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Who Sean Clifford Should Play In The Live-Action Clifford The Big Red Dog Movie

Clifford the Big Red Dog will hit movie theaters everywhere next November. Like with other famous cartoons, it will be adapted into a live-action movie. Naturally, this begs the question, will Sean Clifford make a special appearance in the film?

Even though we can safely assume he won’t, thanks to that NCAA rule about profiting off your image and likeness, we couldn’t help but ponder what roles he could play if he gets contacted (which he should). Here are some of our opinions on what character Clifford should play.

Clifford

Sean Clifford has been the unquestioned leader of the Penn State offense so far this season. It makes sense then that he should also be the unquestioned leader of dogs everywhere in the movie. Clifford the Big Red dog is always hailed as the leader of his friends, both humans and dogs alike. The similarities are there!

It is unclear if in the movie Clifford the Big Red Dog will have a speaking role, but if the studio is faithful to the source material, the dog should speak. If Clifford does speak, Penn State’s Sean Clifford would be more than capable of providing a stellar voice over. Just listen to how he talks about KJ Hamler.

Clifford the Big Red Dog is also a big role model for (real) children everywhere — and Sean Clifford is no different. His story of patience while waiting for a starting role on the Nittany Lions is an inspiration to all.

Plus, his fun-loving personality has made Penn State fans from all walks of life fall in love with him. If he had the opportunity to showcase that to the world, there is no doubt they would love him too.

Animal Control

There is one major flaw with Sean acting as Clifford the Big Red Dog, however, because Clifford the dog is red — a.k.a. the color of that team from Ohio. A true Penn State fan would never associate with that color, and Sean is more than just a fan. He’s an icon. So, if that means Clifford needs to be the villain in the movie, then so be it.

Being a member of animal control and trying to go after Clifford the Big Red Dog would be something that all blue-blooded Penn State fans would support. The one thing that would make people feel better about Sean Clifford being a villain is if he was against the red Clifford. He could be the Loki of the Clifford the Big Red Dog Cinematic Universe — a lovable, sympathetic villain. Everyone would support that.

Emily’s Big Brother

For those who are uncultured in the Clifford the Big Red Dog universe, Emily is Clifford’s owner. In the movie, it’s unclear whether or not she will have a brother, so why not have Sean Clifford be the brother? Just imagine Clifford as the responsible older brother. He definitely has experience setting a good example for Liam.

Just picture this scene in the movie: Emily comes to Sean Clifford’s dorm to ask for advice about what she should do with the dog. Clifford doesn’t know because he thinks it’s a normal dog.

But then, he opens his window and sees a giant, red dog staring at him. He can then join Emily on a journey to do something with Clifford the Big Red Dog, who really knows what the plot of the movie will actually be.

Himself

The most realistic out of all of these unrealistic options is Sean Clifford cameoing as himself. His role could be blended in, in a very normal, entertaining way. In fact, he could set up the whole plot of the movie in 20 seconds, just by being a Penn State quarterback.

Picture this: Emily is watching a Penn State football game. Sean Clifford is under center, analyzing the Michigan defense. KJ Hamler is lined up on the left side, looking into the soul of the defender he is about to obliterate. Clifford knows this, and when he snaps the ball, he throws a beautiful spiral right over the middle. Hamler is there, catches it, and runs for a touchdown.

Emily, being the true Penn State fan that she is, gets super excited. She jumps up and down, yelling at the TV. But out of nowhere, she hears a bark coming from outside. She goes to see what is going on, and to her surprise, she sees a red dog. The red dog has no collar and looks very scared. Emily takes pity on the dog and brings it into the home. She doesn’t know what to call the dog, though, since the dog does not have a collar, it is only her duty to name the dog.

So, after watching Sean Clifford throw a dime in a football game, Emily decides to name the red dog Clifford. And thus, a legendary friendship is born.

Boom. Sean Clifford as himself.

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About the Author

Owen Abbey

Owen Abbey was a Secondary Education major before he graduated from the wonderful institution known as Penn State. When he was not writing for the blog, he enjoyed rooting for the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens, supporting Penn State basketball and softball, dreaming of all of the ways he would win the TV show "Survivor," and yes mom, actually doing school work. All of this work prepared him to teach his own class of students, which was always his true passion. He still can be found on Twitter @theowenabbey and can be reached for questions and comments at [email protected]

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