Sean Porter quotes from Gridiron Gang (2006)

Sean Porter

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

Sean Porter

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

Sean Porter

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.

Sean Porter

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

Sean Porter

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

Sean Porter

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.

Mr. Porter?

Sean Porter

Gettin' beatin' in the middle of the night, how'd you like it, Roger? You like that?

Whatchu hitting me for?

Sean

What you hit Kelvin Owens for?

He dissed my 'hood!

Sean

And now he's out there asleep and you're stuck in here. So what does that make you?

Hey, man. Can you do dat?

Sean

Can I do what?

Be smackin' me and shit.

Sean

I guess I can.

SHIT, man!

Sean

Roger, you're 17-years-old. Where you gonna be in four years, huh?

I don't know.

Sean

Answer me. Where you gonna be when you're 21?

Probably in jail.

Sean

What? Look at me! What'd you say?

In jail.

Sean

No. You're not gonna be in jail. You're gonna be dead. [Bends down to talk with Roger] You're a good kid, Roger. But you're gonna be back out on the streets tomorrow. Back in your hood with your homeys. You wanna stay alive, you gotta make a life for yourself outside of your set. If you don't do that, if you don't find an alternative, you're gonna die. If you want any kinda help, if you want to talk, I'm here for you. [Stands up, grabs the newspaper, and walks away] Think about it.

Sean

Listen, Paul, we convince a kid to stop gangbanging, all we do is create a void. And unless we fill that void with somethin' better, we're gonna lose 'em. According to the teaching staff, the kids here have trouble being punctual, responding to authority, being a member of a team, and accepting criticism. What one activity can improve 'em on all these areas?

You wanna start a football team?

Sean

Exactly.

Sean, look at them. Our whole system's designed to prevent them from making contact.

Sean

Our whole system right now is a joke.

Malcolm, you're not buying into this, are you?

Seventy-five percent of our kids end up back in jail. How much worse could it be?

Well, who are they gonna play against?

Sean

I'll find 'em high school teams to play.

Wait a minute, you wanna take 'em out of the camp? You really think you can trust these kids?

Sean

Not now, no. But if they were a football team...

Oh, come on, Sean. It's-it's impossible.

Sean

Then let's try the impossible, because the possible just ain't workin'. Paul, we've got to give these kids a target and we've gotta fill that void. You played football, didn't you?

Defensive end. Second Team All League. All right, we'll give it a try. But your neck is way out on this.

Sean

You wanna play football with this team, you're gonna live with the team, eat with the team, and work with the team.

Is practice gonna be hard?

Sean

It's a lot harder than five homeboys beatin' up a security guard, Perez.

Then I'm in.

Sean

How 'bout you, Bates?

I don't know.

Sean

Don't be scared.

I'm not scared.

Sean

You're on the team.

Leon Hayes

Yo. I'll play quarterback.

Sean

You got any experience, Leon?

Leon

Man, I got so much experience I could give some away and still have more than I could use.

Sean

All right.

I'll play.

Sean

I can't use you, Junior.

Why not?

Sean

'Cause you got no discipline. You'll be tryin' to start fights every time I turn my back.

You ain't even gonna give me a chance?

Sean

You've had plenty of chances. Who else? How 'bout you, Owens? You played defensive back, didn't you? For Washington? [Kelvin doesn't answer] You wanna check your calendar and get back to me? Or maybe you got another liquor store to rob.

Yeah, I'll play.

Sean

How 'bout you, Evans?

I mean, I played Pop Warner when I was younger but that's about it, though.

Sean

You're on the team.

I got experience. I played for, like, three years.

Sean

What position'd you play?

Out to the side.

Sean

Was that out to the side on offense or defense?

If the ball's thrown from... man, I don't know what I'm talkin'.

Sean

All right, Bug. How 'bout you be water boy?

Cool.

Sean

All right.

Yo, Mr. Porter. Can I play?

Sean

You're getting out in a week, Madlock.

I wanna stay in.

Sean

You wanna stay in jail?

Yeah, man. South Central in summertime gets hot. Gets crazy. People start shootin' each other and stuff.

Sean

I'll talk to your case worker. All right?

All right.

Sean

New booty? What's your name?

Willie Weathers

Willie Weathers.

Sean

Get vertical when you talk to me. [Willie stands up] You any relation to Roger Weathers?

Willie

He was my cousin, man.

Sean

I want you to play on this team, Willie.

Willie

Naw, man, it's a'ight.

Sean

You're playin'.

Willie

Why?

Sean

'Cause I want you to live longer than your cousin.

Leon

Hey. Who we gonna play against?

Sean

We'll let you know.

Sean

All right, everybody, listen up. Whatever neighborhood you came from, whatever gang you claim, whatever hood you're from, this is your hood now. You're no longer a Blood, no longer a Crip, no longer an esé. You're Mustang. This football program will be three-pronged. Number one, the dorm. You're gonna have to learn to get along with people from other neighborhoods. Different backgrounds. Number two, school. You're gonna have to apply yourself. Become a better student. And number three, the gridiron.

Hey, coach. What's the gridiron?

Sean

You're standin' on the gridiron. The gridiron is a football field. On the gridiron, we play football. On the gridiron, we do it my way. Not your way, my way. Your way got you here. And you're here, 'cause ya lost. Right now, you're losers. Mustangs are winners. And if you accept this challenge, when it's all over come December, you're gonna be winners.

Sean

All right, bring it in. Great practice, great practice. Way to work, way to work. Everybody in close. Get in close. Take a knee. You guys worked really hard this week. You should be proud. You haven't heard that a whole lot, have you? You've earned it. Boys, it's a whole new world out there when you earn things. All right, bring it in. Everybody in. Everybody in. Mustangs on three. One, two, threeǃ (Everyone: "MUSTANGSǃ")

Sean

You got a pass, Junior?

I had a phone call.

Sean

From who?

It's my boy's birthday, man. He's two-years-old. He's two-years-old and I missed it. I wanna be a Mustang, coach.

Sean

Why should I trust you?

'Cause I ain't gonna mess up.

Sean

That's what you told the judge the last time you got out.

No more. I'm tired of bein' a loser, man. Makin' a mess of everything. Coach, I wanna show people I can play. I can do somethin' with my life. I just wanna make my son proud.

Sean

What was that about?

Willie

Man, just send me to the boxǃ

Sean

No, you start trouble on a football field, we finish it on a football fieldǃ

Willie

I ain't doin' shit wit 'imǃ

Sean

Why not?

Willie

Was his set smoked Rajaǃ

88s killed my best friendǃ

Sean

Shut upǃ How long your sets been at war?

Ancient times, dude.

Sean

How'd it get started? You even know?

They started that shit, dawgǃ

Willie

Man, that's a goddamn lieǃ

Sean

Shut upǃ Willie, lemme ask you something. How'd you feel when Roger died? Did you cry? How 'bout you, Kelvin? How did you feel when your friend was killed? Did you cry?

Yes, sir, I did.

Sean

Yeah. So it's just gonna go on like this forever? Killin' each other 'cause ya live five blocks in the wrong direction? How 'bout we call a peace right here? [Both boys refuse] Goddamn it, why not?!

Willie

I mean, we just, like, little gangsters. It wouldn't even mean nothin'.

Sean

It'd mean somethin' here. Right here, right now, it would mean somethin'.

Sean

This is it. The day you've been waitin' for. I know you're nervous. So am I. My first game too. Now it's time to go out there and put it on the scoreboard. Now it's time to see who has the heart. Now is the time to prove to yourselves and prove to everybody out there that even though you're locked up, you are somebody. And you are worthy of somethingǃ And you're able to do something special that no one else in the world can do, which you can walk through those doors, hold your heads up high and call yourselves Mustangsǃ Are you ready to go out there and take what's yours? (Players: "Yeahǃ") What you've worked hard for? (Players: "Yeahǃ") Are you ready to accept the Mustang challenge? [The players cheer] Lead usǃ Lead usǃ

Sean

First one is always the toughest. We made a lotta mistakes out there today. All of us. Me too.

Willie

No shit.

Sean

They were ready. They've been playin' together for three years. We've been together for three weeks. Lemme tell you somethin' else. I still don't believe that they're 38 points better than you. I still don't believe they're the better team. I would not trade you for them. I want you to hold your heads up high. We got nine games left. We're just gonna have to work harder.

Sean

I just got back from the hospital. Kelvin's gonna be okay.

Willie

Better for me if the **** was dead.

Sean

Ya think so? I really don't think it matters 'cause you're screwed either way, Willie. Your homeys know what you did yesterday. So you go back to the hood, they're gonna put a bullet in your head, 'cause they think you're not down for the set anymore. No matter what you say now. You know what? I think they're right.

Willie

Manǃ [Lunges at Sean before being put into a chokehold]

Sean

You better be good to me, asshole, 'cause I'm all you gotǃ [Lets go of Willie]

Willie

Man, **** youǃ [Throws a pillow at Sean, who grabs it and throws it aside]

Sean

Who else cares about you?!

Willie

I don't need nobody elseǃ

Sean

You don't give a shit about me or anybody elseǃ

Willie

Man, that's rightǃ

Sean

Then why'd you try to save Kelvin yesterday? Huh? Answer me thatǃ Why'd you side with the enemy over your own homeboy?

Willie

Man, 'cause-a youǃ And this damn football team, manǃ

Sean

That's bullshitǃ You made a choiceǃ

Willie

No, I didn'tǃ I ain't even what was happenin' to meǃ It was just so... everything so quickǃ I don't what's happenin' to me, man.

Sean

I do. You're not the loser you were when you first got here, Willie. You're just not used to bein' a winner.

Willie

My father said I was a waste of his time and his money.

Sean

Your father was a loser, Willie. My old man was the same way. He spent so much time tellin' me I was no good, tellin' me I was nothin'. I believed him.

Willie

That why you so pissed off all the time?

Sean

Yeah, that's probably got somethin' to do with it. [Sits down with Willie] I know how you feel, Willie. You get to the point where you expect to screw up. You expect to fail. If we wanna win, we gotta let 'em go. Forgive 'em and move on.

Willie

Forgive 'em?

Sean

Forgive 'em. Otherwise we give 'em too much power over us. And they don't deserve it.

Willie

Well, how long it take you to forgive your dad?

Sean

Till just now. Till just now.

Willie

Kelvin's gonna be okay?

Sean

Yeah.

Willie

Whole football team's done, though, huh?

Sean

Maybe not.