final draft - assignment one

Assignment OneSite Location: Friday Night Lights

Summary of Conventions and Rules: The figured world I am observing is a TV series called Friday Night Lights. The show is located in Dillon Texas, and is based around high school football team situations. The town of Dillon is very small and close nit so everyone knows everything about everyone. The show is cornerstoned around the Coach Eric Taylor, his wife Tami, and his daughter Julie. Other than the focus on Coach Taylor’s family the focus is on the high school football players. The main actors in the series Friday Night Lights are Jason Street, Lyla Garrity, Matt Saracen, Tim Riggins, and Tyra Collette. The show uses this small town environment to address many issues facing contemporary American culture, including family values, child development, life lessons, school funding, racism, drugs, abortion and lack of economic opportunities.The main activity shown in this show is around Football Nights at Dillon High, the town diner, and late night parties. Unlike in the real world, these High Schoolers don’t have curfews or parents that follow their every move. Coach Taylor is very protective of his daughter Julie especially with her love Matt Saracen. In this show, it is acceptable to drink on school night, come to school hung over and sleep with moms and teachers. There is one thing that isn’t acceptable in Dillon, Texas. That is skipping a football practice, or coming to practice hung over like Tim Riggins does all the time.Communication in this show is usually based on face to face conversations or phone calls. Since this is a rural town most do not have the texting we have today, and it was based in 2006. Coach Taylor as the football coach has mostly face to face meetings with the football players. He is more intimidating when he has a meeting to the players face to face and shows up unexpectedly at their house as a scare tactic. I believe that there are a few discourse communities in this series. The main communities are the football players, the residents of Dillon, Texas, and the fans at the football games.

Description of Location: During this observation period the location changes quite a few times. The football field is a main site of the observation, as well as the diner where all the high school kids socialize and hang out with their cliques. The football field is state of the art unlike some of the other schools sports facilities. The grass is always mowed, there are never any divot holes, and the painted lines are crisp. The diner is a small, dated, local hangout that serves the normal fried food. There are booths near the window that seat four which is where all the jocks sit. Tim Riggins has his own table, as well as Jason Street and Smash Williams, accompanied by cheerleaders and rally girls at all times. The football field is the main location because that is where all the action is during this episode. The values of Dillon Texas are shown by the clean upkeep of the football field, and state of the art score boards. This just shows that this town has football on their mind all year round.

Figured World: Figured Worlds are places that share the same conventions, manors, and types of people. Some examples are communities, sports teams and so on.

- Football Field: this is an example of a figured world because it is a place where these students act as athletes. They show respect to their coach, get yelled at by coaches, and come together as one family.

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- Locker Room: this is an example of a figured world because there are certain ways of acting while in the locker room. The athletes get pumped up in the locker room before a game, get yelled at during half time, pray before and after the game, and give each other pointers.- Tim Riggins House: this is an example of a figured world because it is not your typical

household. In the Riggins household there is beer available anytime, and sex available anytime. The guardian is Tim’s brother who does not have the normal parenting rules and values.

- Dillon, Texas: Dillon Texas is an example of a figured world because it is a community that comes together around high school football. The shops are closed on Friday Nights and everyone comes out and supports the football team, even if it is away. The town is a rural town so people live frugally.

Actors: Actors are main characters that use artifacts and that are apart of discourse communities. They are the people that need to be present to fulfill a specific purpose in Friday Night Lights. The list below are the Actors that are present in Friday Night Lights and also play an important role in my observation.

- Coach Eric Taylor: The head coach of the Dillon Panthers football team. He is a leader in the figured world on the football field, locker room, and in the town of Dillon, Texas. The players look up to Coach Taylor as a coach and a father figure. Coach Taylor tries to open the eyes of the players and help them become the best they can be.

- Matt Saracen: Sophomore Dillon Panthers Football player. He is essentially the underdog in the figured world. He is the caretaker of his grandmother on top of all his school work and football practices. Though in the first episode he looks like he cannot standup and replace Jason Street as quarterback he shows the entire town that he is a star quarterback.

- Jason Street: Senior Dillon Panthers Football player. In the figured world he is the leader and quarterback of his football team. He is not the typical egotistical high school jock who only cares about football and girls, but rather a warm hearted boyfriend to Lyla Garrity.

- Tim Riggins: Dillon Panthers Football player. In the figured world Riggins is the high school tough guy, alcoholic. He is a player and will wrap any girl around his finger. As he appears to always be mean, he is very caring to his best friend Jason Street. Most of Riggins anger comes from his household situation of being raised by his older brother and not really having any parenting figures present.

Artifacts: Artifacts are tangible and intangible items that are necessary for the actors, and the figured world. These items mean something to the players of Dillon Football, and or the rest of Dillon, Texas.

- “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Loose” : This quote is an important artifact on the Dillon Panthers Football team as well as Coach Taylor. At the end of each talk, and

huddle Coach Taylor says “Clear Eyes Full Hearts” and the team says “Can’t Loose”. This is essential for the team to come together and act as one family.

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- Prayer: Praying is an important artifact on the football field. It is expressed throughout the figured world through verbal and non-verbal actions. Football is a rough sport and as shown in episode one, players get badly injured. Most of the time Coach Taylor initiates the prayer but there are a few times when the players say their own personal prayer. When the team prays aloud before each game and after each game it reveals that the word of God is an important value of the team as well as the town. I do not believe that all the players practice the same religion but it brings the entire team together whether they believe in it or not. Prayer brought together both teams at the end of episode one, when Jason Street was rushed to the hospital. It didn’t matter who won at that point when they all came together and gathered for prayer.

- Fans: The fans are a significant artifact to Dillon Panthers football team because they support the team throughout their entire season. The fans arrive at the field on Friday Nights with their blue and yellow attire on. They bring massive posters with players jersey numbers on them as well as thunder-sticks and sport horns. The fans pump up the players during a game and give the football stadium the atmosphere it needs. The people that come to the game are not always looked at as fans from the players, sometimes they are just the background noise they need to hear to be able to focus. A football game isn’t the same if it is dead silent. The fans play a big part in the figured world for motivating and comforting the players on the field.

- Dillon Radio Station: The Dillon, Texas Radio station that talks about high school football is an important artifact for Coach Taylor. He listens to it every time he is in the car and takes everything they say personally. Some of it is not nice, and he uses that to inspire him to push harder and show the commentators wrong.

Discourse Communities: Discourse Communities are specific groups of people in Friday Night Lights that share a particular interest, communicate the same, and follow the same conventions. It could be determined how the actor was raised or where they live.

- Football Players: Tim Riggins, Matt Saracen, and Jason Street all fall into this discourse community. Each are highly involved with football and being a star athlete. Throughout my observation there are multiple times where the football players question each others ability on the field. The way of communicating in this discourse community is usually through picking fights or yelling at each other.

- Dillon, Texas Residents: This is an example of a discourse community throughout the observation because the residents of Dillon, Texas all share a common interest of high school football all year long. The residents all work together and do anything they can to fund the football team and make it better. The communication in this discourse community is usual in groups of residents surrounding Coach Taylor to give him advice about Friday nights football game.

- Fans: The fans are an example of a discourse community because they all have a common goal and that is to cheer on the Dillon Panthers for a football win. The shared way of communicating is cheering for their team, and of course booing for the other team.

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Literacy Practices: Literacy Practices mean how you communicate with someone hints the word literacy. In Friday Night Lights these items that are listed below are such ways that the people in this show communicate verbal, nonverbal and written.

- Football Plays: This is a very important literacy practice in my observation because football plays are how a team strategies to win. If the team had no clue how to read the plays when Coach Taylor went through them during their huddles they would have no chance of wining. Football plays are specific to each team and each coach. Plays are made specific to the team so that the opposing team does not know what play you are going to do next. This literacy practice excludes everyone that was not taught the plays helping the actors communicate with each other. - Coach Taylor’s Speeches: Coach Taylor’s speeches are a major literacy practice in this

observation. He may be smaller than the players knows how to yell at them to intimidate them. Most of his speeches are face to face. His speeches distinguish him from past football coaches the team has had because he is personable and original with when talking to the players. At the end of every speech he has he either prays or says “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Cant Loose.”

Observation One: Season 1 Episode 1Sunday January 26th, 2014Time: 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm

Short Synopsis: The first episode of Friday Night Lights introduces all the players and students who will be staring in the episodes. In this episode the Dillon Panthers prepare for their first football game of the season under their new Head Coach, Eric Taylor. The series of events happens over a time period of 5 days (Monday - Friday).

12:00 - (Monday) Starts off with Coach Taylor walking on the field Monday Morning. There are news crew following him around all of pre season. The radio is narrating in the background. Matt Saracen is shown taking care of his grandma and being picked up for practice by his best friend Landry Clarke. On the way to practice Matt picks up the newspaper and sees that Coach Eric Taylor is on the front page. Tim Riggins is awakened by his guardian which is his older brother. There are beer bottles everywhere . His brother tries to talk some sense into him but then Tyra his hookup buddy walks in in his shirt. Then Lyla Garrity is introduced at her house. Her family mocks her about her boyfriend Jason Street then she proceeds to cheer practice. Coach Eric Taylor is being interviewed by a local Dillon Texas news cast with his Senior quarterback Jason Street as scouts watch from the stands. Next, Brian “Smash” Williams is introduced when the interviewer asks how he deals with racism on the football team and he says “he puts his blinders on and it doesn’t stop him.” Tim Riggins is interviewed asked about the racism with

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Brian Smash Williams, and Tim responds with, “I just don’t like him and I just like to hurt people.”

12:05 - Tim is asked by the news crew if he has been drinking because they smell alcohol. He says no and Coach looks by it. They start doing football drills where there is nothing but hitting and tackling. Then the diner is introduced. All of the clicks are at their own tables. Matt Saracen and Landry are arguing about talking to Coach Taylor’s daughter Julie while she is sitting alone in the diner reading a book. They approach her and Landry tries to talk for both of them without looking like an idiot. Julie rejects them by saying she doesn’t eat with football players. The interview switches over to Lyla and Jason and all you hear is Tyra mocking her in the background. Tyra then struts over to Smash and starts flirting away.

12:10 - (Tuesday) Ms. Tami Taylor knocks and walks into her husbands office. She then asks him why he didn’t tell her about the pep a rally. At Matts house, Matt practices his throws and throws the football into the tire. Jason and Lyla make-out after Jason says he loves Lyla Garrity. Tami Taylor looks at the newspaper for houses to buy while her husband Coach Taylor watches football plays and ignores her. His daughter Julie starts making metaphors between the book Moby Dick and the Dillon Panthers. Coach meets up with an old friend that tells him the scoop about the team they are playing on friday night.

12:15 - The town and football team are at Lyla’s dads car dealership for the opening of Buddy’s Car dealership. The major has the football team up on the stage while Coach Taylor gives a speech about their first game and first season. Smash then freestyles and pumps the crowd up about Friday nights game. Coach then gets interrupted by a group of men from the town. They end up giving him lots of pointers about Friday nights game and how and what he should do.

12:20 - Tyra finds Jason and tries to flirt with him while Lyla isn’t around. Lyla sees them and gets jealous and walks off then Jason goes after her. Tyra then finds Smash, and Tim Riggins comes over and gets mad. They start talking smack to each other like they always do. (Wednesday) Its football practice again and the Dillon Panthers football team is teaching little panther kids a little about football. They teach them how to read plays and how to become a varsity Dillon Panthers. They pray at the end of practice and a kid asks Jason if he thinks god loves football. They say the lords prayer and end practice. (Thursday) Coach goes and looks at a house with a realtor without his wife and says he will make his decision after the game on friday. He listens to the radio on the way home and hears all the trash talk that they are saying about his coaching.

12:30 - Lyla, Jason, Tim, and Tyra are at a bonfire on a school night drinking and enjoying while they talk about their dreams and touching god. (Friday) It is game day and all the stores in Dillon Texas are closed. The fans are making their way into the stadium and the players are getting ready for game time. Coach gives a speech about

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people’s expectations about winning and ends his speech with, “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Cant loose” and the kids hit the Panthers P on the wall before they storm the field. The team starts the game and Jason is being a star and calling the plays in the huddle. Smash gets a touchdown which is the first of the season. Then the opposing team scores.

12:35 - Dillon Panthers get another touchdown with the pass from Jason Street. The visitors score again. Its half time and the team meets in the locker room. Different position coaches are yelling at their players and Jason is being asked what they should do and how they need to play. The 2nd half is started and it is looking rough for the Panthers. Jason pep talks his team while they are getting killed on the field. Coach ells at the ref for a wrong call when he shows his anger. The visitors score again and have a lead with 6 minutes to go. The crowd is cheering trying to give their players some hope. Street gets hit by the opposing player Chandler. The crowd is silent while coach goes and checks things out. Jason Streets parents rush to the field and the doctor. All players get on one knee and Jason cannot move. The ambulance comes and Lyla cannot hold herself together. The EMS believes its a spinal injury.

12:40 - The EMS takes off Jason to put him on a stretcher and into the Ambulance. The crowd claps as Jason is taken off the field. Matt Saracen starts to warm up and is then put in the game in place of Jason Street for quarterback. Saracen is named as captain in place of Jason Street. There are three minutes to go in the game and the refs start the game again. Matt tries to call the play and be a leader in the last plays. He calls the wrong play and is then drilled by a player. Lyla is at the hospital waiting for her boyfriend. Matt does the wrong play again and the crowd is pissed. Coach tries to give him a pep talk to breathe and slow down and tells him to look before he throws the ball. Matt says yes sir after everything Coach Taylor says. Matt passes to Smash and he scores a touchdown. The crowd is alive and is cheering on the Dillon Panthers. Matt throws the football and the Panthers score again winning the football game.

12:45 - The teams gather as one after the game and take a knee to pray together for Jason Street. The team comes together at the Hospital and Coach Taylor goes and see’s Jason. He is in a neck and back brace. Julie comforts Lyla as she is crying outside Jason's Hospital room. Coach tries to comfort Jason’s parents then touches Jason’s hand for support. We don’t know what is wrong with Jason yet but we will soon.

Observation Two: Season 1 Episode 2Wednesday January 29th, 2014

Time: 4:00 pm - 4:40 pm

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Short Synopsis: With Jason seriously injured, Matt Saracen steps up and becomes the team's first-string quarterback, a role that no one seems in favor of him being in. The series of events happens over a time period of 5 days (Monday - Friday).

4:00 - (Monday)The episode starts off with different scenes of different churches of the athletes. They are praying for Jason Street and his family and what they are going through. Tim Riggins and his brother on a Sunday are driving and shooting out on country roads. Many parents are coming up to Coach Taylor and asking what his plan is the rest of the season and doubting if Matt Saracen can take over Jason’s spot. Coach Taylor meets with Matt after church and tells him straight up that he has a lot of work to do. Lyla Garrity arrives at the hospital with a get well balloon in Her cheer outfit. She puts up a banner from Dillon High that everyone signed. Lyla mentions a famous basketball player that has had a serious spinal injury and that he is now back up on his feet. She constantly is giving him hope.

4:05 - Coach Taylor is driving in Dillon and listening to the radio on his way to work as they start talking about the possibilities of what is going to happen to the Dillon Panthers. Coach Eric Taylor enters into the locker room where the football players are and it becomes silent. He tells them that there isn’t any news yet on Jason Streets injury but he will keep them updated. He says there is no point in waiting around and that they need to start practicing again for their game friday. As practice goes on Matt Saracen isn’t getting the hang of it. Coach gets on him and tries to push him to be his best. Matt’s throws are awful and gets another talk by Coach Eric Taylor. Tami Taylor heads to a neighborhood book club as Coach Taylor watches the play from the other night when Jason was injured. Tim Riggins is doing the same at school looking at all the plays and seeing exactly what injured his best friend and begins to cry.

4:10 - Its night time and everyone is at the Diner. Tyra yells at some girls that are crying over Jason Street because they didn’t even know them. Tim Riggins is drunk and can’t deal with the shit Smash Williams is talking about football. Matt Saracen gets his rally girl and can hardly speak when she is talking to him. Tim Riggins gets up from his booth, walks over to Smash Williams and makes him get up because he is sitting in Jasons booth. Smash doesn't and Tim gets pissed and throws his beer bottle at the window. (Tuesday) Its tuesday now and Tami Taylor tells her husband that she is going to start looking for a job. Coach heads to lunch with the booster club and all they talk about is the game on friday. None of them believe that Matt Saracen can do the job.

4:15 - Its practice time again and Matt Saracen still isn’t making his throws. Tim Riggins and Smash Williams pick a fight with one another over blocking each other. Two of the assistant coaches break them up and Coach Taylor is frustrated. Tyra runs into Smash Williams and brings her home. His home walks in on them having sex on the couch and calls her a white girl. She brings Tyra outside and calls her a classy girl that will be seeing planned parenthood soon. At the hospital Jason Street tries to pick up the pencil and fails at doing so. Coach Taylor pops in the

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hospital room and surprises Jason. He asks him how he is doing and Jason says he isn’t really feeling much. Coach gives him the football from Friday’s game with the teams signatures on it. Jason makes sure Riggins signed it and smiles. Coach lets Jason know that they are saving his spot on the team for how ever long it takes. Jason asks how Matt Saracen is doing and coach lets him know that it will take some time. Jason talks to Coach about how he is creative and has always liked him. He says they are completely different but he will make some things happen on the field. Coach says to Jason that he is a good man and he makes guys like him want to coach. Jason says sorry to Coach for letting the team down and both of them begin to cry.

4:20 - (Wednesday) Landry and Matt head to school. They are talking about how everyone is comparing him to Jason Street and that he needs to make a name for himself. Matt has an interview later that day and tells the news cast that he needs to make a name for himself . The cheerleaders are practicing while the football team has practice and Lyla meets up with Tim Riggins. She asks how he is doing and to let her know if she needs anything. She lets Tim know that Jason has been asking about him and wanted to see if he wanted to go see him with her. The doctors let him know that he will be able to use his arms and hands but not his legs.

4:25 - Tami and Coach Taylor meet up at Apple-bees for dinner. Tami lets her husband know that the AC is out but her good news is that she got a job at Dillon High School as a counselor. Eric Taylor is worried that they will have some interaction and doesn’t know how to feel about it. The hospital calls about Jason during dinner and lets him know that he is paralyzed from the waist down. (Thursday) The next day Coach walks into the locker room and lets the team know that Jason is paralyzed. During is speech Tim Riggins walks out in anger. All the players have a blank face on them and some are crying. Landry goes to Matt Saracens work at the ice cream place to quiz him on football plays. Customers get mad because they are not getting the service they need. At the hospital Jason tells Lyla he is paralyzed. She believes in him and that he can recover from this. Before she leaves she prays with him about recovery.

4:30 - Tami comes to the school to find her husband watching football plays in his office. He lets her know that Matt Saracen isn’t ready for playing and that the town expects to win States and nothing less than that. Tami tells him to mold Matt just like he did with Jason Street. Coach feels lots of pressure because he is screwed if he looses a game and his job depends on it. Later that night Coach Eric Taylor pulls up to Matt Saracens house. Matt lets him in his Grandma starts to get nervous and goes and gets him a pastry. Coach see’s all the pictures in the house of his dad

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and the military. Coach gets to meet his grandma and she lets coach know how proud she is of him.

4:35 - Later that night Coach Taylor takes Matt to the football field. He starts to talk to matt about his personal life and having his dad in Iraq. He talks to him about all his time commitments while being the man of the house and is proud of him for that. Coach lets Matt know that he has a job to do and nothing else Friday Night. The assistant coach puts on the loud speakers on the field so Matt knows how loud he has to be when he calls plays Friday Night. Matt starts calling plays loud enough and Coach keeps on pushing him. (Friday) Coach Eric Taylor meets Buddy Garrity at his car dealership. Buddy is trying to give Coach advice, putting a lot of pressure on Coach Taylor and the possibilities if he looses the game.

4:40 - All the football players get their gifts/sweets from their Rally Girls. Lyla goes to the hospital to give Jason his. The stores are all shown with their closed signs on. The football players are suiting up and the cheerleaders are getting ready for the game. Many of the players are reading the bible before the game and its more of a quiet time. The stadium starts to fill with fans. Coach gives the team one of his speeches before they hit the field from the locker room. He talks about how they need to be one team and play hard. They pray about Jason, and playing a safe game. Coach shouts “Clear Eyes Full Hearts Can’t Loose”. Matt stays in the locker room and coach makes sure he is ready for this. The fans are cheering and the Panthers kick off the football.

Observation Three: Season 1 Episode 3Wednesday January 29th, 2014

Time: 6:00 pm - 6:40 pm

Short Synopsis: The Panthers suffer a humiliating loss, which puts added pressure on the entire team expecially Matt Saracen. Lyla tries to help Jason believe that he will walk again. The series of events happens over a time period of 5 days (Friday - Tuesday).

6:00 - (Friday) Jason watches the football game from his hospital bed. Matt becomes the quarterback of the game and Jason Street is pushing for him. Smash gets tackled at the 10 yard line. It’s half time and Coach is yelling his butt off. He yells at Riggins, Smash, and Saracen. In the fourth quarter they are down by 6 points with 15 seconds left. Panthers believe its touchdown but it ends up to be a few inches short. The Panthers lost a game they should have eaisly won tonight. After the game Coach Taylor yells at them and says not good enough.

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6:05 - (Saturday)Tim is drinking as usual Lyla Garrity shows up at Tim's front door. His brother answers it and says he isn’t there. She tells him that Jason is asking for Tim and to tell him when he sees him. Matt Saracen is cleaning off his football sign in his front yard. There is loser spray painteed on it. A car passes by his house with a car full of boys yelling loser. Meanwhile at the hospital Jason tries to start walking with one of his nurses and he can barley stand up. Lyla arrives at the hospital with flowers. She lets Jason know that they are putting on a pancake benefit for him to fund his rehab

6:10 - Tim Riggins is sitting and eating some BBQ at the connivence store when he runs into Ms. Street. She lets him know that he has been asking for him, and that him being in the hospital doesn’t change his relationship with him. Coach Taylor and his daughter Julie go to the Alamo Freeze and order some dinner. A customer asks if they have started packing yet since they lost. Coach Taylor gets mad and lets him know that if he needs to yell at someone yell at him and not his 15 year old daughter. (Sunday)Its practice again and they are running sprints because of Friday nights game. Smash gets yelled at for slowing down and tries to give advice on Coaches coaching skills. Coach punishes the team because of Smash’s talking back. 6:15 - Lyla is getting ready for the pancake breakfast and her mom comes in and asks her what she wants to do for her birthday. She says she is going to spend it at the hospital with Jason and her mom says she is there too much. Lyla tells her mom that she is going to marry Jason one day and her mom says that she needs to look at the big picture and his injury. At the pancake breakfast all the football players, cheerleaders, and fans are there. The booster club is talking strategies again with Coach Taylor. Tyra asks Smash if he has seen Tim Riggins and goes and finds him. He is drinking beer and hitting the cans off the Mountain. Tyra yells at him for being such a tough guy and not going to see his best friend Jason. Tim mocks her about hooking up with Smash, and then Tyra threatens to break up with him. Tim Riggins agrees and breaks things off. Tyra drives away crying. 6:20 - (Monday)At school Tim’s rally girl gives him his homework she did for him. Lyla catches up with Tim and invites him to a prayer meeting. He blows her off and insults her. Matt Saracen comes to Tami’s office to drop his Calc class so he can go to morning practices for football. She asks about his grandma and his dad in Iraq. He says he the only one around to take care of himself and his grandma. Its practice again Riggins is doing drills. Coach Taylor pulls him aside and tells him to go hard or go home. Riggins takes off his helmet and walks off the field from practice. The coaches say they think Riggins believes that Jason’s accident was his fault and thats why he has been a different person. Buddy Garrity invites Coach to go see a Recruit that could be the new quarterback. Coach is very skeptical about it.

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6:25 - They meet the Recruit who was a Katrina victim in a local motel. Buddy Garrity offers them housing, a new job, and money, basically bribing them. Coach has a problem with everything Buddy is promising. Coach asks the player if he wants to play for him but he will have to earn it and not play starter immediately. Lyla overhears her parents talking about her and her future. They say that she is giving it all away for Jason. Coach Taylor comes home and see’s Smash on the TV during an interview. Coach Taylor gets mad and calls the assistant coach to call practice at night right now.

6:30 - All the players get calls from the coaches telling them to come to the field house but Smash gets a personal visit from Coach Taylor and tells him to get his ass in the car for a little field trip. The players all get on a bus and head off. It is raining and the coaches order them off the bus. They are told to do sprints threw the water up and down the hill until said not to. Coach Taylor starts yelling at them about how they have to earn to be a champion and they are just not given it. Kids are throwing up and believe they have had enough. Smash starts the chant “Clear Eyes Full Hearts Cant Loose,’’ and they keep running. Lyla is at the hospital again for her birthday dinner and he snaps at her for being so optimistic about him getting better. At the end of his rant he tells Lyla to get out cause they are not getting married. It crushes Lyla and she leaves saying she will be back tomorrow.

6:35 - As the team gets back on the bus Tim Riggins gets pulled aside by Coach Taylor. He tells him that it was not his fault for what happened to Jason Street and for him to let himself off the hook. He is punished by walking home in the rain because he walked off from practice earlier that day. Tim Riggins is walking home in the rain and Lyla Garrity stops and talks to him. He is a jerk and says a snarky comment. She tries to talk some sense into him to get him to the hospital to see Jason because he can walk. She starts to hit him and slap him and he tries to calm her down and make her stop. She is crying how Jason is never going to walk again then she kisses Tim Riggins.

6:40 - Coach comes back home at 3 am and his wife asks him where he has been. He replies with practice. (Tuesday) The next day at the hospital Jason is getting moved to rehab by the nurses. Lyla shows up late and Jason Street apologizes for last night saying he didn’t mean any of it. His dad puts his football in his lap when he is being transported to a different room. At practice the team is doing a lot better and showing better team work. The recruit come onto the field and all the players look at him in disgust. Coach welcomes him but tells him he needs to earn it.

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Matt SaracenJason Street

Tim Riggins Coach Eric Taylor

Smash Williams

Interview Questions: These questions and answers were fabricated for the purpose of this assignment. The answers are based on the backgrounds of these characters and the way I believe they would respond. Interview with Coach Eric Taylor:1. Tell me about the pressure you felt coaching your first football game of the season as the Dillon High head coach?Well Amelia, I have always been a football coach but never a head coach of the Dillon Panthers. Being in the town of Dillon, Texas is different than coaching in a state where football isn’t the number one sport. I felt a lot of pressure coaching my first game as head coach because the school is known for letting coaches go once they hit a loosing streak. I do not plan on hitting that streak and losing my job. I believe the pressure will constantly be there the entire season while I am coaching and even during off season because football is what this town of Dillon, Texas is all about and I do not see that changing any time soon.2. Give an example of a time you were disappointed in one of your football players?At our first practice of the school year not including the summer practices I became very disappointed in a player of mine Tim Riggins. Tim has grown up in a household without parents and has been raised by his older brother. On the first day of practice he came to the field reeking of alcohol. I know Tim is a drinker but I do not want to see that on my field again. The interviewers of the local news even asked him if he had been drinking because they smelled alcohol on him. I believe that Tim is better than that and can control his drinking habits. 3. What was going on in your mind when Jason Street was tackled on your first game of the season and couldn’t move on the field?When I saw the hit that Jason received from the opposing team I knew immediately that something had broken. I haven’t seen a hit that hard in years and for Jason to be the only one blocking the opponent he got all the force on him. When the crowd was silent after that hit and Jason was on the field not able to move all I wanted to do was comfort him. I have been his coach for years and seen him develop and for it to be his last season as a Senior with scouts it broke my heart. I knew his career was over after he said he couldn’t feel anything.4. Tell me about the reasons you don’t allow your daughter to date the football players on your team?Well, a main reason I do not let my daughter Julie date my players is because I know what they say about girls in the locker room. The locker room is the gossip place for football players. I do not want my daughters name to ever be used in that locker room. Also I know what is going on in high school guys minds. They only want one thing and I will not allow that to happen to my daughter. They are all nice guys just not enough to date my daughter.5. Tell me about your reasons behind saying “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Loose,” after the end of your speeches?I believe that this saying/slogan pumps up my players, and brings us together as one team. Clear eyes means awareness. Full Hearts means that I want my players to be fully engaged and put everything out there on the field. Can’t Loose is said after because with those two things clear eyes and full hearts your team shouldn’t be able to loose. I will say this to my players as long as I live because I believe in it.

Amelia Mohr Channell 13

Interview Questions: These questions and answers were fabricated for the purpose of this assignment. The answers are based on the backgrounds of these characters and the way I believe they would respond.

Interview with Jason Street:1. Tell me how you and Tim Riggins are best friends when ya’ll have totally different personalities?Tim and I have been best friends since Pop Warner days. We keep each other in line on and off the field. Without Tim Riggins I would be all into football and have no free time. He makes me go out and get football off my mind. Sometimes we end up in stupid situations and problems but thats why I am there... I usually get us out of those situations. 2.Tell me about the first time you told Lyla Garrity you loved her.The first time I told Lyla I loved her was in 10th grade. That was two years ago and we have been dating for about 2 and a half years. I took her to the diner the first day I got my license. I thought I was so cool for driving a red Jeep Wrangler and picking her up to go on a date. After dinner I drove her back to her house and dropped her off. I was so nervous to tell her I loved her that I let her leave without me saying it. I drove down the block turned around and knocked on her door. She answered and thats when I told her I loved her. From then on we have been going strong. She always jokes around and says we are going to get married but I do actually believe her. 3. What was going on in your mind after you got tackled on your first game of the season?After I got hit at the first game of my senior year I didn’t know what had happened. The last thing I had remembered was throwing the ball to Smash Williams. When I woke up I was on the ground not able to move. I knew immediately that something went wrong and my body wouldn't be able to work the way it had before that hit anymore. I didn’t think I would be paralyzed until the doctor told me two days later. That crushed me. 4. How did you react when the doctor told you were paralyzed?When the doctor told me I was paralyzed he didn’t really come out and say “Hey you are paralyzed.” I wanted him to be straight up with me but he told me that I would be able to move my arms and hands again after rehab. I asked him if I would be able to walk again and he said he doubts it. Thats when I knew my football career was over. I was in a depression for a few days and even snapped at Lyla when she kept saying it was going to be okay and that I would be able to walk again. 5. Tell me about your relationship between you and Coach Taylor?Coach Taylor has been my coach all throughout my high school career. This is the first year he has been the head coach though. He is like a father figure to me. I come to him about everything even if I have problems with Lyla. I feel like I am a part of Coach almost like family and I would never want to give that up. He was the first one to come see me besides my parents at the hospital after my accident. I will always look up to him and ask him advice like a son would do.

Amelia Mohr Channell 14

To Infinity and Beyond... Below is a poster I chose to make to go above and beyond with this assignment one. I decided to be creative and think of ways the Friday Night Lights cast could come to UNC Charlotte someday. Of course February is the month of love so I decided to make a poster that told students how they could win a date with the Friday Night Lights Cast Members. Also February is Breast Cancer Awareness month so I decided to pick Susan G Komen as the charity all the proceeds will be donated to. Getting the cast here to UNC Charlotte would be the hardest thing but it could totally happen. I think the best way of getting the word out would be letting the Sorority and Fraternities plan and network the event. Zeta Tau Alpha would be the lead because their philanthropy is Breast Cancer Awareness and Education so they would be perfect for it. I think local boutiques would love to sponsor this event and incorporate their clothes into the bid. Having local businesses around the charlotte area sponsor the event would make it a community involvement rather than just a campus activity.

Amelia Mohr Channell 15