It's one of those things about being a teenage boy: in high school you're kind of expected to go out for the football team.
Granted, that's not always the case. Some schools have elite programs and only the best players will ever wear the helmet. But that wasn't the case for my school.
I am from the Wellington High School class of 91. Let me give you some background.: My freshman year we were at Forest Hill High. But the district decided to build Wellington kids their own school, and voila!
Our team officially started my sophomore year in 1988-89. We had no senior class. Our team was a doormat for everyone. We lost games by forty, fifty, even sixty points. And, in the end, we only scored three points in the entire season. It was the ugliest 54-yard field goal you've ever seen.
Yeah, our school wasn't very good at football. But we loved it as players and fans, because it was the only time we would ever be able to wear a uniform and play. Now, in those schools where football is huge, and there are plenty of those in south Florida, this is the time of year to get excited.
Now, as the high school football season prepares to kick-off, I'm feeling nostalgic for some movies, because what's better than Hollywood's approach to such an important part of our youth. Nothing like watching grown men pretend to be teenagers. I picked what I believe are still three of the best movies ever made on high school football.
How is this not on the top of your list? It's inspiring. It's got a ton of conflict. It had a young Ryan Gosling. And it tackled (pun intended) a tough topic that still resonates today, racism.
I loved this movie. Kurt Russell was the epidome of cool in the 80s. Come on, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing? Robin Williams was also already an established comedic genius. It has one of those wonderfully Hollywood happy endings with the little guy making the big catch to win a game. It made all of us geeks and nerds feel like we can make a difference.
School Ties had an amazing cast. Brendan Frazier, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris O'Donnell. My favorite line from the movie was at the end when Frazier's character sticks it to the school's dean.
Dean: I'd like to forget this ever happened. David Greene: No sir. You never will, because I'm staying here. Every day you see me, you'll remember that it happened. You used me for football. I'll use you to get into Harvard.
Other notable movies about high school football include: All The Right Moves (1983), Wildcats (1986), and Friday Night Lights (2004).
