the late Ron LesterBilly Bob’s role as emotional offensive guardian Varsity Blues will always be remembered.
The 1999 football film has become a cult classic sports film, with the late James Van Der Beek starring hopeful backup quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxon, who dreams of escaping his small Texas hometown. When starting quarterback and Mox’s best friend Lance Harbor (played by the late Paul Walker) gets hurt, Mox is forced to become the captain of the soccer team, which changes his future plans.
While the late 1990s and early 2000s were full of football movies (see: the 2004 film Friday night lights), this film has continued to be talked about more than two decades after its release.
Maybe it was Ali Larterthe now-famous whipped cream bikini that did, or perhaps Mox’s “I don’t want your life” speech directed at her father, performed by Thomas F. Duffy. (You can even see one Compilation video of 10 minutes (of Van Der Beek saying, “I don’t want your life,” repeatedly, in a Texan accent.)
But one thing’s for sure: Lester’s Billy Bob totally made the movie, scoring the film’s final touch and then crying about it. (Never forget Mox’s voiceover declaring, “Billy Bob cried, because he’s a bit of a crybaby.”)
Varsity Blues returns to the headlines in 2026 after the death of Van Der Beek at the age of 48 after a long battle with cancer.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace,” read a statement shared on Instagram in February 2026. “There is so much to share about his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we mourn our beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Van Der Beek’s death comes years after his former co-star Lester died in June 2016 at the age of 45.
Keep scrolling to learn all about Lester:
Who played Billy Bob in ‘Varsity Blues’?
Ron Lester played Billy Bob Varsity Blues. Throughout his career, the actor also had roles in films such as Good Hamburger (his film debut), No Another movie for teenagers, The Greenskeeper, The Fat Boy Chronicles i Racing Legacy (his last role before his death).
The actor underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2000 after being overweight his entire life. It was reported to have weighed as much as 508 pounds at one point. By 2014, Lester had lost over 300 pounds.
Did Billy Bob from “Varsity Blues” die?
Ron Lester died on June 17, 2016, after a long hospitalization.
How did Billy Bob from “Varsity Blues” die?
Ron Lester was initially hospitalized in September 2015 after suffering from liver and kidney problems. In November of that year, Lester gave fans an update on his health via X (then Twitter).
“The liver and kidneys are starting to heal, he was about to die!” he wrote at the time. “Without my fiance Jennifer WorlandI wouldn’t be alive!”
In June 2016, his agent confirmed Weekly entertainment that Lester had suffered liver and kidney failure and was being transferred to a hospital where his breathing tubes would be removed.