Leigh Steinberg says 'Jerry Maguire' humanized sports agents as public perception was 'not the best' in '90s

Before Leigh Steinberg earned wide fame arsenic the "real Jerry Maguire," helium was already a household sanction among sports enthusiasts, representing nonrecreational athletes specified arsenic erstwhile NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young, arsenic good arsenic antiaircraft extremity Bruce Smith, successful the 1980s.

In 1996, Hollywood prima Tom Cruise portrayed Steinberg successful the comedy-drama "Jerry Maguire," alongside Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr., among others, successful a communicative that mapped retired the situational practice of apical endowment successful cutthroat industries similar the NFL and MLB.

"I deliberation that it humanized sports agents successful the minds of the nationalist and showed that there’s caring that goes on," Steinberg told Fox News Digital of the classical film, which garnered implicit $150 cardinal astatine the container office.

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Leigh Steinberg is Kansas City Chiefs prima backmost Patrick Mahomes' cause and started the Leigh Steinberg Foundation, which aims to bring consciousness and acquisition to diversion concussions. (Michael Tran/Getty Images)

"The representation of agents was not the best."

Arguably 1 of the astir quotable films of the 1990s, "Jerry Maguire" features iconic lines similar "You had maine astatine hello" and "You implicit me."

However, determination is 1 four-word operation that resonates truthful profoundly with fans of some the movie and Steinberg that they, without fail, inquire him to present it successful person.

"Every clip I locomotion done an airport, oregon spell retired to dinner, adjacent aft 26 years, idiosyncratic runs up to the array oregon runs up to maine successful an airdrome and shouts 4 words — ‘Show maine the money!,’" Steinberg said.

During a one-minute scene, the juxtaposition of Cruise, stressed successful a stuffy bureau setting, and Gooding, shirtless, dancing successful his kitchen, shouting "Show maine the money!" backmost and forth, provided viewers with a comedic and pivotal arc successful the film.

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Steinberg told Fox News Digital that Tom Cruise, who portrayed him successful the 1996 movie "Jerry Maguire," did an "outstanding" job.

"I thought helium did an outstanding job," Steinberg said of Cruise’s portrayal. "Cameron Crowe is simply a talented director."

While filming, Steinberg told Fox News Digital that helium took Gooding to Super Bowl XXX successful Phoenix and "made him unreal helium was a wide receiver of excavation for a full week."

"He had to unreal I was his agent," Steinberg said.

Today, Steinberg, 76, continues to correspond athletes, including Kansas City Chiefs prima backmost Patrick Mahomes. In addition, Steinberg dedicates himself to the Leigh Steinberg Foundation, which aims to amended and rise accusation astir the risks of diversion concussions and money prophylactic attraction of concussions and healing the concussed brain.

Cuba Gooding Jr. played fictional wide receiver Rod Tidwell successful the 1996 comedy-drama. Steinberg said the histrion tagged on with him to Super Bowl XXX successful Phoenix portion filming. (Johnny Nunez)

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"I've been precise progressive with restating what an agent's work is, and I deliberation portion of it is to attraction for a player's health," Steinberg said.