Signing Tony Raymond (2025) Movie Script

1
[]
[audience cheering]
[Richard Sherman] It's
your boy Richard Sherman,
and word on the street
is the number one defensive end
prospect in the country,
Tony Raymond,
may be looking for a new home.
[Harry Douglas] I've seen fire,
I've seen rain,
but never in my life have I seen
anyone bring that pain
like Tony Raymond,
aka Country Hurt.
That boy Tony Raymond,
he is him.
[Woman] Whoever wants
to land Tony Raymond,
they better be
bringing the green.
[Man] He's not just special,
man,
Tony Raymond is generational.
Forget NIL, any quarterback
that lines up across
from Tony Raymond,
they better have good
health insurance,
because it's not
going to be long
before this kid's
playing on Sundays.
[sweeping instrumental music]
If Louisiana University loses
a five-star prospect
like Tony Raymond,
I'm telling you,
this is a program that's
hanging on by a thread.
This may be something
that snaps that thread
and sends
this program spiraling.
[audience cheers
coming from computer]
[clicks]
We stunt. Our bandit
covering their slot receiver
will be on their quarterback in
two seconds with this blitz,
and they've got no backside help
because their running back
has to pick up our linebacker.
Yeah, that's some good shit.
Except if the safety doesn't
get over the top quick enough,
we leave that slot receiver
wide open,
and he's taking it
to the house, bro.
[Walt] But we disguise it.
I got a plan for that.
I don't think Coach Marshall
is gonna go for it.
Well, how about I talk to Coach
about it? Let him decide.
No way.
I'm the defensive coordinator.
You work for me
before you work for Marshall.
Look, Walt,
just focus on special teams.
You're gonna get your shot
to move up one day.
It took me a while, too.
It's a good idea, Chris.
Keep working on it.
[players shouting]
[Quarterback] Down, set, hut!
Hey, Kevin, come here.
What's up, Coach?
You're coming out of
your backpedal too quick.
That's when he's beating you.
You stay in it
a step or two longer,
and then you got him.
Trust your feet, man.
I gotcha.
[Walt] Yeah? Okay, let's see it.
-Let's run it back.
-[Quarterback] Down, set, hut!
There we go!
That's what I'm talking about!
Rusty Mansell here.
All eyes are on
the nation's top rated
defensive end, Tony Raymond.
Rumor has it he's gonna
open up his recruitment,
because Louisiana defensive
line coach Rich Akers
has been hired
as the defensive coordinator
at conference rival TU.
-Coach McFadden.
-What's up, Zach?
I'm sorry to interrupt, man.
Coach Marshall wanted me
to let you know he needs you
to take care of Sunrise Service
tomorrow morning.
-Seriously?
-That's what he said, yeah.
Okay.
-[Zach] And I have more news.
-Yeah?
I just got promoted
to grad assistant.
They said we'll be
sharing an office.
There's barely enough
room in there for me.
Yeah, yeah.
It'll be cozy, I guess.
Don't grad assistants
usually handle Sunrise Service?
Yes, but Coach wants me to
oversee some hype videos
that we're sending out
to the recruits, so...
-[Walt] Hype videos?
-Yeah.
Congrats. Good to have you.
We'll bounce
some ideas off each other.
That's okay. I don't really
want to coach special teams.
I want to be
a coordinator one day.
Yeah, you and me both, kid.
[Chris] So, we stunt.
Our bandit covering the
the slot receiver will be
on their quarterback in
two seconds with this blitz.
They got no backside help,
because the running back has to
cover our mike linebacker.
[Coach Marshall] Yeah, yeah,
yeah. I see it. No, I like this.
I like this a lot, Chris.
Put this in the package.
This is great work, man.
This is really good.
-[Chris] What's up, Walt?
-Hey, Walt.
-[Walt] Hey, Coach Marshall.
-Can you get that door for me?
What else can you do
out of this thing?
[Chris] Well, we can have
the cornerbacks
press the wide receivers.
[Donna] It's bullshit,
but this is how the game works.
My dad always said, if you're
not trying to get an edge,
-you're not trying at all.
-Yeah, well, I'm not your dad.
Now, what's that
supposed to mean?
I appreciate him helping me
get my foot in the door,
but I got to do some of this
my own way.
Donna, I'm a good coach.
I know you are, baby,
but sometimes
you gotta create
your own opportunities.
By what? Stealing ideas
from other coaches?
-[Donna] Maybe.
-Come on.
I hate to say this, but
most coaches at this level
think just like that asshole
who stole your blitz package.
And if you're not gonna
join them,
you got to find another way
to beat them.
Yeah.
[whistle blows]
[Walt] You missed study hall,
you were late to weights,
you skipped a class,
you missed a mandatory meal,
and now you're all
standing out here with me
in the freezing cold
for Sunrise Service.
It's time to get
your souls right.
We're going to start the day
with one of my all-time
favorites, the bear crawl.
[players grumble]
[Walt] Oh no, no, you complain,
we'll be here all morning.
If you handle your punishment
with dignity and grace,
this will all be
over before you know it.
-Grab some grass.
-[blows whistle]
All right, let's go. Let's move!
[Walt] How do you like it
out there?
-[Coach Donovan] It's great.
-Yeah?
-Yeah, it's small. Thank you.
-Thank you.
You know, it's a small town,
you know.
-A little different?
-Yeah.
I'm so happy for you.
And it's about damn time.
I know you're gonna
turn things around.
They hired the right dude.
Thank you. Thank you. But, you
know, a head coach is nothing
without a solid staff, though.
-No doubt.
-That's why I'm here.
Hm?
I want you as
my defensive coordinator.
Coach. Ah, wow. Oh.
Oh, I really appreciate
the offer. That means a lot.
I would love that.
I would love that.
You deserve it.
But, you know, take your time,
think about it,
talk it over with your wife.
But getting you on the staff
is my top priority.
Even when I was coaching
back in Texas,
I knew you had
the mind for the game,
and I knew you had the heart.
Coaches like you would take
the program to the next level.
Well, it's an honor to be
considered. Thank you, sir.
[Donovan] Yeah, it's all good.
Well, I got to get back out
on the road
and sign some damn players.
[both laugh]
Oh, speaking of that,
I heard Coach Akers
is leaving you guys for TU.
He was recruiting
the Raymond kid, right?
Yeah, but he's committed to us.
Yeah, but that's not gonna
keep the sharks from circling.
I'm headed over to Alabama
to see for myself.
-I ain't afraid to aim high.
-No, you got to.
I heard Akers and TU
are making some crazy promises
to the boy's father
in order to get him.
But if they do land him,
watch out.
That kid's a beast.
He's like J.J. Watt,
Lawrence Taylor,
and Michael Strahan had a baby.
That'd be
one crazy-looking baby.
Yeah, but it'll bust your ass
coming off the edge, though.
A step back?
Donna, it's
a coordinator position.
It's way better
than what I'm doing here.
But here, you play
for national championships.
There, you'll be lucky to get
some shitty little bowl game
in Shreveport every few years.
It's not even in
the same league.
This isn't where I belong.
And CSU is?
It's in the middle of nowhere.
I want to be a coordinator.
I want to work for a program
that has values.
And Coach Donovan--
-Values?
-[Walt] Yeah.
It's about winning
championships, Walt.
Those are the values.
You can't quit now.
A coordinator at a
second-tier school like CSU
-would kill to be where you are.
-Really? Running Sunrise Service
while half the staff
is on the road recruiting?
They'd kill for that?
Daddy pulled a lot of strings
to get you here.
You can't bail now.
As a coach, your father,
of all people, would understand.
What he understands is
that this is a business.
And you don't move up
by going backwards.
Actually, a good
defensive back does.
Ha-ha.
-Look.
-[Walt] What?
Just give it
one more season. Okay?
Look, we have friends.
The town is nice.
It would be crazy
to leave this for CSU.
Another year might just be
more of the same.
Maybe you should talk
to Marshall.
[Walt] And say what?
I don't know. Tell him
to give you another chance.
Tell him to send you
on the road.
If you don't take your shot,
you'll never know.
You should talk to him.
Maybe I will.
[instrumental rock music]
Morning, Coach.
Morning, Walt.
What can I do for you?
I want to try
and sign Tony Raymond.
-He's already committed.
-For now.
Yeah, well, Coach Cook
is heading to Alabama tomorrow.
Well, no offense, Coach, but
I think I'm the better option.
-[Crew Marshall] Is that right?
-Mm-hmm.
Do tell.
Coach Cook, he's a great guy.
Um, but he's from California.
-And I know these people.
-Thank you.
[Walt] You know,
I'm comfortable with them.
And I'm hungry. I need this.
And the team needs Tony Raymond.
Yeah, well, Walt,
you'll forgive me
if I'm a little hesitant here.
See, it's been two months since
that conference championship.
And I'll tell you what,
I still have nightmares
about Isaac Pittman,
who you whiffed on.
He just lit us up. You know?
How many touchdowns did he get?
Two? Three. It was three. Yeah.
So there's that.
Yeah, well,
that's not gonna happen again.
[Crew laughs]
I, I realize that to climb
the ladder around here,
I have to prove my value
as a recruiter.
I mean, I don't
even know if you know,
TU is throwing everything they
got to try to land this kid.
Yeah. They're recruiting, Walt.
That's what Akers does.
That's why I hated like hell
losing him to TU.
He's just an absolute
insufferable prick to be around,
but the man, he can recruit.
I can beat him.
-You can beat him?
-[Walt] Mm-hmm.
Well, that's the thing, Walt.
I'm not sure you can.
Now, look, you know a big reason
that you are here is
your father-in-law.
He said you had talent,
and you do.
You absolutely do.
You know this game.
Unfortunately, at this level,
sometimes that is not enough.
Look, Walt, we're one of
four or five, maybe six teams
that every single year
can legitimately say
they have a shot at
the national championship.
I tell you what,
it gets ugly up here.
You win or you go home to mama.
-Understand?
-Yeah.
-Okay.
-Okay what?
Okay, I'm gonna
give you a chance.
Go sign that country boy.
Because you're damn right
we need him.
For his size, I ain't never
coached anybody
that can run that fast.
-Right?
-Mm-mm.
[Crew] Strong as an ox.
You sign him, we'll start
talking about a promotion.
You got four days
until signing day.
-This is your chance.
-Yeah. Thanks, Coach.
This is it, though, right?
You whiff on him,
you fuck this up?
You'll be coaching my son's
middle school football team.
I'm not joking.
-They're not good.
-[Walt] Okay.
Hey, you're gonna get
a phone call from a booster.
You'll talk before you go, yeah?
[Walt] Yeah, yeah.
Go get this.
Name's Chip. Nice to meet you.
Walt McFadden. Nice to meet you.
So I normally like to handle
business with recruits myself,
so I don't have
to involve you guys directly,
but this Tony Raymond's
so hard to nail down
and actually talk to,
we're gonna need
to be able to act immediately
when situations arise over
in Alabama this week.
-So here's 50K.
-Got it.
Obviously, what we're doing
right now isn't allowed,
but if we're gonna
sign Tony Raymond,
we need to grease the wheels
of commerce.
Okay.
I hear he's a good kid,
but a bit of a free spirit.
Normal shit might not
work with him.
Nobody even knows
where he is right now.
Oh, I'm gonna find him.
I can taste
the national championship.
-We are so fucking close!
-We are.
I got approved by
the Titletown Collective
for a mill in NIL money for him.
We got a car dealer
out in Dadeville
that's gonna have him
be a spokesperson.
Just call me when you find him,
and I'll be there to handle NIL.
Gotcha.
Walgreen burner special.
Won't work after signing day.
[laughs]
You make this happen, your stock
will go through the damn roof.
-What's that?
-Cash for my trip.
[Donna] How much? Let me see.
50,000.
50,000. How you gonna
compete with TU with that?
You need to ask
for 100 at least.
I think I'm gonna be all right.
Mm-hmm. Be careful.
Don't be over there flashing.
Oh, gonna make it rain in 'Bama.
[Donna] Making it rain
commitment letters?
You know it.
[Donna] I've got
a good feeling about this.
Me too.
Just remember, you gotta dig
where no one else is digging.
This is the power five, baby.
Not that little school you just
turned down a few hours ago.
You're too good to be
a special teams coach forever.
I know.
Come here.
Dear Heavenly Father,
please give Walt the strength
to overcome any
obstacles in his way,
and counsel him on helping this
young man make the right choice,
a choice that will lead to great
things here at Louisiana.
And Lord, we just ask that you
give Walt the courage...
[instrumental rock music]
[Radio DJ] Carl Dukes, back with
you, and on the line is Jojo.
[Jojo] Hey, man, y'all think
that Raymond boy's
still gonna sign with LU?
[Carl] Jojo, I'm hearing he's
considering other offers now.
And what a huge potential blow
to Louisiana University.
[Jojo] Man, it's more about
the Jimmies and the Joes
than the X's and the O's.
For the kids
coming out today, man,
it's about
"Where can I get the bag?"
If I was coming out
of school right now,
man, I'd be making
more as a freshman
than I did my
first three years in the league.
I just know the money these
guys is making today, man, is
crazy.
[indistinct announcement on PA]
-Put me in, Coach!
-Mr. Raymond.
Coach McFadden,
thanks for taking the time
to meet with me today.
Call me Dale. And man, time.
Time's all I got.
I'm swimming in it.
Sorry, Dale,
poor choice of words.
[Dale] Nah,
poor choices are all mine.
Tony's about the only good
things that ever come from me.
Probably turned out
the way he did
'cause I've been in here
for the last six years.
-Well, still, he's your boy.
-That's what worries me.
[both chuckling]
Well, you look like you used to
play some ball back in the day.
[Dale] I was fast, liked to hit.
But I didn't have enough
discipline, as they called it,
to commit to that
athletic lifestyle, I guess.
[laughs]
-Obviously.
-How often do you see Tony?
Oh, he came and saw me
about a month back.
Uh-huh.
You know, he, uh, he knows I got
his best interests at heart.
Well, I wanted to pay you the
respect of meeting you in person
and letting you know
that I'm hoping to convince Tony
to come to Louisiana.
-Yeah?
-[Walt] Mm-hmm.
Well, all right, then.
I mean, you got some balls
coming here, I'll give you that.
Now, I know all this
college recruiting stuff
is a big hustle.
But I can appreciate a hustler.
I was one of the best.
[laughs]
[laughs nervously]
You think I'm a hustler?
[Dale] Well, you're in a
max prison in Alabama,
because you think
it might help you convince
an 18-year-old boy to go to
the college where you coach.
So I'd say you're
a Division I hustler, baby.
Look, Dale, we want Tony.
We want him bad.
So if it comes up, if he
talks to you about college,
I want you to put in
a good word for us.
Okay.
And in return?
In return, he'd be at one of
the top programs in the country
for getting players
into the NFL.
[Dale] Huh.
[laughs]
That's good. I'd like
to belt on that a second.
Oh, okay.
[Dale] You see, another coach
got word to me,
said they could shave
some time off my sentence,
if I help influence Tony
to go to his school.
Said the head of
the Alabama parole board--
[softly] Said the head of the
Alabama parole board is an alum.
-Oh, that's a hell of a promise.
-Well...
You got anything like that
in your playbook?
We haven't drawn
that one up yet.
You seem like
a straight-up fella.
So I want to be
straight with you.
You get me out of here,
and I'll get you Tony.
Otherwise, it might get ugly
for you here in Alabama.
[TV Anchor] All right,
we are back,
and signing day
is around the corner.
A lot of focus is on
two-time Alabama 5A State
Defensive Player of the Year,
Tony Raymond.
Now listen, champ, this kid
is a generational talent.
Explosive strength.
What really sets him apart
is his athleticism.
-Total freak of nature.
- [Commentator 2] Yes, he is.
But a very quiet kid,
stays low-key.
They call him Country Hurt,
because he's from the country,
and he'll put a hurtin' on you.
[Commentator 1] Indeed.
If you ever find yourself in
Rutledge, Alabama,
you gotta stop
by Rooster's Barbecue.
[sports talk radio
plays in diner]
Let me guess.
You a college coach.
That I am. How you doing?
I'll be better as soon
as y'all all get out of town,
and things get back
to normal around here.
You're driving that kid crazy.
-You know Tony?
-Maybe.
Well, how about I buy your lunch
and you give me some insight?
Heh.
You know what? I'm not
turning down a free lunch.
Okay, Walt McFadden,
Louisiana University.
Man, Eugene Ledford.
University of fucked-up shit.
Eugene Ledford?
State rushing record?
Eugene Ledford? You went
to Bama. You're a legend.
Yeah. Till I blew my knee.
And I tore every ligament
in that motherfucker.
And now I fix air conditioners
for a living.
Well, that's good.
But them schools,
they spit you out like trash
when you can't
help them no more.
I mean, no insurance to fix
the shit that they break.
-No nothing.
-Sorry, that's rough.
Mm, so I used to date
Tony's mama cousin, Kayla.
[Walt] Oh, so you're family?
She gave me
a nice little love tattoo.
-Woof.
-[Eugene] Yeah.
Let's just say they
a passionate people.
[chuckles] Obviously.
I also coached Tony
in peewee football.
Got his little ass tough.
-He a really good kid, though.
-Any advice?
You know what?
There's a few things.
One, don't pull up
to Tony's house
-if his stepdad's not there.
-Okay.
[Eugene] You get there
and it's just mama,
ain't no telling
what you're going to find.
-And she be packing that heat.
-A gun?
Yeah, man.
She what you call country crazy.
But Otis kind of keep
her somewhat calm.
But if you pull up
and you don't see
that station wagon out front,
you turn your ass around.
And number two,
you got to be real.
Just like you is right now.
You got to relate.
And everything else
will take care of itself.
Got to relate.
Number three, you got
to be gangster, bro.
Every coach in this town
would kill to sign Tony.
You got to be willing
to do the shit
that them other dudes
ain't got the balls to do.
You got to let your balls
drop from your stomach.
Balls drop from my stomach.
Hey, man. [clears throat]
You got a gun?
-Now you're thinking.
-[slurps empty drink]
[hip hop music]
Man, you sure about this?
100%.
[gunshots]
[music continues]
[gunshots]
[flat tire rolls on pavement]
-Oh, my God.
-[whistles]
-[Man] What the hell, man?
-She tried to kill me.
Tony Raymond's mom
tried to kill me.
-What?
-Son of a bitch.
[Walt] Lucky I got out of there.
Well, what happened?
I pull up.
I get out. I wave hello.
And she's standing on the porch
with a. 38
like John Wayne
in a house dress.
Jesus. Yeah, I heard she was
crazy, but damn.
You call the police?
No. No, can't sign the kid
with the mom in the slammer.
Yeah, that's true.
You can bet your ass
I'm not going out there.
-No way, man.
-He ain't worth dying for.
Gentlemen.
[intense instrumental music]
Oh, Coach Marsh has got you out
here in the trenches, huh?
-Trying to fill my shoes?
-What's up, Rich?
Ah, you know,
just out here building a team
that's about to take you all
down next season, baby.
Ha ha. We'll see about that.
You know, I gotta say,
I'm a little insulted
they sent you out here
to try to beat me.
I mean, what are you
gonna sell Tony on?
Your new revolutionary
punk coverage package?
What are you gonna sell Tony on?
Those gas station aviators?
Ah, I'm just
messing with you, man.
Yeah.
Anyway, I actually have been
meaning to reach out to you.
I just been, whew, just been
so busy since I got to TU,
you know? It's like
the great James Brown once sung,
"Gotta pay the cost
to be the boss."
Speaking of which,
Coach Marshall's gotta be
pissing himself about me
taking Tony to TU, huh?
You haven't taken anything yet.
Come on, man.
That kid'll follow me anywhere.
-You're wasting your time.
-We'll see.
We'll see. Anyway, I gotta
keep on moving. You know me.
[Walt] Mm-hmm.
Oh, say hey to Donna for me.
Sure wish I would've
married as well as you.
Daughter of a coaching legend,
give me a fast pass
to the big leagues?
Sign me up.
-[Walt] Fuck off, Rich.
-[Rich] Okay, now.
[Walt] Did you guys
hear about the shooting?
Don't go anywhere near
Tony Raymond's place.
[instrumental rock music]
[engine approaches]
-Hey, man! You Coach McFadden?
-I am.
-[kills engine]
-I'm Ronnie Raymond.
-Dale's brother. Tony's uncle.
-Oh, good to meet you.
[Ronnie] Look, man.
Look, I ain't got nothing
against you personally.
I just come up here to tell you
that you got to
stay away from Tony.
Now, my brother says
he told you the same.
So I'm a little confused about
why you're here.
Look, Ronnie,
nobody's gonna be able to get
-Dale's sentence reduced.
-[Ronnie] Oh, it's gonna happen.
That's the asking price
for Country Hurt.
A school gets Tony, my brother
gets let out the jailhouse.
Bing, bong.
[Walt] Uh-huh.
And you got this in writing?
We're negotiating it.
This coach means what he says.
These coaches are desperate men,
and Tony is like a drug to them.
He's like crack
in shoulder pads.
I know all about crack.
[sniffs]
Okay.
-What? That guy?
-Look, man.
If it's been promised,
it's gonna by God happen.
That school's giving Tony
two million a year in
that sweet NIL money.
With me as a street agent,
bitch, I'd get ten percent.
Don't look all butthurt.
I'm telling you and all
them other sumbitches.
Out of town.
By sunset.
Or all hell's breaking loose.
[engine fails to start]
Try it again.
-Fuck around and find out.
-[engine starts]
F-A-A-F-O!
[rustic instrumental music]
[barking]
[sizzling]
-Hello. Otis, right?
-Good afternoon.
Coach Walt McFadden,
Louisiana University.
-Nice to meet you, Coach.
-[Walt] Yeah, nice to meet you.
Otis? Hey, Otis.
I asked you not to cook those
fish today. They fucking stink.
-Who is this son of a bitch?
-Uh, it's Coach McMadden, Sandy.
Uh, McFadden.
Uh, hello, ma'am. Hi.
Get the hell back!
She don't like strangers
pushing up on her, now.
Right. Oh, sorry. Um, I'm Walt
McFadden, uh, from Louisiana.
Crappy school.
Well, we actually think it's a
pretty, pretty good school.
Uh, both academically
and athletically.
Well, of course you do,
'cause you work there.
I'm sure you're sick of
seeing all us recruiters.
But, um, Tony's
a special kind of talent.
Like, once in a lifetime.
That's why he's our
number one defensive recruit.
We want to help him
get into the NFL.
And, and these NIL deals, uh,
they're pretty special nowadays.
They allow athletes
the opportunity to make
some money based on their name--
-Name, image, and likeness.
-Exactly.
[Sandy] Really? You don't say?
Well, guess what, Coach?
I've been hearing that shit
about 150 times this week.
What, are you
reading from some manual?
"How to Be a Full of Shit
Coach?"
No, ma'am,
I don't have a manual.
Like, your school must not
think very much of my son
if they sent you here.
-She don't mean that, Coach.
-Oh, I know what I mean, Otis.
I mean, I'm 45 years old.
I think I know
what the hell I mean!
Ms. Henderson, if I just had the
opportunity to speak to Tony,
-I'm sure that--
-The one who came last week?
He said if Tony
went to your school,
that y'all would get us
some kind of aid or something,
you know,
to help us get some things.
Oh, yes, ma'am.
Uh, we've been known
to step in and offer
a little bit of help
to a family in need.
No! We ain't no charity case.
We ain't on welfare.
My husband works.
So screw you with
your adoption shit.
I just said that you
could help us get some things
with that endorsement money
and whatnot.
Right. We're happy
to help however we can.
No! Coach, look at me!
My son will make a ton of money
for your college on
those TV deals!
I ain't stupid.
I graduated college prep.
[Otis] She's good
when she take her pill,
but they make her sleepy,
so she don't always take them.
She shot at a coach
over the summer.
Looks like somebody got
a hold of your car, too.
Oh, yeah.
Wrong place, wrong time.
Yeah, I know how that is.
I'm just trying to figure out
how I can get back out
on that lake.
Had the motor die.
Me and Tony love to fish.
I mean, in between
fixing up the house
and trying to make
an honest dollar,
it's hard out here, you know?
-Thank you.
-[Otis] Yeah.
You can finish that one.
I gotta, uh, get up to the store
and get some more.
Turn these crappie over
in about two minutes.
[Walt] Okay.
-Damn. I'm fresh out of cash.
-Oh.
-Probably should get some chips.
-Yeah.
And, pfft, I'll be damned
if I ain't just
about out of gas, man.
Oh.
Fill 'er up.
-Tony gonna like you.
-Yeah. Is he here?
[Otis] Nah, he ain't here.
-[Walt] Can we call him?
-He won't answer.
He said he tired
of everybody bothering him.
[laughs nervously]
Okay.
[folksy instrumental music]
[chickens clucking]
[sizzling]
Hey. Where'd Otis go?
Uh, to get beer.
We're having a fish fry.
Him and Tony? They fish
like they bein' paid for it.
Uh, you know, I-I met,
uh, Tony's dad this morning.
Oh. No, don't you
listen to a word
that that cheatin', stealin'
cocksucker says, all right?
I-I've tried to keep Tony
from going up there,
but it's hard to
break a boy from his daddy,
no matter how big a fuck-up.
Oh.
I had one of those daddies, too.
[Sandy] Oh,
I'm sorry for you, baby.
Oh. We're the sum
of our scars, right?
Amen to that.
It's good he's got Otis, though.
Yeah. I just don't know
what I'd do without him.
I mean,
he's taught Tony so much.
And it's hard out here with
all these dumbass rednecks.
One thing I learned,
nobody wants to mess
with a crazy woman.
[both laugh]
-[Sandy] You hear me?
-Yeah.
I'm just messing with you.
I'm not that crazy. I mean,
maybe I am. I don't know.
But anyway, I always taught
Tony, don't take no shit.
-[Walt] Words to live by.
-Mm-hmm.
For damn sure.
Hope I didn't
offend you earlier.
What? Oh. No.
No, that wasn't what
I was talking about. No.
Look, I'm gonna be
honest with you.
I haven't seen Tony in days.
Like, he might be in California.
He said that he's been thinking
about a school out there,
that maybe he wants to
get away from everybody.
Kind of like his mama.
California? He told Coach Akers
he was gonna sign with us.
Oh, well, that boy just doesn't
like to disappoint people.
You know what?
Maybe he just needs to...
see how much you want him.
No one's gonna look after your
son like we will, Sandy. No one.
I just want the best for my boy.
Life is so hard here.
Well, you're a survivor.
That's obvious.
[Sandy sighs]
Well, look at that.
I need another drink.
Come on inside
and talk to me for a minute.
Okay.
Okay...
[Sandy] Come on.
Show you around.
This is the castle.
[Walt] This is nice.
[Sandy] Oh,
you're just sayin' that.
Okay. All right.
Come on in.
Make yourself comfortable.
I'll get the party.
-Party in a bottle. There we go.
-Oh, oh, oh.
[Walt] Okay.
-[Sandy] Cheers.
-Cheers. [laughs]
-Here's to friendship.
-[Walt] To friendship.
Oh, that burns so nice.
That really does it, huh?
Mm-hmm.
It'll put some
hair on your chest.
I hope it doesn't
put any on mine.
Yeah.
I'm looking at you,
and I'm thinking about
how you want my son
to play at your school.
Yes, we do, ma'am.
And I'm just wondering
how you play the field.
Down, set, hut!
[both laughing]
But seriously,
you ever had yourself
some real Southern cooking?
You know, I know you Louisiana
men think you're the shit,
but once you have
our kind of spice,
oh, you never go back.
So what do you think?
You want to join me for
some whore-d'oeuvres?
Oh, I actually,
I'm gonna check on the fish.
Your husband Otis
told me to flip them
every two minutes, so...
What? No! They should burn
so nobody eats them.
Oh, look at you. You are so shy.
It's sweet. So guess what?
We're gonna play a game.
It's called hide and seek.
Remember that one?
Yeah.
[Sandy] You come looking for me,
and when you find me,
maybe I'll be
wearing less clothes.
Okay! here we go!
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
[Sandy] Ready or not, here you
come! Where are you going?
Oh, you're back.
Everything all right
while I was gone?
Yeah. Yeah, it's fine.
All right.
Then let's eat some fish.
Okay.
[Walt] This is great, Otis.
[Otis] Me and Tony
caught these last week.
-[Walt] Yeah?
-[Otis] Mm-hmm.
-[Walt] You guys are close, huh?
-That boy's like my own.
Well, this
has been really great.
Spending this time with you,
but...
I'd sure like to talk to Tony.
I mean, we can try and find him.
-What?
-I believe he's out fishing.
That's great. That's great.
I love to fish. Let's go.
Ah, motor's shot.
Now, I do know somebody's
got a good one for sale.
But other than that, I...
I don't know what to tell you,
because, uh, Tony ain't
coming back here tonight.
He'll be out camping. [chuckles]
That boy'd rather sleep in
a tent than his own bed.
But we get the motor,
and we can find Tony?
Oh, yeah.
[instrumental rock music]
-[car horn honks]
-[car doors close]
Crowley!
[Crowley] Big O!
What do you know, boy?
All right. Whoop. There it is.
-[Otis] That's the one?
-That's the one right there.
When I tell you this thing
right here can run,
this thing right here
can flat-out run.
Like, like, like Tony Raymond,
like...
Get out. Get out there, right?
So, only thing is, it, uh...
It just got a little water
in the fuel line.
Got to get that water out.
And, uh, got to flush out
the carburetor a little bit.
Yeah. But I can have this
ready for you by tomorrow.
-Oh, uh, Coach McFadden.
-Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
-How you doing. It's Crowley?
-Crowley.
-Crowley. Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
Any chance we can have
that running by today?
-Heck, I can flush a carburetor.
-Yeah. No. It's more than that.
We need some plugs.
Got to get the plugs and...
the crankshaft. That's gone.
-It's gone?
-Gone.
And you told him
about the manifold's shot.
O told you about that.
So, um, other than that...
She's solid. Solid.
Yeah,
I trust Crowley here, Coach.
I mean, anybody else, I just
don't know what I'm getting.
The thing looks like
it's on its deathbed.
[Crowley] Oh, no. No Coach,
she just needed a little TLC.
That's all.
-Okay.
-Yeah, but bones good.
Okay. We'll come back
and get it tomorrow?
Yeah. Yeah, it'll be ready.
It'll be ready tomorrow.
-[Walt] Okay.
-Okay?
Uh, Coach?
I'm gonna need a deposit.
Oh. Yeah.
'Cause I'll be working on it
around the clock, right?
Sure. How much?
[electric guitar noodling]
Um, just... Just give me
half the selling price.
Just give me $2,000.
You want...
You want 4,000 for that?
That's a damn good engine,
Coach.
[Crowley] O, talk to him.
[laughs] Right. Okay.
Well, hey,
if we're gonna find Tony,
we're gonna want the best, uh...
boat motor money can buy. Yeah.
Let's do it. Half the four.
Yeah. All right.
So, um, Otis?
You ready to roll, brother?
You know it, baby.
Roll? Don't you want to
get working on that now?
Shit, Coach. It's quitting time.
[motor crashes on ground]
[Crowley] Fuck it.
We'll get it later.
Come on. Let's go, baby.
[Walt] What? What's...
What do you mean by later?
-Mm-hmm!
-[revs engine]
All right. All right.
There you go right there. Oh.
So, look here, Coach.
If you sign Tony, you'll be able
to get us some tickets
to the game?
-Oh, yeah, definitely.
-Season tickets?
Bradford State and 50-yard line.
O, come on, now.
-Has a nice ring, too.
-[Crowley] Real nice.
-Okay. Tony gonna like you.
-I hope so.
Yes, sir.
Come on, drink up, Coach!
Oh, well, you know what,
uh, Crowley?
We actually had some beers
over at Otis'.
So I think I'm good.
I think I'm good.
[dramatic chord]
[Crowley] Oh.
Hey, no problem, Coach.
If that's how you feel.
I mean, I can have a sip. I'll
have a sip. I can have a sip.
[Crowley chuckles]
-[Crowley] Yeah!
-That's that fire water, Coach.
Coach?
You stomping with the big dog!
[imitates howling dog]
-[Crowley] Come on.
-[Walt] Okay.
[Otis] Let's go play some cards.
[Crowley] Yep, yep.
Let's go, Coach.
I'm ready to win some money!
[hip hop music]
I got something to say.
I'll call.
[chuckles]
It must be my lucky night.
[chuckles]
[Crowley] Damn, Coach.
That's too bad.
I know you want to
get that back.
I know you do. You ain't
a quitter. I know that.
-So tell O to run it back.
-Run it back.
Run it back!
Run it back. Faces and aces.
Let's go!
[siren]
Hey, Otis.
-Evening, Deputy Chisholm.
-Crowley.
I need to talk to your friend
over there, fellas.
What can I do for you, ma'am?
Coach McFadden,
you're under arrest.
What?
[Chisolm] Come on.
Let's go. Let's go.
[Walt] Okay. Okay.
[Chisolm] Bye, Otis.
Enjoy your evening,
Deputy Chisholm.
Damn.
Tell me again.
What did I do exactly?
Hm? You fired a gun inside town
limits without a proper permit,
and a concerned witness
took a video of it.
You in a heap of mess.
It was an empty field.
How is that illegal?
-You got a permit?
-Wasn't my gun.
[Chisolm] Don't matter.
[chatter on police radio]
Where are we going?
Where do people who endanger
others with guns usually go?
-[Walt sighs]
-[Chisolm chuckles] Whew!
News gets out about
you being arrested,
shooting guns, and
playing in illegal card games
and drinking whiskey
with the locals?
Might not be too good for
your school's image, I bet.
I mean, could get a man fired
and bring unwanted attention
to the program.
What do we do to make sure
that that doesn't happen?
Well, I'll tell you what, Coach.
I got a boy.
Plays nose guard,
but doesn't have a chance
to play for a fancy school
like Louisiana
just 'cause he ain't as big
as the other kids.
-How about a smaller school?
-No.
He's got his heart set on
playing for a big-time program.
And he loves Louisiana.
Always has.
Thing is,
him and Tony are best friends.
You give him a scholarship,
getting Tony to sign
would be that much easier.
I get your son a scholarship,
and then you won't report this?
Everybody wins.
[insects chittering]
[engine approaches]
[Ronnie] Look at, look at,
look at what I found!
[engine idles]
What's up,
coach who loves to party?
How'd you know I'd be here?
Who you think called Johnny Law?
It's just, I'm just
trying to do my job, man.
Well, you need to walk
your happy ass
over to another town
and do your job there!
'Cause you are a stranger
in a strange land, my friend.
I just got one question
for you, Ronnie.
Huh?
I said I got a question for you.
-What?
-Why the Enduro?
'Cause, dude,
sometimes I got to be off-road,
and sometimes
I got to be on-road.
[rock music]
[Ronnie] Eat my dust!
Come on, Coach. Get in.
[soul music playing
on car stereo]
Where the hell have you been?
I thought you just had to go
and get that boat motor
from Crowley's?
We was just riding around,
Sandy.
Yeah, I was just playing cards
with the fellas, Ms. Henderson.
Oh, you were playing cards,
were you?
-Oh, yeah, and Otis won big.
-He did, did he?
It wasn't anything.
[Sandy] You ain't
gambled in years!
Then you get with this son of a
bitch and you blow our money?
-Calm down, Sandy.
-[cocks gun]
Don't you tell me
to calm down, Otis!
Y'all two are
just like some wild dogs,
running around and stirring up
shit. Well, guess what?
You can damn sleep outside
like dogs!
You try and come
into this house tonight,
and I will blow a hole
in your asses!
I'm gonna blow a big hole.
It's gonna be bigger
than your asshole.
Yeah, you stupid dogs.
You stupid fucking dogs.
I'm sorry, I didn't know.
I used to have a
little problem with gambling.
Don't you come in now!
Big problem, actually.
-Where you going, Coach?
-Motel.
Coach, all that liquor
you had at Crowley's?
If you get a DUI,
your career's over, man.
That deputy
has it out for you, man.
She probably staked out at the
motel right now just waiting.
Sit your ass down.
All right.
-Where do I sleep?
-We'll figure it out.
[instrumental mariachi music]
[snoring]
-[phone rings]
-[Donna] Hey.
-Hey. You still awake?
-[Donna] Am now.
-Oh, it's been a long day.
-[Donna] What's wrong?
Nothing. I'm just checking
to make sure you're good.
[Donna] Is everything okay
with Tony Raymond?
It's complicated.
[Donna] You can't
mess this up, Walt.
I'm not.
Look, the only time
I want to hear from you
is when he signs.
You gotta get this done.
Your whole future is
riding on this. Our future.
Okay, great. I'll just, I'll
call you on signing day, then.
-Good night, babe.
-[phone beeps]
You're a great
motivational speaker.
-Mm.
-You'd make a hell of a coach.
-Yeah?
-Mm-hmm.
-You got a position for me?
-I can think I have a couple.
Now, if he signs this kid,
you're gonna have to send him
on the road more often.
It's funny you say that.
I got this recruit I've been
wanting to talk to in Alaska.
[laughs, giggles]
[Walt sighs]
-[urinating]
-[Sandy talking inside]
[Sandy making loud
orgasmic sounds]
[Otis continues stabbing ground]
It's cold out here.
Got a work jacket over there.
-[Walt] Ah, thanks.
-Uh-huh.
My jacket's still at the motel.
You're one
heck of a snorer, man.
Yeah, I've been told
I can bring the walls down.
[Walt] Ground's pretty cold
to be digging holes, no?
Sandy's been on
me about getting us a fence up.
Says she wants some
more privacy, you know?
For her nerves.
Seems like you got
a ton of privacy.
[birds chirping]
She used to be
so nice and funny, man.
We used to laugh.
She ain't been the same
since we lost Leah.
Who was Leah?
We had a daughter.
And when she was three,
Sandy took her to
the pond behind our property.
And Leah would play in
the water a little,
you know, splash around.
And then she slipped and
went under just for a second.
Sandy grabbed her,
pulled her up.
Didn't think nothing of it.
But a week later, she was gone.
Viral infection from
the water going up in her nose.
And there wasn't anything
anybody could do.
And the doctors
really tried too, man.
I am so sorry, Otis.
I had no idea.
It isn't something
we talk about a lot.
You just gotta keep on going.
Keep getting up, you know?
Yeah, I can't imagine how hard
that was for you all.
We get by, Coach. We get by.
But seeing how Tony
has been blessed has really
meant something, you know?
[Walt] Oh, yeah.
I'm sure it has.
Yeah.
[Walt] I'm sorry
for getting you in trouble,
last night,
for us playing cards.
I didn't mean
to stress Sandy out.
Nah, Coach. Me and Crowley
were playing cards.
I don't know what
you were playing.
[chuckles]
Yeah.
Too many cocktails, I guess.
But you're here
to tell about it.
So look, after I finish up
these last few holes,
I gotta ride over to Mount Zion
and do some painting.
You like painting?
Crowley helps me some days,
but he's working on the motor,
so...
Uh, yeah.
Yeah, I'll help. I'll help.
You're good peoples, Coach.
Here.
Finish up these last two holes
while I go load out.
[Otis] Here come
one of your brothers.
You mind getting rid of him?
I ain't in the mood to talk
to none of y'all right now.
[dramatic acoustic guitar]
Morning.
Is this, uh, is this
the Raymond residence?
[accent] Yup. They ain't here.
They down there visiting A&M.
Said he probably
gonna sign with them.
-A&M?
-[Walt] Mm-hmm.
I just spoke with him
a couple of days ago.
[Walt] Yeah, surprised us, too.
-I'm sorry. Who are you?
-I'm a cousin.
Played a little ball
back in the day.
-Seriously? Why A&M?
-Eye of the beholder.
Thanks a lot. I'll try and
give him a call a little later,
but do me a favor and
tell him I stopped by, okay?
-Coach Bobby Langley.
-Cousin Duane.
Nice to meet you, Cousin Duane.
Y'all come back now. You hear?
[Walt] I'm gonna get a coffee.
You want one?
[Otis] One sugar, one cream.
[Walt] Thank you.
Have a good day.
[Walt] Hey, Coach!
-There he is. What's up?
You know,
another day in paradise.
I feel like a bounty hunter.
Right? Tony's so elusive.
-He is, man. He is.
-[phone rings]
I'm sorry, this is the missus.
I gotta take this.
Catch you later?
Okay, yeah.
I'll see you around.
-All right.
-[Walt] Okay. Bye, Coach.
[Donovan] Hey, baby. What's up?
Ah, there's the greatest special
teams coach in the country.
How's that extra point package
coming along?
Well, I promised him
a position on the kickoff team
when I see him later, so that
should put me over the top.
Yeah? I don't know how that's
gonna happen.
-He's having dinner with me.
-Sure he is, Rich.
Oh, come on, man. Wake up.
He's committed to us.
I just had breakfast with
his high school coach.
-It's all over but the shouting.
-[Walt] Okay. Okay. We'll see.
[sighs]
-Cousin Duane?
-Oh, hey.
Why'd you tell
me Tony left town, man?
-Oh.
-Cousin Duane?
-[Bobby] Cousin Duane.
-Cousin Duane?
Tony Raymond's cousin.
What? No, this dude
coaches at Louisiana.
-I was kidding, man.
-Louisiana?
You son of a bitch.
Son of a bitch!
-Hey, hey, chill!
-What's going on, man?
I'll tell you
right after I kick his ass.
I wasted my entire morning
because of you.
I drove halfway to
the airport in Birmingham
until I found out
Tony was still here.
And now you
wanna fight about it?
This ain't gonna be no fight.
[hits Bobby]
-Hey, hey, hey. That's enough.
-Fuck you, Rich!
You know Tony's not even
seriously considering you guys?
You know
you're just being hustled
by his crazy family, right?
You know the stepdaddy's
conning you
and his mom is batshit crazy.
If you think spending time
with them is gonna help you,
-then you're a damn fool.
-Go to hell!
Here's the deal.
You're gonna get in the car
and tell Coach Marshall Tony's
not interested. You got me?
[gun cocks]
[nervous laughter]
Easy, man. We're just...
We're just working out
a little dispute, that's all.
I think we just worked it out.
So you're just gonna shoot
anyone, Mr. Henderson?
Nobody's been shot.
Yet.
Come on, Dusty Road.
You got a lot of work
to do today.
[Walt groans]
-[punches Bobby]
-[Bobby] Son of a bitch!
Uh, one sugar, one cream.
Good day, gentlemen.
[bluesy instrumental music]
You always
carry that gun on you?
Don't keep it on me, Coach.
Keep it under the seat.
[engine starts]
-Pretty good with a brush there,
Coach.
-[Walt chuckles]
-Appreciate the help, man.
-Oh, anytime, Otis.
[sentimental instrumental music]
[Walt] Where's my car?
[TV Host] The question every
college football fan
across the country is asking,
where will Tony Raymond sign?
The country's top-rated
defensive end
out of Jackson Central Alabama
has seemingly gone underground!
No one has spoken to him
in days, including his mom!
I don't know where he is.
And if I did,
I wouldn't tell you.
When he makes up his mind,
y'all will know!
Right now, y'all
are getting on my nerves.
[Walt laughs]
So go away.
[Host] Mama coming in hot!
-[snoring]
-[Host] I tell you what,
whatever school lands this
punishing defensive end
will have a dominant defense
within two years.
Well, this kid is tough,
he's big.
[Tony Raymond] This is crazy.
Tony!
That's me.
Walt McFadden, assistant coach,
Louisiana University.
-It's nice to meet you, Coach.
-Nice to meet you.
No offense, but I've been hiding
from y'all the last few days.
But I figure if you're here with
Otis, you must be okay.
[snoring]
-Y'all go fishing?
-No, we painted a church.
Glad I wasn't around. He'd have
had me out there with y'all.
Well, I'm glad I could
take your spot.
-Maybe we can go tomorrow.
-Heck yeah.
Crowley's fixing the
boat motor as we speak.
-That might take a while, Coach.
-[Walt chuckles]
-So, you like it at Louisiana?
-I do. It's a great place.
Yeah. All those campuses
are pretty nice.
-What's the word? Idyllic.
-Yeah.
I could use me some idyllic.
-[sighs]
-Man, I don't know.
I'm getting offered
all this money
to do ads for
chicken restaurants,
car dealerships, a hunting
lodge, a private jet company,
and I can't even keep up.
Well, just stay true to
yourself. All the rest is noise.
But I think
you know that already.
Yeah.
You know, playing football
kept me out of trouble.
When my daddy got locked up,
all I wanted to do was
to fight everybody I could,
and the field's the best place
for me to do that.
But now with all this, it just
feels like it's a business.
Yeah, I know it does, but...
...the second you step on
that field, all that goes away.
And that's the best part.
Yeah.
Yeah, all the noise goes away.
All right.
Well, get some sleep, Coach.
Look worn out.
I'll see you later.
Okay. We'll get some breakfast.
Maybe we'll catch a few.
Yeah. You know it.
[sighs]
[freewheeling hard rock music]
[crashing noise]
[Walt] Oh!
Otis!
[engine hissing]
Tony?
Oh, damn.
Sandy! You okay?
-[Sandy] Hi, Coach.
-Are you hurt?
[Sandy] I'm sorry
about your little car.
Oh, it's okay.
What the hell happened?
[Sandy] I don't know.
I felt like somebody
was chasing me.
-Who?
-A cop.
Oh, was it?
Well, he had those blue lights
flashing, so I think so.
-And you got away?
-[Sandy] Obviously.
Oh boy, Coach.
Wait, hey, hey.
Easy, easy, easy, easy.
[Sandy] I think
I may have overdid it.
Okay, okay, okay.
Easy, easy, easy.
-Just lean back against the car.
-[Sandy] Oh, no.
[Walt] How many of these
did you take?
A bunch.
Don't tell nobody,
but I stole them from my mama.
-Your mama?
-[Sandy] Yeah.
Yeah, she always
got the best shit.
But she needs it on account
of living with my daddy.
Uh-huh. And um,
the ones that you had before,
-here, where are those?
-Oh, those? I flushed those.
I mean, Coach, they made me
feel so sleepy. I can't even...
I don't know.
I just, when I don't take them,
then I just feel like
killing everything I see.
[Walt] Okay, okay.
You know what I think?
I think...
I think you need a little help.
Let's get you inside
and get you warmed up. Come on.
[Sandy] Coach, I...
I'm so sorry.
I shouldn't have tried
to seduce you the other day.
I mean, it just would
have cheapened everything.
It would have ruined
our friendship, right?
It might.
I'm sorry.
At the end of the day, I can't
be with nobody else anyway.
-Otis is a good man.
-[Sandy] He is.
-He is.
-[Sandy] He loves me and Tony.
Oh, he's too protective
of the boy.
'Cause you can't wrap him up
in bubble wrap, can you?
[Walt] No.
-[Walt] Okay.
-[Sandy] Okay.
Good night, Coach.
No, no, no, no.
We're not doing that. Come on.
[Sandy] I'm just resting
my eyes, Coach.
Oh, no, no. Get up, Sandy.
Yep. Put your arms up.
One, two, three.
[Sandy] Oh!
It's like a horsey ride!
[Walt] That's right. Yee-haw!
Coach, you have to walk.
Ah, it's my bed.
[Walt] Yeah. Okay.
Okay, there you go.
Oh, God! Okay. Yeah. Okay.
Get into bed now.
[Sandy] I'm trying.
Hey, come on. Get up. Crawl up
there. There we go. Okay.
[Sandy] Oh, you're a
good man, Coach. Hug.
[Sandy] Thank you.
Get your hands off my wife.
I go get us some barbecue and
this is the shit I come back to?
Oh, Otis.
Get out of here.
No, she took a bunch of pills
and she fell asleep.
You're just like all the
other sharks come around here.
She passed out
and I brought her in.
Go home before I get my gun.
Okay.
[Western-style
instrumental music]
Huh!
Well, well, well,
the mysterious coach.
Hey.
Funny, I chased this very hunk
of junk earlier tonight,
except there was
a blonde lady driving it.
She going to pick up the
scholarship you promised my son?
Oh, sorry, I haven't
forgotten about that.
Look, I got evidence.
I got pictures, I got videos.
Hell, I got your car
running from me tonight
with your prize recruit's
mama driving it.
You won't be able to get hired
to coach a rec league
after I'm done with you.
[Walt] Look, I'm working
on something. Mm-hmm.
-Just give me a day or two.
-[Chisolm] Well, you better be.
Or your shit
is gonna come crashing down.
-Boo!
-Dang.
[both laughing]
-Run me my shit.
-Mm-hmm.
[Walt] Okay.
Hey,
I put coffee in there already.
Thank you.
You should go apologize
to that man, Otis.
He was only trying to help.
You're just so jealous.
It didn't look right, Sandy.
No, I'm telling you.
Nothing happened.
We was just talking.
And half of it was him talking
about how much he likes you.
Look, I took all my mama's pills
and I passed out.
If it wasn't for him,
you would have found me
-on that ground last night.
-I don't trust these guys.
They'll do anything
to get to Tony.
-Maybe he ain't like the others.
-Maybe he is.
You make my head
want to explode.
[somber acoustic guitar]
[text whooshes]
[Sandy] You trying to get that
piece of shit out of jail?
What's wrong with you?
You bastard!
Let me at him, Otis!
Otis, come on! Come on!
You can't let him out!
No! No! I won't
live through that again!
No! No! Why do you
treat me like this?
-Come on! Let me out!
-[Walt clears throat]
What the hell's going on?
I just came out here to
see if I could find Tony,
and she attacked me.
Because she heard I was trying
to get the dad out of prison.
-She does not like that dude.
-Just leave it alone.
Tony's gone dark, man.
I gotta find him.
-[Walt] You're not...
-[thumping sound]
-[muffled yelling]
-What's that?
Yeah, that is a surprise.
It's gonna make my life
a whole lot easier.
Yours too.
Oh! What the hell, man?
He's driving everybody crazy
with that prison release shit,
-so I silenced him.
-You promised it to him.
Yeah, ran his mouth so damn much
we would have gotten busted
even if I could have
pulled it off.
Let him out!
[muffled struggling continues]
Look, man,
I'm not gonna hurt him.
We just gotta get him out of
the way so we can do our work.
Now, look,
man, I've been thinking.
Yeah, seriously,
why don't you join up with me?
I mean, you clearly have
the inside track
with the crazies, huh?
I'll bring you onto the staff
if you deliver Country Hurt.
I need a good
outside linebacker coach.
Come on, man.
What do you say, man?
Come on, let's do this shit.
Power team!
Let him go.
What? You're not serious.
[struggling in trunk continues]
Jesus. So self-righteous.
[growls angrily]
Oh, you are dead meat, Akers.
And I can promise you this.
Tony ain't never,
ever going to TU.
I can promise you that, because
you are a Donnie Double Crosser!
A what?
You lied to my brother,
you bitch-ass bitch!
You two can have each other.
Just untie your legs.
For fuck's sake, Ronnie. Here.
You were right.
That bastard was lying
about being able
to get my brother out of prison.
-No honor among thieves.
-You got that right.
I can't do it anymore.
I'm no good to you
or anybody, to Tony.
I just want to die.
[Otis] We'll figure this out,
baby. We'll figure it out.
She can't go on like this.
It's okay, Otis. I got an idea.
It's gonna be all right.
I promise.
[soft acoustic guitar]
["We Are Fine"
by Sharon Van Etten playing]
Trying hard to breathe
Head between my knees
Take my hand and squeeze
Say I'm all right
Whisper in my ears
Happy you are here
Everything seems clear
We're all right
We're all right
Tell me not to trip
Or to lose faith
You are walking
In my guiding light
Otis is gonna stay
with her for a while.
Mm. Good. Hey, man.
That is some cool shit
you just did.
Respect.
Thanks, Ronnie.
Yeah.
Now, we're gonna head
over to Crowley's for a minute.
I got somebody
wants to talk to you.
Okay.
[Ronnie giggles]
-Coach.
-Hey. Is she done?
Yep. Got that fuel line scraped,
carburetor flushed.
Thank you. Here you go.
[twangy acoustic guitar]
Here,
don't worry about it, Coach.
[Walt] I still owe you 2,000.
Yeah. No, no, you don't.
I mean...
It's a good-ass motor, but it
ain't worth four grand, right?
[laughter]
Hey, Coach.
Hey, Tony.
Coach, I ain't
never seen nothing like it.
It's like the boy a
natural-born mechanical genius.
Mm-hmm. He's got the focus.
Might even be on that spectrum.
That's what gives me
my natural brilliance.
All right. She's ready.
That is amazing.
How'd you learn to do that?
Well, I took a motorcycle
mechanics class last year.
I can take a bike apart, put
the whole thing back together
and not really have
to think about anything.
It's just kind of nice
to let your mind go sometimes.
Yeah, sure is.
-I'm saving up to buy a bike.
-Oh, yeah?
Yes, sir. This right here,
a Stateline cruiser.
-[Walt] Ooh!
-[Tony] Pretty sweet, ain't it?
I'm not sure too many programs
are gonna be happy about you
rolling around on that thing.
[laughs] Yeah,
you got a point, Coach.
Maybe I'll get one
after I'm done playing.
I should have hired you
to fix the damn boat motor.
Ha-ha!
-Hey, uh, Coach?
-Uh-huh?
I just wanted to say
thank you for helping my mom.
Glad I could.
Otis said I could come see her
in the next few days.
I'm really glad
she's getting help.
Yeah, me too.
Hey, you want to go fishing?
[bike engine]
[peaceful instrumental music]
Otis teach you how to fish?
-Yeah. I love it out here.
-[Walt] Yeah.
-You two are close?
-[Tony] Yeah.
He became
my stepdad when I was 11.
I was real skinny back then,
scrawny, you know?
The kids used to tease me
about Otis,
because of his skin color,
and because
my dad was locked up.
-They don't tease me now.
-[chuckles] I bet they don't.
[Tony] Weird thing is,
I never really cared that much
about football.
I got pretty big in
the ninth grade.
Coach asked me to
come out for the team.
One place where I could knock
the hell out of somebody,
not get in trouble for it.
It's a lot of pressure
being in the spotlight now.
And everybody telling you
where they think you should go,
-what they think you should do.
-Yeah.
How great you can be,
how much money you can make.
Sometimes I think I might just
want to stay here and fish,
work at Crowley's,
fixing motorcycles.
Yeah, there's a lot of pressure,
that's for sure.
[Tony] You know, I had a guy
tell me the other day
that if I signed with their
school, they'd buy me a Ferrari.
I mean, what the hell
am I gonna do with that,
except look like an asshole?
[Walt laughs]
I mean, you can
always come back here.
Work at Crowley's, fish.
You know?
But with your talent
and the opportunities
that you're gonna have,
you're in a position to change
a lot of lives, not just yours.
I mean, I think you should...
I think you should
give it a shot.
See where it takes you.
Yeah. Yeah, I know, Coach.
I'm crazy,
but I ain't that crazy.
[laughs] No, you're not crazy.
The situation is crazy.
Look, Coach, what you, uh...
what you did for my mom
is pretty incredible.
I mean,
you might have saved her life.
I just...
I want to repay you for that.
Oh, no, Tony.
[Tony] Look Coach,
just hear me out on it.
I know you didn't do it
just to get me to sign.
But I mean,
I do want to be somewhere
that feels like family.
And after what you did,
I mean...
...you're family now, Coach. So.
[gentle, peaceful music]
What's Otis think about this?
He says it's a short time here,
a long time in the ground.
You should do what
your heart tells you.
-Smart man.
-[Tony] Yeah.
[Otis] Y'all must be
talking about me.
Coach.
Yeah, how is she doing?
Good.
Better than I seen
in a long time.
Good.
[Otis] I just wanted
to say thank you.
I think that place
will be good for Sandy.
Oh. Yeah, you're welcome.
I ain't gonna lie.
At first, I was hustling you
like I hustled all the
other coaches who come around.
I mean, I know what this
game's about, so I figured, hey,
I might as well take
advantage of it.
But once I got to know you...
I got to thinking
there's something different
about you, Coach.
I don't know. Um...
I started to feel like
all the others
the longer I've been here.
Nah. You ain't
like the others, Coach.
[Otis] What'd we catch?
[Tony] Cross those lines here.
Not much yet.
[Walt] Thanks, Otis.
-Hey, man.
-[Walt] Hey.
Thanks for bringing back my car.
That ain't all I brung you.
Step into my office.
-[muffled struggling]
-[Ronnie giggles]
Holy shit. Ronnie!
That'll teach this slick bastard
to mess with me.
[muffled yelling]
He needs to stay on the
sidelines for a little while.
-You're just gonna kidnap him?
-He did to me first.
A self-defense kidnapping
in my book.
Besides, he needs
to go to prison
for trying to ruin
everybody's life.
[muffled screaming continues]
Coach McFadden? Hi.
Somebody let the cougar
out the zoo. Is that your wife?
[Walt] What? No.
I'm gonna let y'all conversate.
I got some cargo to drop off.
Mrs. Marshall. Everything okay?
[Judy] I hired someone to follow
my soon-to-be ex-husband.
I'm sorry, Walt.
But this is something
you need to know about now.
Crew Marshall is the
biggest asshole on the planet.
Now I have proof.
-Does he know you know?
-Not yet.
But maybe we could confront
them together. I love drama.
-Can you send me a link to this?
-Of course.
Thank you.
Thanks for showing me.
I know that wasn't easy.
Well, life's about to get
a lot easier
knowing I won't be married
to that bastard much longer.
Maybe we should meet at Coach
Marshall's tomorrow around two?
Give him and Donna
a little surprise.
Deal.
And I know I probably
don't need to tell you this,
but if you play
your cards right,
you could get yourself
a nice promotion
and get Crew
tossed out on his ass.
All for playing along
and keeping quiet.
The athletic department
doesn't want these optics.
Yeah, for sure.
You deserve to get something
out of this, so take it.
I know I am.
[reflective instrumental music]
Looks like you could
use some company.
Oh, what up, Coach?
Good to see you.
-Thanks.
-I'm headed back in the morning,
thought I'd come out
and say goodbye.
Been crazy a couple days.
Yeah, you damn sure got
to love it to be out here.
[Walt sighs]
-Why you do it, Coach?
-[chuckles]
Days in some
tiny little town in Alabama
trying to convince
some 18-year-old kid
to come to your school?
I'm a product
of the system, man.
I came out of a tough
situation growing up,
and I made college football
work for me.
I don't know where I would
have ended up without it.
I guess that's really what
keeps me coming out of here.
There's no greater feeling
than when you get a kid who,
without football, would have
never went to college.
And that kid busts his ass
and gets a degree
and a good job
after playing four years.
That's what it's all about.
Football is... gravy.
I love the life part.
-Life part.
-[Donovan] Mm-hmm.
-To the life part.
-[bottles clink]
Hey, Coach, uh, you're the one
from Louisiana University.
Yeah?
-My mom talked to you about me?
-Who?
She works for the Sheriff's
Department. I'm Kenny Chisholm.
[Walt] Nice to finally meet you,
Kenny Chisholm.
You, too.
I just want to let you know,
sometimes my mom, she can
get a little carried away.
Mm-hmm.
I always dreamed about
playing for Louisiana.
But too small, too slow.
But I'd love a chance just
to be a practice player.
I just want to be
out there with the team.
Well, Kenny, any school
would be lucky
to have a player like that.
Maybe we can
figure something out.
Tell me about your season.
See you around, Kenny.
Coach! I called you a few times,
but I never heard back.
-What's going on?
-Everything's good.
Okay.
But I told you to call
me when you established contact.
I got his NIL paperwork.
Oh. I'm not sure that kind of
thing is gonna persuade him.
You crazy? A million dollars?
I'm just trying
to tell you, man.
[Chip] Well, where is he?
I'll talk to him.
You know, he's kind of hard
to pin down, Chip.
Um, he likes fishing.
Why don't you try the lake?
-The lake?
-[Walt] Yeah.
What part of the fucking lake?
It's a big fucking lake.
You better sign this kid,
or your ass is finished.
Yeah, I'm well aware.
[knocks on door]
[Walt] Morning, big guy.
Hey, Coach.
Just about to head to school.
-Today's the big day.
-[Walt] That it is.
If you'll just give me
five minutes,
there's someone
I want you to meet.
Coach William Donovan, one of
the finest men in the game.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Pleasure to meet you.
Pleasure to meet you, Coach.
[Walt] Otis,
do you mind if we come in?
Come on in, fella.
-After you, Coach.
-Thank you.
[suspenseful acoustic guitar]
[indistinct murmuring]
-Hey, babe! Missed you!
-[laughing] Oh, hey!
-Hey, Judy.
-Hey, Donna.
Don't you just
look fabulous today?
Thank you.
It's good to see you.
I missed you.
I missed you, too. Hey,
I tried to call you back.
Mm-hmm.
Why don't you
just come pick me up?
-Let's celebrate, huh?
-OK.
[Walt] OK.
[knocks]
There he is. Oh, come on, now!
-What did I tell you?
-Well done!
-You did it! Ladies, hello.
-Hey.
What a surprise this is.
[Judy] This is a
big moment for everyone.
We didn't want to miss it.
We thought it'd be fun if we
all celebrated together.
Our wives have been so
supportive of us
over the years, haven't they?
-100%. Absolutely.
-Oh, press conference time.
[TV Host] And now we'll find out
where five-star defensive end
Tony Raymond
will be playing next year.
Whoever lands this
generational talent
is gonna be celebrating today.
[Tony] I'd like to
make my announcement
about where
I'll be headed in the fall.
It's been a difficult decision,
but I feel good about my
choice,
and I appreciate all the people
who helped me
through this process.
Up until this morning,
I was planning to sign
with Louisiana University.
Was?
[Tony] I really like
Coach McFadden.
I thought it'd be a
good place for me.
But due to some
unexpected circumstances,
I've decided to sign
with the CSU Bobcats.
I'm really excited
about helping Coach Donovan
build a winning program there.
He does things the right way.
That's what I want
to be a part of.
Plus, CSU is a lot
closer to home,
so I'll be able to see
my family a little bit more.
-Thank you all for coming.
-[Host] Breaking news!
[giggles, laughs hysterically]
That's my nephew!
Whoo! Who's crying now?
What the hell is this, Walt?
You said you signed him!
CSU!?
I got you someone
so much better.
-[punch]
-[Donna] Oh my god!
-[Judy claps]
-[Donna] Jesus, Walt!
Yeah, yeah, I didn't sign Tony.
But I did sign you
a nice nose guard.
A little on the small side.
5'9", 160 pounds.
Not very strong, not very fast,
but he's got a lot of heart.
-Walt--
-Don't.
[Walt] His name
is Kenny Chisholm.
-[Crew] Who?
-Kenny Chisholm.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
to your fine university
for the next four years.
All expenses paid.
Coach, you just made my boy
the happiest kid in America.
You're gonna surprise
a lot of people.
You are so fired.
What is this, Walt?
What are you doing?
What are you doing, sweetheart?
And what are you doing,
sweetheart?
[Walt] You're gonna
resign tomorrow,
or I'm gonna go to every
sports network in the country
and tell them about your little
extracurricular activity here.
Happy signing day.
-Walt.
-Y'all deserve each other.
[Donna] Walt?
What's left
to talk about, Donna?
I'm sorry. I lost my mind, okay?
I made a mistake.
-Agreed.
-I don't want to lose you.
It didn't look like that
in the pictures.
We can fix this.
I know it won't be easy,
but will you please let me try?
Please.
I'm going in a new direction,
Donna.
You're no longer
involved in any future plans.
Your style is not gelling
with what I want to build.
-[Donna] Walt?
-But good luck.
You'll latch on somewhere.
There's a lot of action in
the transfer portal these days.
-[Donna] Walt, please?
-You'll be okay.
-Good luck.
-[Donna] Walt, come on.
[triumphant instrumental music]
-Tony!
-Hey, Coach. What's up?
-What's up?
-[Tony] It's good to see you.
It's good to see you.
This is the guy I was telling
you about. This is Jax.
He's the CEO
of Open Road Motorcycles.
He wanted to meet you before you
take off to school next week.
Now, I told him all about
your passion for bikes.
He wants you to intern for
his company next summer,
before you start practice.
You're going to be working
with the design team,
learning the whole business.
Am I right?
-Absolutely.
-Oh, man. Wow. That is awesome.
I can't wait. It's great to meet
you, sir. And thank you.
Absolutely.
Thrilled to have you, Tony.
Now that you've signed with CSU,
Open Road is gonna make
a new Country Hurt Cruiser.
Even want your help
with the marketing some.
Got a nice compensation package
for you.
It's a dream come true, y'all.
Thank you, sir.
-Coach, you're the man.
-[Walt laughs]
[Jax] Did you strip her
all the way down?
[Tony] Yes, sir.
[audience cheering]
[rousing instrumental music]
[athletic fight song]
Does it get
any better than this?
No, sir.
[epic instrumental music]
[music fades out]
-Nothing biting here.
-No.
Told y'all I got another spot
we can go to now.
[engine doesn't start]
-Son of a bitch.
-You get the valves?
Think Crowley ain't
fix it worth a damn.
I think you running shitty gas.
That's what's going on.
There's worse places
to be stuck.
-Hey, Otis, pass me the worms.
-You got a bite?
[Walt] Looks like it.
Then we right where
we need to be.
Yes, Lord.
[all laugh]
["Right Where You Belong"
by Layup playing]
Don't worry
Falling off
The path you're on
'Cause you're bound to land
Right where you belong
The endless hours
And all the miles
That you've gone
Will always lead you
Right on to
Right where you belong
Right where you belong
Somewhere and somehow
You wound up
Wherever you are now
And it's right
Where you belong
In any direction you go
Down any road
That you follow
They all lead
Right where you belong
You feel the weeds growing in
The ground around your feet
And you're standing right
Where you're supposed to be
But you don't need a compass
Or know any geography
To know that where you are
Is right where
You're supposed to be
Where you're supposed to be
And I believe
Somewhere and somehow
You landed
Wherever you are now
And it's
Right where you belong
In any direction you go
Down any road
That you follow
And I believe
That somewhere and somehow
You landed
Wherever you are now
And it's right where
You belong
In any direction you go
Down any road
That you follow
They all lead
Right where you belong
I believe
Down any road
That you follow
They all lead
Right where you belong
I believe
Down any road
That you follow
They all lead
Right where you belong
'Cause you're bound to land
Right where you belong
[song ends]