In October 2006, television history was created when the TV show Friday Night Lights first aired on NBC. For the next five seasons, the story of coach Eric Taylor, his wife Tami, and the players and citizens of the fictional town of Dillon, Texas became ingrained in the consciousness of millions of devoted fans.

A show that on the surface was about the dealings of a small Texas town high school football team became something much more.

Friday Night Lights debuted 10 years ago and left the air five years ago, making 2016 doubly important to the show's legion of fans. In honor of this groundbreaking series, we had a chance to catch up with one of the show's stars, Brad Leland aka Buddy Garrity, the often misunderstood booster and die-hard fan of the Dillon Panthers (and later the East Dillon Lions).

Leland was uniquely qualified to be a cast member on the show, having been born and raised in Texas and been a part of the Plano Wildcats' 1971 state championship-winning team. I got a chance to talk to him recently about playing high school football, being a part of such a talented cast, and the legacy of the show.

EM: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Before we get to the show and your role as Buddy, let's talk about your playing days back in Texas. What was it like playing at Plano back then when they were a real powerhouse in Texas?

BL: Well, yeah I started playing football back in Plano. Plano had won the state championship twice before I got there and then we won again in the early '70s. We played the games back then in Austin at [Darrel K. Royal-Memorial] Stadium. I was standing on the sidelines for the game in a cast that went from my ankle to my hip because I hurt my knee and that's what they did for those kind of injuries back then. I was jumping around and cheering and we won by one point at the very end. That was really a great experience. You know, all these years later, after everything I've gotten to do, that's still one of the highlights of my life.

EM: That's awesome. Did you have an opportunity to play at the next level? I know you went to school at Texas Tech University. Was playing there an option? Also, is that when and where you caught the “acting bug?”

BL: Oh, no I wasn't good enough for that. It was fun while I got the chance to play, but I was already into drama and that was what I was fully into once I got to Texas Tech. I started acting really in college and once I graduated, I was fortunate to land a role on Dallas and I've been doing this ever since.

EM: So, how did you land the role in the film version of “Friday Night Lights”? I'm assuming once you got that the role on the show pretty much followed directly after, right?

BL: Well, I was in Austin for something else at the time they were casting. I knew Peter Berg was there at the same hotel I was at. I didn't have any real designs on auditioning or anything. Anyway, I was walking through the lobby one day and Peter was too at the same time. Now I don't know if this was the Lord's work or fate or what have you, but we both kind of looked at each other. He gave me this extra long look. I'm not really sure what he thought or even if he really knew who I was, but I got a call later that day or maybe the next from my agent about the movie and they wanted me to audition for the part. Now, the role in the movie was way different from Buddy Garrity on the show. They were both booster characters, but Buddy had a lot more depth to him on the show, especially as it went on. I think he was very misunderstood most of the time. People thought he was the bad guy or against coach Taylor, but he was really a fan and he loved the team. Who loves a team more than a booster?

EM: What did they tell you about Buddy Garrity when you signed on for the show? Did they give you any idea of how they wanted the character to be or how he would develop?

BL: Not really, they didn't develop him initially other than to say they wanted him to be a pressure character for the Coach. As the years they let me give more substance to him. I kept asking them to let me have another wife or at least a girlfriend or at least a date something, but they always said no. Everybody makes mistakes and Buddy was a guy who really paid for his mistakes! I think if we would have gone on another year, they would have come around.

EM: What are some of your favorite memories from the show?

BL: The thing I loved about the show was really how much like a family we were. We had so much fun filming it never was like going to work. It was so great to be working with everybody there in Austin. We had fun, but we didn't mess around. It was work and it was good work and I think every one of us from the actors to the crew, we would work for 12 to 14 hours and it was hot and sweaty, but I don't think anyone of us wanted to be anywhere else.

(Laughing) It was on days like that when the pranks would start. I remember one time there was a scene where Kyle [Chandler] and Connie [Britton] were having a romantic evening and they were in the bedroom and all of a sudden I run in all sweaty in my T-shirt and jump into bed with them. Everyone laughed and Connie yelled, “Get that sweaty Buddy Garrity out of our bed!” Kyle was just rolling on the floor laughing. It was a great time and I love all those guys.

EM: Why do you think the show not only was so popular when it was out but remains popular now? The show really resonated with people. Why do you think that is?

BL: Well, it was really so much more than a show about high school football. It was a show about small towns, about community, about family. These are all concepts everyone can relate to. I think it was also a show that was kind of like the modern-day version of The Andy Griffith Show. You know, that show was about real people with real problems in a small town. It was about families and relationships. These are all concepts that everyone can relate to and I think that is why Friday Night Lights meant so much to so many people.

Even now, it's just as popular on things like Netflix. Not a day goes by where somebody doesn't come up to me and doesn't say “Clear eyes, full hearts.” I know that wasn't my line, but that is something that's part of the culture. I think it will last for years after we're all gone. I think that's pretty cool.

Eric Moreno is a freelance writer based in San Antonio, Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Texas-San Antonio and a lifetime season ticket holder for UTSA Roadrunner football. In his free time, when not attending games, is an avid reader and traveler. Follow him on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477.