After shooting Hoosiers, Valainis moved to California to pursue a career in acting. However, he later reflected that after getting the role in Hoosiers so easily, he believes that he took acting for granted. He received a few small roles in feature films, one of them being Scott Thorson in the TV biopic Liberace (1988), before turning his attention to golf. Valainis had been an all-state Golfer at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as a member of the golf team at Purdue University. After giving up on acting, he began a career in golf course management, including working as a caddie for professional golfers.
