Arnold Schwarzenegger Learned About Football Through His Kids: 'They Would Explain to Me the Rules' (Exclusive)

“I don’t come from a football background, I come from a football background,” says the actor

Arnold Schwarzenegger discovered his love for football through his children.

While speaking with PEOPLE about his 2024 Super Bowl commercial for State Farm, the Austrian-born actor said he mostly learned about American football while his children were growing up playing the game.

“It was all more their agreement because I don’t come from a football background. I come from a football background,” he says. “So I would say most of the things I learned about football I learned through my kids because they would visit their friends and talk about, ‘Oh, this is a foul,’ and I would say, ‘Why was it foul?’ And they would explain the rules to me.”

“So they were very, very smart and really experienced,” adds Schwarzenegger, noting that sons Patrick and Christopher played football growing up.

“We had football events at home. They brought their friends,” he adds. “We had a 5,000-pound pizza to serve. That was always a big deal.”

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Christina Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Richard Shotwell/Variety/Penske Media via Getty

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Schwarzenegger, who first rose to fame as a bodybuilder before turning to acting, has four children with ex-wife Maria Shriver: daughters Katherine (34) and Christina (32) and sons Patrick (30) and Christopher (26). also shares son Joseph Baena, 26, with Mildred Patricia Baena.

Schwarzenegger has teamed up with State Farm for a commercial that will air during Sunday’s big game featuring him as a State Farm agent in a play on his long career as an action star.

Despite the high-profile spot, Schwarzenegger isn’t taking sides as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers prepare to clash for the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas.

Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he once threw his son Patrick’s mattress into the pool to teach him a lesson

Katherine Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christina Schwarzenegger May 22, 2023

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

“It doesn’t matter to me,” he tells PEOPLE when asked who he’s rooting for on Sunday. “I really enjoyed watching those teams play and I’m really looking forward to it. No matter what, if you watch the best, you’ll enjoy it.”

Schwarzenegger’s State Farm ad will air just before the start of the second quarter on Sunday when the Chiefs and 49ers face off in Super Bowl LVIII, airing on CBS at 6:30pm ET.

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Source: HIS Education