Dean Cain, the actor who portrayed Clark Kent and Superman from 1993-97 in the TV series “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” has in recent years become more outspoken about his faith and has been doing a number of faith-based movies, including “God’s Not Dead.”

This week, he spoke to AL.com about his faith, Superman and football, including Nick Saban and University of Alabama football. Cain, now 57, played football at Princeton University. He was a defensive back who set a school record with 12 interceptions in a 10-game season in 1987 and a career record with 22 interceptions in 30 games. He signed in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, but his career was cut short with an injury. This interview has been edited for length.

AL.com: What would the theology of Superman be?

Dean Cain: That goes so deep. People talk all the time about Superman being a Christ-like figure. They put that in the last Superman, with Henry Cavill, in the Christ pose. I keep my faith and my character quite separate. I stay out of the theology of Superman because it can be anything. I don’t think he was meant to be a Christ-like figure with Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, who created him, I don’t think that was meant to be the concept behind it. It’s not a Christ-like figure, because he’s invulnerable. Nothing can hurt him. There’s very little that we as human beings have in common with Superman. His whole mission, at least the Clark Kent that I played, was to be more human, as human as he could be. I keep those things separate. I prefer to watch it that way and keep that a character. It gets too deep then, every little thing, then my head explodes.

Tell me about your journey of faith: Have you always been on some level a Christian?

I always believed there was a God. My family wasn’t a bunch of church-going, everyday, on Sunday. We’d go three times a year. We’d be there on Easter. We’d be there on Christmas Eve. We’d be there one other time, two other times a year. My buddy’s father was a Methodist minister. We’d go with them when we spent the night at their house. When I got to college, I went to Princeton, as you know, I figured I would find my faith and get a lot of the answers that I was looking for. Because we’re always looking for answers. People aren’t always sure. I studied the world religions. I thought I’d get some answers. It just raised more questions. I would go back and forth in my journey of faith. Every journey is unique. We all have very unique experiences. Where I really found faith was becoming a parent. When my son was born, just witnessing the miracle of birth, and then all of a sudden there’s this person on the planet that I care about more than myself. I would gladly die before anything happened. I would step in front of a bullet, in front of a train, I would do anything to save this person rather than myself. That really got me. That changes your whole perspective. My son was growing up, and I told him, you know one day you’re going to die. He’s 23. He went to a Christian high school, he studied the Bible. He’s been to Israel and Jordan. He’s still struggling for faith and that’s everybody has their journey. It’s something that will click with him. He’ll have to find that. I pray that he does find that place. I want him to have that peace. Without it, it’s a tough road we suffer on this planet. That’s what it was for me. My faith just gets stronger as I get older, the more I learn, the more I know and the more I understand, and the more I understand that some things aren’t understandable. That’s really been my journey. I’m really happy to go out and make as many faith-based films as I can. I don’t like to preach on camera, characters who are doing that. I think that turns off audiences. They get preached at every Sunday in church. They hear those messages. The way we did it in “God’s Not Dead” I think was kind of brilliant. That’s why the movie I think did so well. It made sense to people. You’re learning these lessons and learning these things without having someone just saying scripture to you. So I think that’s a very, very valid way of doing it. Telling some biblical stories but making it in modern day. People see the connection. Oh, I learned something there. I love to make these faith-based movies. I’ve done a whole bunch now. I don’t even want to guess what that number is now but it’s going to be more than I can count on my two hands and two feet.

Have you worked with the Erwin Brothers yet? They’re from here in Birmingham and they started a whole Christian movie industry in Alabama.

I hear that, Greg. Why don’t you call them up and tell them that I’ll listen. I’ve never worked with them. I admire what they do. They’ve done very, very well. The bigger sort of films like that are great. I’ve enjoyed some of their films, haven’t seen them all. I’ve worked with some actors who have worked with them and say wonderful things. I haven’t had a chance to work with them. After this interview, when you call them up and straighten that out, I’m sure we’ll remedy that.

I’ll float the idea: Dean Cain would love to work for you guys.

Let’s go!

They’re in the same genre as some of the films you’ve done, like ‘God’s Not Dead,’ and done a great job on things like the Kurt Warner story.

That was amazing. I read for that one, just didn’t get it. I didn’t read for Zach Levi’s part, the Kurt Warner part. I think I read for one of the coaches, even though I was a professional football player.

Did you read for the Erwin Brothers?

I didn’t read for them. These days you put it on tape. But I love the Kurt Warner story, so I put it on tape. Normally I wouldn’t even audition, but for that one, I liked it, I loved the story. I enjoyed it too. It was great fun to watch that movie. Zachary Levi did a great job. He’s a great guy and a great actor.

Maybe we can get you in an Erwin Brothers picture soon.

And if it’s got football, I’ll be really happy.

You played football at Princeton, right?

And then for the Buffalo Bills.

Does your interception record at Princeton still stand?

Greg, not only does it stand at Princeton, for the single season and career interception record marks – they both stand – but for the NCAA, in what we used to call Division I-AA, Football Championship Subdivision, we have the per-game average, season, and per-game average career marks still to this day for the NCAA. That’s been over 30 years.

That’s a hard record to break.

We only played 10 games a season. The per game average has to be what I hold onto. These guys are playing 15 games. Heck, if I’d played 15 games, I could have ended up with 18 interceptions. I averaged more than one a game.

As a college football star, formerly, what’s your take on Nick Saban? Is he still the man of steel in college football?

He’s gotten a few chinks in his armor lately. In the college game, to have a program like Alabama has had, it just doesn’t happen. You’re bringing in new athletes all the time and teaching them the system. They’re young and volatile and so much can go wrong. To be able to guide them and do all that, it’s pretty impressive what he’s done. He is unbelievable. So, yeah, he is certainly still the man of steel. Alabama’s lost once this season, right?

Yes, to Texas.

And Texas is ranked third in the country right now. I think Alabama’s still alive. They’ve got a chance. Their quarterback is an unbelievable athlete. It takes awhile to learn that position. I don’t count Alabama out at all. My cousin who went there would try to have my hide if I said anything negative. Nick Saban is a heck of a football coach, a heck of an administrator. He’s done a great job recruiting and keeping all that talent in Alabama. He’d be smart to stay there for the rest of his career. It ain’t gonna get any better anywhere else.

Have you ever been to Alabama or worked in Alabama?

I’ve been to Alabama. I shot a wonderful faith-based movie in Carrollton, Georgia, but I stayed in Alabama at the time. I’d drive back and forth every day. I’ve never filmed a movie in Alabama. But I’m willing to.

Which movie was in Carrollton, Georgia?

It’s called “The Way Home.” It’s a lovely story, a little bit of a tear-jerker, especially if you’ve got kids.

It was just across the border into Alabama. It was lovely. I don’t like to stay in hotels. I go bananas. I had a condo, all by myself. I cooked my own meals and do things. This whole movie took place on one single day. So, we only filmed during the daytime. At night, I’m done. I’d be there at dawn and we’d shoot all day, but as soon as it was dark, we were done. On Friday nights, I’m driving back from Carrollton, Georgia, all the way to Alabama. I don’t remember where it was but it was about a 40-minute drive. I would look for the lights on Friday nights. When there was a game somewhere, I’d pull up with my little soft seat and pull up and watch a high school game. That was phenomenal. I saw three or four.

Do you remember which schools you saw play?

I can’t. They were smaller schools that I saw. But I do remember thinking about it as if I were a scout and I was scouting like two or three kids who might be able to play D-1, D-2, whatever. That’s what was going through my head. This kid might have a shot. You’d be aware of some kids who have gotten a shot and done well. I couldn’t help looking at it like a recruiter. That guy’s a baller. There’s such a disparity of talent in high school. There still is in college. There’s very little disparity in talent when you get to the NFL. Everybody’s the best. When you see one high school kid that’s so much faster than all the others or so much bigger, so much stronger, it’s great fun to watch those high school games. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

If you hadn’t gotten injured, how do you think your NFL career would have gone?

If I hadn’t gotten injured, I say this with all humility, I would have played for five years, Buffalo would have won four of those Super Bowls, because I would have been on that team. I would have been a four-time All-Pro, and just retired at the top of my game just because I could.

And then, went on and played Superman and been in movies.

That is not what I think would have happened, but that is my dream as to what could’ve happened. I don’t know. Perhaps God saved me. Maybe I would have had a horrible accident. You just never know. With so many college players, you wonder, could I have made it in the NFL? Could I have run around with those guys. I was there and I was competing and I was having a great time. I felt more comfortable in the NFL game than I did the college game, because of the way they trained, the way they designed defenses. It was right up my alley. I was really excited about my time that I was going to get with Buffalo. We did lose the AFC Championship my rookie year. I was a rookie with Thurman Thomas. The next four years were all Super Bowl years. So, I really would have had a shot at those Super Bowls. Maybe I would have made a difference. I’d like to believe that somehow. I’m not saying I would have, but I like to believe that I could have.

Did you get in any exhibition games?

The day before the first pre-season game, I had surgery. It was Houston. We were playing at Houston. Back then, Houston wasn’t the Texans. It was the Oilers. I remember saying, the knees feel pretty good. Let’s see what happens after the Houston game. I knew I was going to see some time. You don’t want the vets playing in all those preseason games. I felt so excited. As a football player, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I’d see something and the ball would tend to bounce to me. I was one of those guys. I think there’s something about football IQ or football sense. I was a football player. I still look at myself first as a football player, and then, as everything else.

Where are you now, this moment, as we speak?

As we speak I’m sitting at my home in Spain. A lot of folks who do what I do, who make movies, actors, a lot of them have some success and then squander their money. Everything goes South. I have not been that way. I’ve been very smart with my investments. I have a number of homes. I own four separate properties, one of them being this one here in Spain. I’m here just doing a few things. My buddy had a wedding in Italy, which they had me officiate, so I had to be ordained. That was more pressure than about anything. I felt that pressure. My son’s coming out next week. We’re going to have a little vacation, then I’m going to do a couple little work things, shoot a documentary, some other things out here in Europe. I’ll be back in the states in November. Again, I’ve been smart with my money. I made smart investments. I’m not a crazy spender. I don’t have six Lamborghinis or that stuff. I have a buddy who has a bunch of Lamborghinis and if I need to drive one I’ll borrow his. I’ve been smart in real estate. I’ve invested in precious metals. I’ve got some in the stock market. I stay diverse. You always have to be prepared for any contingency. That’s served me very, very well. I just left California. I just moved out of California to Las Vegas. I’ve got 10 times the house. The house is the nicest house I’ve ever been in, in my life. I’m ecstatic. There’s so much to do there: sports, shows, whatever you want. I’m ecstatic.

So Las Vegas is your primary residence now, not Malibu or Beverly Hills?

Correct. I’m completely out of California. I’m a registered Nevada voter. I’m someone who takes that civil responsibility very seriously. So I make sure I vote in every election. When I’m away, I make sure to have an absentee ballot.

What type of ordination did you get for this wedding?

I did the easiest one I could possibly do. I think it was the Universal Life Church because it happened really fast and I could just do it online.

What day was the wedding?

It was last Friday. I’m still recovering. It was a Persian wedding. (Phone rings). That’s my Mom.

You can take it if you want.

I’m just texting I’ll call her right back.

So, it’s a Persian wedding and you officiated?

That’s my life. One of my best friends was like, we’re having our wedding in Florence. I thought, Nobody’s going to show up. There were hundreds. I’m like, Do you just know rich people? It’s a pretty penny to get there and do all that. I’ve been to Persian weddings. They’re so much fun. My best friend’s Persian, so it’s great fun. We had a great time. I was so honored to do it, it was wonderful and so emotional, and whew, the parties afterward. When you plan a party to go until 4 a.m., then you know you’re out of control. They had a blast. It was so much fun. I snuck off. I pulled the Irish goodbye.

The friend you did the wedding for, you know him from show business?

Yeah. He’s one of my best friends. He’s produced a bunch of movies for me, just a great guy. I travel around the world with him. His name’s Kia Jam. I’ve been to probably 20 countries with this guy. We’ve traveled all over Eastern Europe, Hong Kong, the Far East. You name it, we’ve been there. He’s been in my house here in Spain, we’ve been all over Europe. Just a great guy. He works all the time. He’s going to shoot a movie in Malta. And he’s like, Swing by! I can’t just swing by Malta right now. Fortunately in this business, you get the opportunity to travel, whether you like it or not.

Outside movies, what are your commitments now?

Leaving Los Angeles was a big-time financial decision. It was stupid to stay there. I started working with Genesis Gold Group earlier this year. I’ve gone on news shows and talked a lot of politics and things of that nature. I do a lot of faith-based movies. I’m part of the advisory board of a Christian gaming company called TruPlay Games. It’s got all these video games. Kids spend like seven hours a day on their phones and on those devices. This is one where they’re getting biblical stories and things of that nature. Not slammed on their head, but in the games. You can’t get predators in there. I love working on the games and devices. I love working with JCFilms, where I make faith-based films. The reason that I’ve done okay is I’m smart with my money. I’ve diversified with real estate and precious metals. It’s super important to stay diversified in life, in business, in anything.

Do you own actual gold bars?

I like to have some physical gold and some stored elsewhere. I’ve got this one coin, it’s a 1924 gold piece. It’s really cool. First of all, I’m a history major, so I love the older pieces. There are collectibles that are really cool. This one coin, back in 1924, if you used that $20 gold coin you could buy the nicest tailored suit that they made, or you could have used a $20 bill, because our money was backed by gold. Now it’s not. Since 1971, with Nixon, we’re backed by nothing. So, they’re just printing and printing. Today if you use a $20 bill you could buy yourself two lattes at Starbucks. That same gold piece, that $20 gold piece, I can still buy the nicest tailored suit out there because it’s worth about $3,000. That’s the difference. Gold retains its value. If you look at biblical times, what do the three wise men bring baby Jesus? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. It’s been there forever. It’s been monetarily valuable forever. I don’t know how much more stable an investment you can make.

How many properties did you get rid of in California?

I’ve sold four properties in California and I’m not in a hurry to get back.

It’s kind of risky for an actor to be speaking up on politics as you have, isn’t it?

It’s risky for a person in my position to speak about politics, it’s risky to speak about religion, it’s risky to speak about faith at all. I’m not living this life scared and hiding. I sit on the board of directors for the NRA. I’m very open in my beliefs. I think you have to stand up for what you believe in.

Dean, thanks for talking. You’d better call your Mom back.

That’s exactly what I’m going to do right now.

See also: Why ‘Shazam’ star Zachary Levi was cast as Kurt Warner by Alabama filmmakers