The Express Page #2

You're leaving us a

hell of a hole, Jim.

And we are up

against the big boys.

We've got Pitt, UCLA, Texas.

You mean he's colored.

He's a Negro, yes.

You can't talk to Negroes?

I can't...

I'm not good at that

salesman stuff.

Not much of a dancer,

you know that.

I know this wasn't

the most welcoming...

place for you, but

that's not my fault.

I can only control

what happens...

on 100 yards of gridiron.

But I do know Cleveland never

would have heard of you...

if you hadn't come

here to play for me.

What I did here was on

my back and my sweat.

What good would

your time be here...

if you're not willing to help

the next kid get his chance?

A kid like you.

He's got talent, Jim.

Maybe even your

kind of talent.

Didn't mention

anything in your...

telegram about

bringing Jim Brown.

I hope you don't mind signing

a couple hundred autographs.

Ha. Jim loves to sign

autographs, don't you?

You know, Jim, I'm a

Syracuse man myself.

Class of '31.

You don't say.

Is that Bill Clark

from Notre Dame?

Yeah,

been here all week.

Yeah, not enough he

steals Ramsey...

right out from under my nose.

That's your man

right there, Ernie Davis.

Plays baseball, too.

In fact, there's not

a sport he doesn't play.

Try it one more time.

Let's see what he does.

He's too fast for these kids.

He's too fast for anybody.

Ben Schwartzwalder.

Head coach, Syracuse

University Orangemen.

Pleasure to meet you, sir.

Pleasure to meet you, son.

Do you know why I'm here?

Same reason as

Notre Dame, sir?

Yeah, same reason.

But don't just take my

word for it. Jim. Jim.

I'll be right back.

- Thank you.

There's another fan

who'd like to tell you...

how much he'd like to

see you come play for us.

Jim...

- Brown.

touchdowns in the Cotton Bowl.

We lost the Cotton Bowl.

But that sweep where you

cut back to the middle?

My mama and me watched

that game on...

a television set in

Sears and Roebuck.

She's a big fan

of yours, too.

Oh.

Is she?

Mr. Brown?

I hope you like caramel cake.

I do, thank you.

Here you go.

I understand you're from

Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis.

What brings you up

here to New York?

I asked him to come.

To help me make up my mind.

That's good to have

family like that.

You close to your family,

Mr. Schwartzwalder?

I have a wife

and two daughters.

And they never ask my

opinion about anything.

Seems to work.

Mr. Brown?

Yes, sir.

Were you the first in your

family to go to college?

Yes, sir, I was.

And what's it like at

Syracuse for men like us?

It's great.

It's good.

I suppose I'd say

it's not that...

different than

a lot of places.

This cake is delicious.

I want you to go

out. Keep going.

Back. Back. All right.

Mr. Brown, I'm not

real big on lacrosse.

Jim.

- Jim.

Okay, let's see

what you've got.

It's not as easy

as it looks, is it?

I'm all right.

You see, lacrosse

isn't just a sport.

The Indians used it to settle...

their conflicts

and heal the sick.

They also played it as

a preparation for war.

Make no mistake, there's

a war in this country,

but for men like us, it's

not on the football field.

So if all you nice folks

are offering the same thing,

what makes you different?

Well, Syracuse...

Not Syracuse. You.

I'm not sure I follow

you, Mr. Davis.

My grandson might

be spending the...

next four years

listening to you,

learning from you.

So, I suppose what I'm

asking, Mr. Schwartzwalder,

is what kind of man are you?

I just want to be the best

player I can be, you know.

I want to be

like you, Jim Brown,

first-team All-American

then straight to the NFL,

and I need you to

tell me exactly...

where I gotta be to get there.

Look, if you go to Syracuse,

it's not gonna

be easy for you.

But Schwartzwalder,

he's one of...

the best coaches

in college ball.

Now you're fast,

but he'll make you faster.

You run hard, he'll show

you how to run harder.

And you're good,

but he'll make you better.

And if you ever

tell him I said that.

I'll jump on the

first plane from

Cleveland and come

and wring your neck.

Now let's get out of here.

Let me tell you

something about Jim...

and I, we had our

differences at times.

So whatever he told

you about me, I...

would take it with

a grain of salt.

Even if he said you

were a good coach?

Well, in that case,

son, I would tell...

you that too much

salt is bad for you.

Ernie? Ernie Davis?

How'd you guess?

Welcome.

I'm Lew Andreas, the

athletic director. Come on.

I'll give you a tour of the...

campus on the

way to your dorm.

All right.

- Syracuse has a storied...

academic tradition, Ernie.

- Really?

Steven Crane attended

the university in 1891...

and wrote The Red

Badge of Courage...

Hey, Lew.

Harry. Sorry, I'll be

right back. Right back.

Harry.

- How are you?

No one from here has ever won,

if that's what

you're looking for.

No harm in dreaming,

right, Coach?

It's not about

winning trophies.

Davis. It's about

winning games.

I'll see you at practice.

Get up. Get up.

That was plum awful.

Now, last one runs a lap.

Let's go.

Run a lap.

five, six...

Youmans, you move

like a walrus.

Come on. Like a big,

old elephant walrus.

Gerhard, goose-step.

Make your ancestors proud.

Ease up, Davis.

What are you smiling at?

This fine institution is...

giving you three

hots and a cot.

I do not intend to let

them waste their money.

Get them up, come on.

Right about now,

I bet you're wondering...

what happened to that nice...

gentleman that

visited your house...

and begged you

to come here, huh?

Let's go. Now make

no mistake, gentlemen.

No matter what anyone

else tells you,

you are not here to

just play football.

You are offside.

You are here at

Syracuse to win games.

And you can't win games if you...

can't out-perform

the other team.

Don't you step on

my All-Americans.

If you step on my

All-Americans.

I will reach down your throat,

grab your donuts and

tie them to your tonsils.

Good hit.

Take him down.

So, you're the

next Jim Brown, huh?

Yeah, I can see

the resemblance.

Yeah, except Brown was

always mad about something.

Don't be fooled by the smile.

Well, he's funnier

than Jimmy.

Yeah.

Well, maybe he

can entertain us.

You dance, Davis?

Not as good as me, Lundy.

Come on. Get up.

Move. Move. Move. Move.

You should know,

you never call Coach, 'Sarge.'

He was a captain,

jumped out of...

airplanes, stormed a

bridge in Normandy.

Killed people,

won medals.

By the way, I'm Gerhard

Schwedes, halfback.

Roger, everybody calls

me Hound Dog though.

Maury Youmans, center.

I'll be keeping your

jersey clean next year.

He embarrassed you.

Embarrassed you.

I want you to move Davis

from freshman to varsity.

But he won't be eligible

to play in any games, Ben.

Why don't we just

let him catch...

his stride with

the other freshmen?

First, when he does

become eligible next year.

I want him to hit

the ground running.

Second, he's gonna

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes