Hotties from the Aughties

THE EARLY 2000S WERE A PARTICULARLY GOOD TIME FOR TV HEARTTHROBS. REVISIT FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, GILMORE GIRLS, SCRUBS AND ONE TREE HILL WITH THE STARS WE’RE STILL SWOONING OVER

- PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOUG INGLISH

CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS "Until my next job I never realized how much downtime we filled playing catch," says Gilford (right). Adds Porter: "I took a football with me to every set for the next decade."

Friday Night Lights

SCOTT PORTER & ZACH GILFORD

It’s been nearly 15 years since Zach Gilford and Scott Porter tossed a football together on-set, but watching the two actors who played high school quarterbacks Jason Street and Matt Saracen on NBC/DirecTV’s Friday Night Lights, which aired from 2006 to 2011, hang out in a re-creation of the Dillon Panthers locker room, it’s like they never left Texas. “Hey, man, no one I’d rather do it with,” Porter, 46, tells Gilford, 43, as the two (finally) put the ball down and talk life then and now.

What do you make of being a part of the Sexiest Man Alive issue?

SCOTT PORTER The last text I sent to Zach was “Isn’t it hilarious that they asked us to do this?”

You two were real-life roommates in early seasons. How was that?

PORTER We had a lot of respect for each other. The common area was always clean.

ZACH GILFORD Yeah, until you got a f---ing bunny. Just because the bunny’s poop is behind the couch doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

What’s your favorite memory from Friday Night Lights?

GILFORD After the wrap party a bunch of us broke into the field and played football at 1 a.m. It was the perfect way to wrap up the whole series.

What shows are you watching now?

PORTER I absolutely love Survivor.

GILFORD Oh, I’m still all in. I’d compete in a heartbeat.

PORTER Hey, Jeff Probst, these two right here!

GILFORD This season on