- [Announcer] Augustana backed up into their own end zones.
4th down and three yards to go for the go ahead touchdown.
- [Coach Voiceover] Everybody wants a piece of the champ.
- Teddy, you okay?
- [Coach Voiceover] You hit a little harder,
you run a little faster, and you concentrate
just a little bit better when you're up against the best.
- Teddy, you okay?
- [Teddy] Yeah.
- The Hit Man says he's okay.
He's hurting, we're all hurting.
Soldiers hurt.
They hurt together. - Teddy, you okay?
- [Coach Voiceover] They bleed together.
- Teddy, you okay?
- [Teddy] Yeah.
- The Hit Man says he's okay.
[crowd cheering] [heart beating]
- [Coach Voiceover] The Hit Man says he's okay.
[crowd cheering] [heart beating]
- I'm fine, Doc, I'm fine.
- [Doc Voiceover] Teddy, you okay?
- [Teddy Voiceover] Yeah.
- [Coach Voiceover] The Hit Man says he's okay.
- [Doc Voiceover] Teddy, you okay?
- You okay, man?
Doc, come here!
- Mom.
[static] [paint spraying]
♪ We've never thought upon
♪ The place where we belong
♪ Don't have to stand alone
♪ We'll never let you fall
♪ Don't need permission to decide what you believe
♪ Whoo, I say Jump
♪ Down on Jump Street
♪ Say Jump
♪ Down on Jump Street
♪ Your friends will be there
♪ When your back is to the wall
♪ You'll find you need us
♪ 'Cause there's no one else to call
♪ When it was hopeless a decision's what you need
♪ You better be ready to
♪ Be ready to
♪ Jump
♪ 21 Jump Street
- Mom.
- We're right here, Teddy.
- [Teddy] Did we win?
- 24 to 10.
- [Teddy] I almost scored us in the second half like that.
- Yeah.
- I feel kind of numb.
How come everything feels so numb?
- When you made the tackle,
you hurt your neck.
- Means I'll what,
wear a neck brace for a couple of games, huh Doc?
- When you hurt your neck,
you damaged your spinal column.
Reason you feel numb is
you're paralyzed.
- Mom.
- Easy, son, easy.
- [Teddy] Mom.
- It's gonna be okay, honey.
[people chatting in background]
- You know this is your fault.
- Marion just leave it alone.
- Leave it alone?
Leave it alone?
Is that all you can say.
Teddy's life is over.
- Don't say that.
- It's over.
It's over because of a silly game.
- Teddy loved football.
Ever since he-- - Ever since
you put a ball in his hands.
- Marion.
- This will never heal, Jack.
- There's a white Jeep.
10 seconds to move it, or it goes away.
- Oh, that's my Jeep.
Be a sweetheart and move it, will you, Officer--
- Hanson.
Yes, be a sweetheart and move it for me,
will you Officer Hanson.
- And be a sweetheart and get it washed while you're at it,
Officer, umm-
- Hanson.
- Hanson, that's right. - Yes.
My name is Hanson.
- That's her.
- That's supposed to be a secret.
- Jude, there are no secrets.
- A blow broke Teddy's neck leaving him quadriplegic.
Unable to move anything but his head.
Now the district attorney's office would like to know if
Coach Rickman's attitude and coaching style
might have contributed to the injury.
- Wait a minute, Jackie.
The city wants to yank a successful coach like Rickman,
bring him up on charges for being too good at his job?
- Teddy was injured the week before.
He didn't even participate in contact scrimmages,
yet Rickman made him play on Saturday.
- Yeah, well, these rah-rah types are real Neo-Nazis.
- If he's forcing kids to play injured,
we're definitely talking criminal negligence.
- Rickman is the best.
Parents move into his district
just so their kids can play for him.
- Why not?
He's produced more NCAA scholarships
than 10 schools combined.
He's won three state championships in the last eight years.
- You ready to suit up, Penhall?
- Football?
I knew this day would come.
Yes sir.
- Look, Harry will handle background.
Booker? - Yeah.
- You're the foil.
- Alright.
- Oh, Captain, are you really set on that combination?
- Beef and brains, I think it's a perfect combination.
[scoffs]
- You don't want this assignment,
just tell me, Penhall. - No, no.
I want it.
- Swell.
- Hello sports fans.
[bangs file cabinet] [yells]
Hey, hey. - What.
- We should probably talk about this
since we're gonna work together, right?
- Yeah. - Alright.
How about doing something really outrageous,
something really crazy, you know, like maybe--
- We're just going in there to play football, man.
Alright?
- [Fuller On Phone] Well, like I said,
when they told me they were moving,
I knew Augustana was the only place for them to play.
- Oh, well it's good to see that our reputation
stretches all the way back to New Jersey.
- Hell, Valdosta,
Moeller,
Augustana,
you're all legends in high school football.
- Thanks.
We work very hard to make that list.
I hope these boys can contribute.
- Yeah, well I'm certain they will.
Now, like I said, they're brothers.
One's a half-back, and DB,
and the other's a line back and tight end.
- Uh huh.
- And there's one more thing
I should tell you about these boys,
now, they're the best players I ever coached.
But they are a little
unique.
- Unique?
- Weird.
- Any drug problems?
- No, no, no, no, no.
They just a bit strange.
I can't explain it.
- Coach, if these boys can start for me,
I don't care if they spend their nights in drag.
- Oh no, they never done that,
that we know of.
- I appreciate the call,
and good luck with your season.
- Yeah, thank you, thank you, I'll need it.
- Would you send in
Doug and Dennis Blackwood, please?
- So, I hear you boys wanna play some football?
- Maybe.
- [Both] Maybe.
- One, two, three. - One!
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
- Okay, break it up.
Offense, defense. - Blackwood.
Alright, listen up, Dennis. - No, I'm Doug.
Don't make that mistake again,
'cause I'm really sensitive about it.
- Take the right, inside, Doug.
- Okay, boss.
- Unique.
- Defense, 60 scrapes strong.
- Ready? Break.
[grunts]
- [Blue Team] Break!
- [Players] Go left, go left, go left.
- Blue 20.
Blue 21.
Now!
Ten hut!
- [Dennis] What the hell is your problem?
- Nothing, I feel fine, Dennis.
- That's the way he hits his brother?
- Yep, and he likes his brother.
- Hey, pal, I wasn't put on the team
to be a traffic accident.
- Oh, you can't take it?
- I'm supposed to make you look good, remember?
- You don't think I could have ran right through you,
if I wanted to? - No, I don't.
- No, you don't? - Excuse me, gentlemen.
- My office, now.
- You're toast, pal.
- What you got, Harry?
- Personal highlight films, Captain.
All these parents taped the Augustana games
with their home video cameras.
And guess who they isolate?
- [All] Their kid.
- What a great idea.
- That's good work, Harry.
Look, I want every tape of that accident.
- You got it.
- Okie dokie.
You two wanna tell me what's going on?
- There's nothing going on.
Sir.
- Any first impressions of Rickman?
- Yeah, just another rah-rah Nazi dink.
- I happen to think he's a hell of a coach.
Taught me more in one day than I learned in two years
at my school.
- They didn't teach you cheap shots at your school?
- That was a clean hit, Dennis.
- I put Booker in there
so you wouldn't hurt anybody, Penhall.
The last thing I need is you injuring some high school kid
or your partner in your quest for glory.
- Well, I gotta go all out,
if I expect not to get hurt myself.
And if you can't take it,
shouldn't go crying to the captain.
- I can take anything you can dish out.
- Really? - Yeah, really.
- Hey, excuse me?
I thought there was no problem here?
- There's not.
- Rickman is a great coach.
Teaches you how to stay in the game mentally and physically.
He's a winner
who wins.
- Yeah, but at what cost.
I wanna know how far he'll go to win.
Look, is there a team doctor at practice?
- Not full-time.
- Yeah, well, that's typical.
Nobody between the coach and the player
to determine if the player should be on the field.
- A guy knows when he's hurt.
- You ever played hurt, Penhall?
- Sure.
- Why?
- 'Cause I didn't wanna miss a game.
- Exactly.
The kid wants to play, the coach wants him to play.
The doctor's caught in the middle.
So Teddy was injured all that week.
Yet he started Saturday afternoon.
Penhall, I want you to try to get close to the Vukovich kid.
Find out just how hard Rickman pushed him.
- You want me to talk to him?
I mean,
can't
Ioki check him out?
- Look, I know it's uncomfortable,
but it might do you some good, Penhall.
Might underscore your own mortality.
- How ya feeling, Champ?
We just wanted to stop by and let you know
our thoughts are with you.
- Thanks.
- I got somebody here who wants to meet you.
Blackwood.
- Hey, I'm Doug Blackwood.
I just transferred in to Augustana.
I heard about your accident,
and I wanted a chance to meet ya.
I wish this could be under better circumstances,
meeting you and all.
Maybe I could come back sometime,
and you could tell me how to stop that Dexter Hecter, huh?
- Yeah, sure.
- Okay, that's enough about football.
Thank you all for coming.
- Teddy,
we all signed it.
- You got a minute, Coach?
- Sure.
- It's really nice of you
to bring the guys by today.
Listen, I just wanted to say,
I wanted you to know
that I understand that this was a terrible accident.
I don't blame you.
- I appreciate that, Jack.
Teddy was a hero.
These boys know it.
I've been thinking about naming a special award after him.
We've got a kickoff club banquet coming up,
and I'd like to establish an award that embodies courage
and all out effort.
- That'd be real nice, Coach.
- Uh, uh, uh, hey, hey.
- Oh, Andrea.
- You were the one who said we should keep this a secret.
- Well, I changed my mind.
- In my office? - So what?
- So, you were pretty good at playing Mr. Cool and Distant
at your place of business.
- Well, they already know.
- Oh, okay.
I'll have to drop by your office later.
You won't mind just
throw you over Penhall's desk for a nice big hello.
- Now, see, that would be fine.
But right now we're in your office
at your desk.
- And you don't have the nerve.
- Excuse me.
Look here.
Get rid of this.
- Excuse me.
Am I interrupting something?
- No, not at all.
I was just clearing my desk.
Tom Hanson, Councilman Davis.
- Hi. - Glad to meet you.
We've met before?
- Yes, I'm over at Jump Street,
and you tried to dismantle the program.
- Well, I hope that won't affect your vote come November,
Officer.
- Saw you over at the courthouse today, Hanson.
- Yeah, to drop something off at the D.A.'s office.
- As in Deputy D.A. Garrett?
- Yeah.
- Oh, come on, Hanson, you holding out on me?
- You know you'd be the first to know about my love life.
- Bull. Penhall would be the first to know.
- Well, you'd be the second.
- Blowfish will be the second.
- [Coach] Ten hut!
Ten hut!
Now,
ten hut!
[grunts]
[whistles]
[players yelling]
- I'll get over it, Coach.
- The doc's here today, have him check it out.
That's enough for today. - That's it.
Three laps and out. Now get outta here.
- You have some personal problems with your brother?
- My brother's a little delicate, Coach.
- There you go.
- Yeah, feels better.
Think I'll be able to practice tomorrow?
- You probably should stay off it a day or so.
- You think I could play
if I don't hit for the whole rest of the week?
- We'll make that determination later on.
- How you doing, Doug?
- Not bad.
- You know, I always wanted to be a linebacker.
- Really? - Really.
The heart and soul of the football team.
You know what Bear Bryant said a linebacker oughtta be?
"Hostile,
"agile,
"mobile." - Yeah.
I love it.
- Doug, I wanna talk to you about something
I feel is very important.
If you give 110% out there, you will not get hurt.
I guarantee that.
You only get hurt if you don't go hard enough.
Now, it's up to you, it's your responsibility.
- [Doug] I understand.
- You know,
one of the most valuable things a player can learn
is the difference between pain and injury.
Pain is a suffering in the mind
that goes along with discomfort.
Now we all feel discomfort now and then.
But what makes us really tough,
what makes us true soldiers,
is when we can overcome that feeling.
Now, an injury is damage,
real physical damage.
The mind can't overcome that, only the body can
through treatment and healing.
- Well, I don't think I'm injured.
- Good.
'Cause I want you to know what a fine group of men
you're playing with out there.
Now you don't have one brother out there on that field,
you have 44.
Now they've played in pain together,
they've spilled blood together.
And you're a part of that spirit now.
- Yeah.
I understand.
- Whether you play or not, that's strictly up to you, son.
- Thanks Coach.
- How you doing, bro?
- Don't call me bro.
[keys clacking]
I'm just saying that
I don't think we'll be able to make a case against this guy.
Teddy Vukovich was a very aggressive player.
That was a freak thing, you know, one in a million chance.
- Oh, who do you think taught him to play that way, Doug.
- Jackie, what-- [stammers]
She's got it in for the game.
You have it in for the game.
What do you even understand about it?
- I understand that it's about fumbling the other players
so you feel superior,
so you feel a little better about yourself.
- Oh, please.
- I also understand it's a very brutal, and dangerous,
and ridiculous game the boys play.
A game that produces emotional as well as physical cripples.
- But it's never boring.
- This is true.
I mean when Doug Flutie pulled it out in the last minute
against the 'Canes in the Miracle Miami game,
now that, that was exciting.
- Well put.
- Captain! - Yeah.
- I got something you're gonna wanna see right away.
- What, another personal highlight tape?
- Fred Hennessy, Jr.
- Fat Freddie? - Fat Freddie.
This is Rickman and the Doc arguing during the game.
This was right before Rickman signaled Teddy
back in to the game.
- No soundtrack, great.
- [Fuller] Yeah, but one person knows what they were saying.
- Fat Freddie.
[sighs]
- You want a little piece of advice?
- Nope.
- Too bad, you're gonna get it anyway.
I think you better remember you're investigating a case,
not trying out for a college scholarship.
- Yeah, I know that.
- So what are you?
Living out some fantasy?
- Maybe.
Hey.
I was a good ball player stuck on a bad team
with a bad coach.
Now,
now I'm getting this rush,
and I'm feeling good about myself.
I know what winning looks like,
but I wanna know what it feels like.
- Yeah, but you're taking this too seriously.
It's just football.
I mean, have some fun.
Hit somebody.
- Yeah, well, you don't understand either.
- No, I understand.
But I think it's a crock.
I mean, where's that great moment?
Do you ever think about it?
Is it when you win?
Right before you think you're gonna win?
Right after?
It's kind of fleeting, don't you think?
These coaches smile and congratulate you.
Then they come in the next day
and say you can't rest on your laurels.
You gotta prove yourself over and over every day.
Who really benefits here?
The player,
or the coach?
- I gotta play.
- If you got some ghosts,
you better deal with them, man.
Or they're gonna haunt you for a long time.
- I told you I didn't want any advice.
- How's your leg? - Better.
- You've proven you're a very special player, Blackwood.
I'm looking for you to become a captain
of the special teams.
- Really? - Really.
I need some leadership out there.
I need somebody who embodies the spirit of special teams.
I'm looking for reckless abandon.
I'm looking for an animal.
- I'm your animal, Coach.
- Show me.
- Better call for a fair catch.
- Never.
- Two, ready? - Hut!
- Now!
Ten hut!
[players grunting]
- What the hell was that?
[grunting]
- Kicking team, here right now!
- Six nothing, bro.
[team yelling]
[whistling]
- Break it up, break it up, break it up.
Hey, that's it, that's it.
Hit the showers.
- Now they're ready for Windsor High.
[players chatting]
- Hey.
- Hey,
you okay?
- Oh yeah.
- So what's the deal, man?
How come you and your brother always fighting?
- He's the one.
- Yeah, well, he says the same thing about you.
- Yeah I know.
Hey, listen, I'm gonna visit Teddy Vukovich,
you wanna come?
- Nah, I don't think so.
- Oh, I know what you mean.
You were there when he was hurt.
You were playing, right?
- No, I was on the bench.
Look, Blackwood,
I gotta run now, okay? - Yeah, sure.
- [Jack] You got a visitor, Teddy.
- Hey.
- I'll be down the hall if you need me, son.
- Is it okay if I sit down?
- Yeah.
- How ya feeling?
- Not bad,
considering I can't even go to the bathroom by myself.
Got a tube running down my leg.
I don't even know when I go, man.
What the hell are you doing here?
- I wanted to pick your brain,
see what you know about Dexter Hector.
- You got the job, you figure it out.
- If you want me to go, just say the word.
- No.
You could stay.
- You know, you're the first guy from the team
to come and see me by himself.
- Really?
- People get spooked, you know.
I can see it in their eyes.
- I heard that you were hurt.
Did you wanna play that day?
- I always wanted to play.
Soldier's always ready to fight.
- But you were hurting.
- Yeah.
- 'Cause,
I'm hurting, and I don't know if I can tell the Coach
that I can't play.
- Yeah, well, if you can, you're a bigger man than I am.
Was.
I've always pictured myself in a Chicago Bears uniform, man,
since I was six years old.
Number 51, man.
- Butkus.
- He retired when I was two years old.
My father used to always tell me about him,
used to show me the films.
How do I see myself now, man?
Hmm?
- I don't get this.
You're a cop and you play high school football?
- For a good cause.
- Told you I don't wanna talk about Teddy.
- You were sitting right there,
you heard what was said. - Look, man, I can't.
I just can't.
What would my father say, what about Coach Rickman?
- Or Teddy Vukovich?
The guy's stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Or haven't you thought about that?
- Yeah, I thought about that.
Look, man, you don't understand what I go through.
I don't like football.
I'm not good at football.
I mean,
look at me, man.
Do I look like a football player to you?
My father holds six NCAA records.
Man, I been hearing about those records
since I was eight years old.
- Well, maybe it's time for you to stand up to your father,
but we're talking about a guy who's paralyzed here.
- Forget it, man.
You wanna nail Rickman to the wall,
do it without me.
I didn't hear a thing. - Hey, hey, hey.
Come here, come here.
Listen, it's real important
that you don't tell anybody about me, you got that?
Or my brother.
- Hey don't worry, I just wanna be left alone, alright, man?
I'm not telling anything to anybody, period.
- As soldiers,
you fight together.
You sacrifice for your high school,
your coach,
and most of all, for your fellow soldiers.
Now you have all heard me talk about
the brotherhood of pain.
It has never been more manifest
than in this situation of Teddy Vukovich.
Teddy Vukovich would rather die
than let a teammate down.
He gave his life for this team.
That's why this game today is dedicated to him.
Now, I spoke to Teddy this week
and went over to the hospital.
"Stop Dexter Hector.
"Beat Windsor."
That's what he said to me.
That's what he wants.
That's what you all want.
You have the power to give him what he wants.
You have the power
to give him what he wants.
He was your classmate.
He was your friend.
But when he put on that uniform,
he was your brother.
You fought with him.
You bled with him.
And now, share his pain.
I know you don't wanna let your brother down.
I know I wouldn't.
Alright, let's go!
[team yelling]
- [Announcer] This is Dave Harnum
with KTFW, Agustana student radio,
back with you live
as the Augustana Bulldogs take the field
for the start of the second half.
This ball game is all tied up at 10-10
between conference rivals
the Augustana Bulldogs
and the Windsor High Wildcats.
[crowd cheering]
- Would you take some of this please?
Excuse me.
Sal, could you put that thing down
and grab some food, please?
- Hey, Penhall said not to miss a thing.
- Evidence. Can you believe this?
What I miss, what I miss?
- [Announcer] Four minutes, 44 seconds
left in the 4th quarter.
Augustana pinned deep in their own territory,
clinging to a 17-13 lead.
- Gold line special, gold line special.
Let's go Wyatt, let's go.
What's the problem here?
Ready, break! [team grunts]
- [Announcer] Augustana, with it's defense rated
number one in the conference,
sets up to try and stop Windsor.
2nd down in the Augustana 4-yard line.
Windsor sends Beech right, Elias to the left,
and in the back field, Dexter Hector,
who leads the conference in rushing right now.
- Come on, Blackwood.
- [Announcer] Sherman takes the snap,
hands off to Dexter Hector,
up the middle,
stopped by Doug Blackwood.
The Lion's done it. [whistle blows]
For no gain on the play.
[crowd cheering]
- Dough, you all right? - Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, you ain't nothing.
[yelling]
- [Announcer] 3rd down and goal for Windsor High.
A field goal does him no good.
Doug and Dennis Blackwood, recent transfers from New Jersey,
doing a hell of a job here in this second half.
[crowd cheering]
[players yelling]
Sherman takes the snap.
Pitches to Dextor Hector.
Sweet vine, he's going all the way!
Oh, he's nailed by Doug Blackwood.
Inside the Augustana 1-yard line.
That makes it 4th down, less than a yard to go
with one minute, 40 seconds left.
This may be the last chance for Windsor High.
If they don't score here,
Augustana should be able to run out the clock.
- [Augustana] Hut!
- [Windsor] Break!
1:33 left in the game.
4th and Goal.
Windsor High coming up to the line.
Dexter Hector, the long setback.
[players yelling]
And he's down by the Blackwood brothers.
[crowd cheering]
Augustana takes over the ball,
1st and 10 from their own 3-yard line.
[grunts]
- It's too soon? - No, no.
I really hurt my leg, it's no bull.
- Really? - Yeah.
- We really did it, didn't we?
- We sure as hell did, man.
I'm through, Doc, I don't think I could play no more.
- It's okay, you did one hell of a job out there, son.
- [Announcer] Augustana with the ball.
Dixon breaks a tackle at the five.
He crushes them 15 to 20.
The 25, the full goal.
Oh, and it's Windsor's ball on the Augustana 35-yard line.
The snap pitched outside to Dexter Hector.
Sweeping left, he's got plenty of room.
Stopped at the 25-yard line by Marvis.
No time outs waiting for Windsor.
The clock running down, only 42 seconds left.
Windsor going to the hurry up offense.
The snap, Sherman fakes to Dexter Hector,
drops back, Elias is wide open on the 30,
he throws.
Oh, he's going in the hole.
Oh, he's down on the 5-yard line.
Windsor marching right back down field.
The injured Doug Blackwood was sorely missed
on this side. - Time!
[whistle blows]
- [Coach] Blackwood, we need you.
- I can't Coach, I'm hurt.
- I want the defense here right now.
- [Assistant Coach] Defense, defense, get over here.
Defense, right now.
- Blackwood here has decided to take himself
out of the game.
He's through for the day.
You guys can carry on without him.
How many of you guys are hurting, huh?
You're all hurting.
How many of you guys have taken yourselves out of the game?
Just Blackwood here.
Your brother was right. You're a wimp.
- Come on, Coach, what are you waiting for.
Get your team out on the field.
- Now you get back out on that field,
or you leave the stadium, son.
- [Announcer] Well it looks like,
yes, the injured Doug Blackwood
is coming back into the game.
[crowd cheering]
- Time! Time! [whistle blows]
- [Announcer] Augustana has called time out.
And Doug Blackwood is coming back off the field.
- What's he doing?
- He's retiring from the game.
- Now you get back out on that field, mister.
I'm talking to you.
I've given you an order.
- Hey.
I wanna tell you what he said.
- Listen, I told you we had-- - We got him.
We got him dead bang.
Freddie told me everything.
Listen,
the Doc wanted Teddy out, period.
Rickman insisted that he goes back in,
he just overruled the Doc.
You were right and I was wrong, Jackie.
I owe you a big apology.
We can make this case.
We got a case.
Captain, I see what you was talking about, man.
There's nobody between the player and the coach,
and the Doc has no power over Rickman.
So we got this guy.
Somebody die?
- Yeah, our case, Doug.
- I take it this is your undercover officer?
- Doug Penhall, Councilman Davis.
- Oh,
the
Councilman Davis.
- Listen, I wanna thank you for your fine work on this job,
and by that I mean the Augustana victory last night.
Your assignment's over.
Talked to the chief, and I've talked to the D.A.
I'm putting an end to this farce.
- Wait a minute, you can't do that.
- I can't?
Coach Rickman is a hero in this community.
I went to Augustana, I'm proud of this man.
If I'd known how far you were gonna go,
I would've put an end to this a long time ago.
- He sent a hurt player-- - You have involved yourself
in a reckless manner.
You're setting up the school district
for a massive liability suit.
No way. - Oh, okay.
So Coach Rickman just goes on doing what he's doing,
and you're not going to do a thing to stop this guy?
- What I'm gonna do
is give him an award.
[people chatting]
- Can I have attention please?
Like to say a few words about Coach Rickman.
We all love a winner.
Coach Rickman
is
a winner.
He turned us
into winners, into soldiers,
into warriors.
Coach Rickman encouraged me,
no he made me,
play
at 110%.
If you play at 110%,
you won't get hurt.
If I do get hurt, it must be my fault.
I must not have played at 110%.
Coach Rickman taught me to punish the other guy.
But what I didn't realize is that
I was actually punishing myself.
[people murmuring]
See the human body is not meant to be a battering ram.
Yesterday I played, and I was hurt.
I didn't want to admit that I was in pain.
Teddy Vukovich didn't want to admit that he was in pain.
[people booing]
Teddy's in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
- Who are you?
- Who am I?
I'm your wake-up cal, pal.
Coach Rickman does not care about your kids.
He cares about winning.
[crowd booing]
We all love football.
But these are kids.
And we're training them to be killers.
A win-at-all-cost coach may be what you need,
but it's not what your kids need.
Alright, alright, I'm outta here, I'm going.
You may not get nailed for this,
but you should.
- Now, ladies and gentlemen,
that young man is a close friend of Teddy Vukovich.
And he's understandably very upset,
as we all are about what happened to Teddy.
Now, later on this evening we will be dedicating a new award
in Teddy's honor.
An award that embodies courage and bravery.
But right now, I'd like to introduce the man
who brought us here tonight.
Coach of the Year.
For the third year running, ladies and gentlemen,
Coach Lyle Rickman.
[applause]
- [Teddy] You really said that?
In front of all those people?
- Yeah.
In front of all those people.
More scarier than leaving the game.
[giggling]
It's really good to hear you laugh.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
You know I'm gonna get out of this chair one of these days.
- I know you will.
- Yeah.
[mellow music]
[upbeat music]