LOVERRO: Rob Reiner and the real King Sturdevant: Maryland’s QB James Corcoran

OPINION:

Rob Reiner was born on the third base of show business, the son of the legendary comedy writer/director Carl Reiner.

Rob proceeded to steal home and built his own illustrious career.

He created his legacy in front of and behind the camera, playing the memorable Michael “Meathead” Stivic in the historic sitcom “All in the Family,” then directing some of the most celebrated movies of our time, from “A Few Good Men” to “Stand By Me.”

Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found dead Sunday in their home in Los Angeles. Their son, Nick, was arrested later that day and charged with murder.

It was a tragic end to a life that created joy and passion for so many, from Meathead’s humorous arguments with his father-in-law, Archie Bunker, that reflected the debates taking place in the streets and homes of Americans in the 1970s to the humanity he shared directing films like “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally.”

I lived through all of it and loved most of it. But there was one obscure character Reiner played in an appearance in one of the greatest shows in TV history that was particularly memorable for me.

Reiner played King Sturdevant — a hustler and minor league football quarterback for the Southern Illinois Warriors — in a 1976 episode of “The Rockford Files” (available on Amazon Prime) called “The No-Cut Contract,” where he steals the show from its star, James Garner.

Sturdevant has a lot going on. He owes money to the IRS. He chases women while the mob chases him because he has tapes of their conversations from a restaurant he owns. The feds are also after him.

Yet he carries himself like he’s Joe Namath, plus acts like Dick Butkus is an old friend when the two meet at a pool party, even though the legendary linebacker has no clue who he is.

It was never documented what the inspiration for King Sturdevant was, but it’s not hard to connect the dots — a fast-talking minor league quarterback named King — former Maryland football star James “King” Corcoran.

Corcoran, who died in 2009 at age 65, was an unforgettable character, a hot quarterback prospect out of Jersey City who was recruited by several schools.

The story goes that he spent several days at Notre Dame on a recruiting trip and declared he couldn’t go there because nobody partied.

He went on a trip to Miami and declared that he couldn’t go there because there were too many girls and too many parties.

He said he chose Maryland because it was in between — just enough girls and parties so that he could still play football.   

Corcoran led the Terps’ 1961 freshman team to an undefeated season, including a 29–27 victory over Navy and Roger Staubach. However, he clashed with the coaches and often played behind Dick Shiner.

Corcoran’s college friends recall him driving a limousine that was supposedly once owned by then-Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, and getting attention while driving with a bullhorn.

Corcoran had brief stints with the New York Jets, Boston Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, along with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League.

In Jets camp, the tale is that he told Namath that he — Corcoran — was the King. And that despite being called “the poor man’s Joe Namath.”

But his claim to fame was as quarterback of the semipro Pottstown Firebirds. NFL films produced a celebrated documentary of the team in 1970, and Corcoran was the star of the show, driving around this small, hard-boiled Pennsylvania town with a phone in his sports car.

He was inducted into the American Football Association’s Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

Corcoran was a hustler who always had some kind of deal going on, from real estate to beauty pageants and Indian casinos. He became a competitive polo player.

Now, you tell me — in 1976, where do “The Rockford Files” producers get the idea for a character who was a brash minor league quarterback named King? Reiner was every bit King Corcoran.

• Catch Thom Loverro on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast.