Former Syracuse men’s lacrosse All-American and current Navy SEAL Lt. Commander Rorke Denver is featured in the upcoming film “Act of Valor,” which is scheduled for release nationwide Friday, Feb. 24. Denver plays the leader of a SEAL team and he is one of several active-duty SEALs starring in the film alongside a cast of professional actors.
The 90-minute thriller, directed by the Bandito Brothers (Scott Waugh and Mike “Mouse” McCoy), is based on actual missions and was made with the help and approval of the Navy. Denver uses his own first name in the film and leads a covert mission to recover a kidnapped CIA agent, while also attempting to stop terrorists who aim to strike at America.
In the film, the full identities of the SEALs are not revealed and their names do not appear in the credits. None of the SEALs were made available by the Navy to promote the film or provide interviews.
Since embarking on his military career, Denver has been deployed to countries in Central and South America, Afghanistan, Liberia and Iraq. He’s received several awards, including the Bronze Star with Valor, three Navy Commendation Medals and three Navy Achievement Medals. He’s also served as the executive officer of the Naval Special Warfare Center’s Advanced Training Command.
A long-stick midfielder at Syracuse, Denver received honorable mention All-America laurels as a senior in 1996. He was a member of the 1993 and 1995 Orange national championship teams and captained the squad his senior season.
Denver was one of four SEALs that played college lacrosse recognized by the NCAA for their military service during championship weekend last May.
A reference to the environments (sea, air and land) in which they work, the SEALs were established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 as highly trained special-operations units. Insertions, extractions, reconnaissance and direct-action missions against military targets are just some of the duties of a Navy SEAL.
“Act of Valor” is due to release nationwide in theaters this weekend. View the official trailer below.
When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home.
