Eddie George has thrived on the field, stage, and sideline.

The Ohio State running back lifted the Heisman Trophy in 1995 after rushing for nearly 2,000 yards in his final season.

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The Heisman winner was a brutal downhill runner[/caption]

In total, he racked up 3,768 yards on the ground as a bruising runner who ultimately wound up in the College Football Hall of Fame.

George was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Houston Oilers — now the Tennessee Titans — and won NFL Rookie of the Year in 1996.

He became just the second back to hit 10,000 yards without missing a start — joining Jim Brown — but a gruelling workload took its toll and the rusher was cut in 2004.

After one season as a Dallas Cowboy, George officially retired in 2006 and returned to Ohio State to complete his degree in landscape architecture.

Later earning an MBA from Northwestern University‘s Kellogg School of Management, his next role was a far cry from the football field.

In 2016, the former Buckeye donned a black tuxedo to play Billy Flynn on Broadway — following 12 years of acting and singing lessons.

“It allows me to constantly release a lot of the emotions I’ve had when my playing career was over with and to use it for good,” he told Forbes.

“It really is cathartic for me, it’s healing for me—even to this day, there are things that come up in my own personal life that I use for the character. Everything has a rhyme and a reason.”

In the next act of an incredible life, George is taking the next step in a promising coaching career.

After spending four seasons with Tennessee State, helping to turn around a struggling program, the 51-year-old was named the next boss of Bowling Green on Sunday.

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George took the the stage after his NFL career[/caption]

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George has thrived so far after taking up coaching[/caption]

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He is used to seeing his name in lights whether on Friday Night or Broadway[/caption]

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The former football star has enjoyed an interesting life[/caption]

“Today, we add another transformative leader to this campus in Eddie George,” Derek van der Merwe, Bowling Green’s vice president for athletics strategy, said.

“Our students are getting someone who has chased success in sports, art, business, and leadership. As our head football coach, he will pursue excellence in all aspects of competition in the arena.

“More importantly, beyond the arena, he will exemplify what excellence looks like in the classroom, in life, in business, and in relationships with people.”

George, who has signed a five-year deal according to ESPN, emerged as a rising star in the FCS at Tennessee State.

He reached the playoffs and took a share of the OVC-Big South title — the school’s first since 1999.

“I am truly excited to be the head coach at Bowling Green State University,” George said. “Bowling Green is a wonderful community that has embraced the school and the athletics department.

“We are eager to immerse ourselves in the community and help build this program to the greatness it deserves. I am overwhelmed with excitement and joy for the possibilities this opportunity holds.”

George is a well-known figure in Ohio thanks to his time with the Buckeyes and his coaching career is following a similar path to Deion Sanders as Coach Prime rises through the ranks.

Tennessee State took a gamble on hiring the former actor and entrepreneur despite a lack of traditional experience and the move paid off.

Bowling Green helped launch the careers of Urban Meyer, Dave Clawson, and Dino Babers.

George will hope he has picked the right stage to showcase his many talents, perhaps another huge role is on the horizon.

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