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.

15 winning seasons.

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,

4 or 5 programs 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.