By Taylor Holley

DELAND, Fla.  -- It is a classic case of hometown boy gone Hollywood for Daytona Beach Thunder kicker Jaye Tyroff.

After years of toiling in anonymity, Tyroff enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame with a speaking part in the recently released “We Are Marshall” movie that chronicled the rebirth of the Marshall football program following the 1970 plane crash that killed 75, including most of the Thundering Herd’s players and coaching staff.

Director Joseph McGinty Nichol chose Tyroff out of a field of more than 3,000 to play the role of the Marshall punter in a dream job for any sports/acting fanatic. The experience included a NFL combine-like scenario for the 25 finalist to prepare the actors to recreate football scenes.

“It was really cool to be able to see what happens behind the scenes of a movie like this,” said Tyroff.

Yes, Tyroff got to hang with star Matthew McConaughey, even though they weren’t on a first-name basis sometimes. It wasn’t because McConaughey is aloof, though.

“He always loves to act in character,’’ Tyroff recalled. “So when we’re on the set, he asked to call him “Coach” or Coach [Jack] Lengyel.”

With the acting business the way it is, Tyroff is banking more on his kicking abilities as he gets his first glimpse of professional football this season.

He had a signed a scholarship with the University of Miami, but broke his right fibula during practice his senior year at Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga. Tyroff’s spent the past two years playing with the semi-pro Georgia Patriots  -- nailing a 70-yarder one game – to return to full strength. .