Remember the Titans

In Virginia,

high school football

is a way of life.

It's bigger

than Christmas day.

My daddy

coached in Alexandria.

He worked so hard,

my mama left him,

but I stayed with Coach.

He needed me on that field.

Up until 1971

in Alexandria,

there was no race mixing.

Then the school board

forced us to integrate.

They combined the white school

and the black school into one

called

T. C. Williams High School.

Murderer! Murderer!

hat summer

a black teenager was killed

by a white store owner,

and the city was

on the verge of exploding.

!! Well, my mind

is goin' through some changes!!

You've caused

enough damage!

- This is my store!

- Back off.

Blue left!

Blue left! Left!

Come on, Kurt, don't let Ray

back you down like that!

You're twice his size!

Aargh!

What are they doing?

If they keep playing like that,

we'll lose every game!

I didn't think

that was so bad.

!!She had to run!!

Looks good, Gerry.

I can see you been working.

Thanks.

Thanks a lot, Coach.

Listen, with the schools

integrating and all,

some of the guys are

worried about losing

their starting

positions.

Well, that's something we're

just gonna have to figure out,

but you don't worry

about that now.

You just keep at it.

All right?

Yes, Coach.

Hey, guys! Guys!

It's comin' down!

It's comin' down

at the store!

They want to burn

the place up

'cause that colored kid

got shot.

Come on, man,

let's go.

Hey. Hey!

Coach?

You just get Sheryl

to the school now, Herb.

!!Sorry!!

Get in the truck.

Gerry, Alan, Ray,

if you ever want

to play for me again,

get in the truck now.

You boys are gonna cool off,

come with me to my office,

help me finish

packing my things.

Gerry, son, your heart's

in the right place,

but you ought

to know better

than to embarrass

the coach like that.

Hell, why don't you just

kick them all off the team?

I don't want to play with

any of those black animals.

Whoa.

I see him.

Who are you?

I'm Herman Boone. I'm

the new assistant coach.

Well, from

the looks of things,

I'd say we got all the help

we need around here.

Why ain't you outside there

with all your

little friends, hollering'?

This was the time that

was arranged for me

to meet with

Coach Yoast.

I never miss

an appointment.

Well, maybe you just

better reschedule.

Coach Boone, the school

board made the decision

to put you on my staff.

I did not hire you.

Well, I came up here

to coach at G.W.

I didn't ask the schools

to redistrict.

I didn't ask to be

assigned to your staff,

so I guess we're both

in a situation

we don't want to be in.

But I can guarantee

you this, Coach,

I come to win.

Win? Coach Yoast

here has been nominated

to the Virginia

High School Hall of Fame.

I won a couple of titles

down in North Carolina.

That's double ''A'' ball.

This here's Virginia.

We play triple ''A.''

What an opportunity

for me then...

to learn...

from the best.

!! Ooh, I bet

you're wonderin' how I knew!!

Are those

people the movers?

No. Looks like

they're moving in here.

How many

of them are there?

It only takes one.

Then we're gonna be

overrun by 'em.

Mommy, where are you

taking my teddybear?

That. Come on, y'all.

Ohh.

Where is everybody?

Nicky, yes.

Look there, here

comes some more of'em.

That's Dr. Day, that

Negro from the school board.

What's he doing here?

The school board has decided

that Negro Herman Boone

is gonna be

the head coach at T.C.

It's not fair!

My daddy's head coach!

This is gonna be

his Hall of Fame year!

No one

is trying to takeaway

your daddy's future

place in the hall.

You can't just walk in here

and take my daddy's job away!

That is enough, Sheryl.

That's enough.

Sheryl!

Ow.

I...

it's all right, Bill.

I feel the same way.

It's those agitators

and race-mixers

I feel like

taking a swat at.

Troublemakers in

the Berg are ready

to put a torch

to the city.

to put a torch

to the city.

You want us to burn up

like Watts?

Every head coach in

the system is white.

We had to give them

something.

It's the world we live in,

God help us all.

I left North Carolina

because I was passed over

for a job that I had

rightfully earned.

Gave it to a white coach

down there

couldn't even tie up

his own football cleats.

Now you are asking me

to do the same thing

to this man?

I can't do that.

Herman?

Folks in Carolina say

you marched with Dr. King.

Say you stood toe-to-toe

with the Klan.

Said you're a race man.

That's right.

I'm also a family man.

Coach Boone, black folks

have never had

anything in this city

to call their own

except humiliation

and despair.

Dr. Day, excuse me.

Herman, I think you'd

better look outside.

So, you see,

we need you, Coach Boone.

Come on,

meet the people.

Coach Boone,

I'm Charles Campbell.

This here is

my boy Julius.

He can be the fi nest

defensive end

in the whole state

if you push him to it.

I've heard a lot

about you.

You're like an answer

to our prayers.

Now, wait a minute. I'm not

an answer to your prayers.

I'm not a savior

or Jesus Christ,

Martin Luther King,

or the Easter bunny.

I'm a football coach,

that's all.

Just a football coach.

You're our coach.

You're our coach!

Coach Boone!

Boone! Boone! Boone!

What do you want?

Is Coach Yoast here?

We're busy...

interviewing

for head coaching jobs.

Gotten 11 offers and

certainly no time for you.

Well, come on in.

I've got an office out back.

Look, I can't

even spell diplomacy,

and I'm sorry about

the way things went down,

but make no mistake,

I am qualified

to be this school's

head coach.

Sure. You've been in,

what,

in the past 1 0 years?

With 4 or5

championships.

This isn't about me.

I'm worried about my boys.

Well, I ain't gonna

cook 'em and eat 'em.

The best player will play.

Color won't matter.

From the looks of our

little situation we got here,

I'd say it's about

all that does.

Yeah, you're right.

We're in

a tough spot, Coach,

you, me, the whole city.

I think it would go a long

way to smooth things over

if you would stay,

work on the staff,

be a defensive coordinator,

assistant head coach.

Work under you?

If that's the way

you see it.

Good night, Coach.

It's been

a rare privilege

to have lived here

as long as I have

coaching your boys.

I'll be taking

the year off...

No.

after which

I'll be moving to Loudon

and taking the head coaching

job at Loudon High.

- I say boycott T.C. Williams!

- Tell 'em, Fred!

Our boys aren't playing

for some ''Coach Coon!''

Coach,

he stole your job.

I'm not playing for him.

I started a petition, and I'm

sitting this season out.

Only place

you're going to sit

is back in that chair,

Gerry.

I appreciate it, though.

Boycott T. C.!

Boycott the school!

Stop this, Fred.

You know none of these boys

can afford to go

to some other district

just to play ball.

They sit this one out,

they put their futures

on the line.

Coach, I'm out, too.

I'm not playing

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