Gridiron Gang

"[First lines] Most 16, 17-year-old kids, they make a bad choice, something gets broken, they screw up in class, hurt somebody's feelings, show up at the prom drunk, they get sent to the principal's office, have their car keys taken away, or get grounded. Then there's kids, they make a bad choice, somebody ends up shot dead in a parkin' lot. Those kids get sent here."

"Then let's try the impossible, because the possible just ain't workin'."

"It's time to prove to everyone out there that even though you're locked up, you are somebody."

"Lemme tell you somethin' else, I still don't believe that they're 38 points better than you. I still don't believe that they're the better team. I would not trade you for them. I want you to hold your heads up high."

"I know you're a good football player. You may even be great. And I am gonna push you until we find out."

"Ya got nobody but yourself, but, goddamn it, that's all you need. Believe in yourself and knock me on my ass!"

"[Closing lines] We played the championship game the next week. We lost 17-14. But we played a helluva game. And no one called us losers. I told 'em, far as I was concerned, they were champs. Since then all the kids have been released. 24 are goin' to school. Three are working full-time jobs. And only five are back in jail. That's a lot better than the average failure rate of 75 percent. After his release, Junior Palaita got a job working for a furniture company and lives with his family. Kelvin Owens recovered from his bullet wound. He's gonna play for Washington High next season. Miguel Perez and Donald Madlock went back to their old gangs and are now in California Youth Authority prisons. Kenny Bates is goin' to school in Redondo Beach and living with his mom. Leon Hayes is trying to resist the crack dealer's lifestyle. He's gonna play football for Dorsey High this year. Bug Wendal was killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton. Willie Weathers got a full scholarship to play football for a top boarding school. A school that's long way from 88th Street. And how'd things change for me? Not a whole lot."

"They ain't that good, man. We're better. And it means much more to us. You know? When this all started, man, coach, he said we'd be winners. I thought he was full of shit, man. I hated y'all. Didn't want no part of it. But then we made a team. We showed people somethin'. Coach is right. We changed. We're not losers no more. All we gotta do is go out there and show it one more time. You know what I'm sayin'?"

"Yeah. I played games. I play Madden!"

"Dwayne Johnson - Sean Porter"

"Xzibit - Malcolm Moore"

"Kevin Dunn - Ted Dexter"

"Leon Rippy - Paul Higa"

"L. Scott Caldwell - Bobbi Porter"

"Jade Yorker - Willie Weathers, HB"

"David Thomas - Kelvin Owens, WR/DB"

"Setu Taase - Junior Palaita, FB/HB"

"Trever O'Brien - Kenny Bates, WR"

"Brandon Mychal Smith - 'Bug' Wendal"

"Maurice McRae - Leon Hayes, QB"

"Jurnee Smollett - Danyelle Rollins"

"Michael J. Pagan - Roger Weathers"

"James Earl - Donald Madlock, OL/DL"

"Jamal Mixon - Jermaine Evans"

"Danny Martinez - Miguel Perez, WR/DB"

"Omari Hardwick - 'Free'"

"Mary Mara - Mrs. Bates"

"Michael Jace - Mr. Jones"

"Anna Maria Horsford - Sharon Weathers"

"Dan Martin - Terrell Rollins"