Mr. T was chosen for this role by Stallone himself - he spotted Mr. T in a "world's toughest bouncer" contest (which Mr. T won). What sold Stallone was Mr. T's snazzy dressing, no-nonsense attitude and spectacular lingo. Apparently, the line that solidified him on the idea of hiring T was Mr. T's answer to the question "how do you handle potential troublemakers?". Mr. T had his head shaved bald at the time, and his answer was "I tell dem fools that mah patience is as long as the hair on mah head." He was hired almost instantly. The role in Rocky III got him the spot in the A-Team, and the rest is history...