Josh Freeman Poses As MJ

(2-6-2013) In the upcoming ESPN The Magazine music issue, Josh Freeman (25), quarterback of the American football team Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is transformed into an MJ look-alike, posing for a duplicate of the ‘Thriller’ and ‘Off the Wall’ album covers. He was born six years after Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ album debuted, but he’s always been a huge fan:

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Michael Jackson. He’s an icon. The way that he took so many different styles of music and dance. He almost created his own genre.

My favorite Michael Jackson song is ‘Black or White’. Because I am black and white. My father is black, African American, and my mom is caucasion. So it’s a nice split right down the middle.”

The concept of the ESPN music issue—recreating album covers with athletes—was the idea of ESPN The Magazine contributor Stacey Pressman. Originally, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was a candidate to pose as Michael Jackson. But while having dinner with Tampa Bay Buccaneers fullback Erik Lorig, they suggested Freeman. The photo shoot was done in December on a Tuesday, players’ day off, at a studio in Tampa (USA) and took only four hours to complete. In a behind-the-scenes video for ESPN, Freeman talked about the challenge of becoming MJ:

“It all started with the hair. You know, you’ve got to get the hair right. I’m getting there. Just need a few things. It’s all about getting dressed, getting the outfit right, it’s little subtleties of looking more like him. You’re like, ‘I don’t look like him.’ Because you look at yourself almost every day. But the pics came out and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’”

ESPN used a real tiger cub in the re-make of the ‘Thriller’ cover. Pressman said they discovered there are a lot of retired performers from Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus living in central Florida and one had a tiger cub.

“What you don’t realize is how difficult it is to stay slightly propped up with your shoulder right here and your head kind of titled, not too far, while you’re balancing a tiger on your knee,” Freeman said. “That was probably definitely an experience I’ll never forget.”

In the video, Freeman also attempts the signature vocal and some dance steps made famous by Michael—with little success.

“Ooh, whoo!” Freeman belts off-key. “I can’t get the notes, but you guys know what I’m going for.

I appreciate great dancing. The moonwalk, you get that nice little tight spin, the leg kick and end it.”

Freeman was stunned to see the striking resemblance between him and Michael Jackson after artists had applied the wigs, make up and clothes.

“I think it kind off scared him when he saw himself,” Pressman said. “He said, ‘I do look like him.’ He was a great sport. He hasn’t done a lot of lifestyle stuff and I think they told him, ‘you never do anything fun.’ I think a selling point for him to do it was we told him the issue came out in Feb. He was worried about it coming out during the season. So he said, ‘okay.’ Incidentally, the Bucs lost all four games played in December.

To view a video of Freeman’s transformation, please click here.

The special ESPN The Magazine music issue also features American soccer player and Olympic medalist Alex Morgan posing as Katy Perry and NASCAR star Jimmie Kenneth Johnson posing as Bob Dylan.

Source: MJFC / Tampa Bay Times