Marshawn Lynch may not seem like the most obvious candidate to be cast in a raunchy comedy about queer high school girls starting a fight club. But according to Bottoms director Emma Seligman, the NFL star had a personal connection to the story.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Seligman revealed that she initially assumed Lynch would turn down the role of scene-stealing high school teacher Mr. G, and she was "so shocked that he even was considering it." Ultimately, however, he was drawn to the Bottoms script as a way to honor his queer sister, Marreesha Sapp-Lynch.