requirement for all candidates has pushed out the opposition parties, which advocated for making the system more democratic.

“I’m performing my civic duty as a citizen to vote … but I’m not too certain which candidate is hardworking and which is not,” retiree Kwan Lam said outside a polling station. “I chose the one who cares for the elderly.”

Olympic fencing champion Vivian Kong on Monday won in the tourism sector, despite lacking industry experience.

The candidate pool seems to reflect Beijing's desire to have more lawmakers who are more in tune with its agenda, some observers said, in what they see as signs of Beijing’s tightening control even over its loyalists.

Lee has said that personnel changes are normal during an election. He criticized attempts to “distort” these changes to smear the new election system.

Ho-fung Hung, professor of political economy at Johns Hopkins University, said voter turnout was far lower than the 2016 election despite the vast resources the government had mobilized to boost turnout. The actual number of people who voted was also down from 2016 due to a shrinking electorate, he said.

The fire also contributed to the low turnout, Hung said.

“But it may work toward the government’s advantage, as they can blame the tragedy for the poor performance, or even say that the not-so-drastic drop in voting number despite the fire is an achievement,” he said.

John Burns, an honorary professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, said the election shows that the city remains polarized with pro-establishment and opposition camps.

“The fire ... played a role because it exposed various governance problems that no resident could be happy about," he said.

But Electoral Affairs Commission chairperson David Lok found it encouraging that 1.3 million people voted, saying the current atmosphere made holding the election difficult as many were affected by the blaze.

Beijing's office on Hong Kong affairs hailed the increase in turnout rate in a WeChat statement, saying it reflected Hong Kong society's support for the poll.

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong summoned representatives of several foreign news outlets, including The Associated Press, on Saturday.

Some foreign media had spread false information and smeared the government's disaster relief efforts after the fire, as well as attacked and interfered with the legislative elections, the Office for Safeguarding National Security said in a statement.

“No media outlet may use ‘freedom of the press’ as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs or Hong Kong affairs,” the statement said.

Authorities have warned the general public against using the fire to try to undermine the government and have arrested at least one person on suspicion of inciting hatred against government officials.

Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Gary Chan, candidates of the Legislative Council Election, center, campaigns on the street during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Gary Chan, candidates of the Legislative Council Election, center, campaigns on the street during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People walk past a polling station near the site of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee casts his ballot at a polling station during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People read the candidates information at a polling station near the site of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee, poses for photos at a polling station during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee speaks to the media at a polling station during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee casts his ballot at a polling station during the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People look at a candidate brochure of the Hong Kong Legislative Council General Election at a forum in Hong Kong on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Pedestrians walk past the banner promoting the Hong Kong Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)