Matt Palubinsky

One Last Shot at Destiny

              

“Last Chance U” is a show that goes into depth when confronting the lives of football players at East Mississippi Community College. Each player on this team is looking to play at the elite Division 1 level of college football. Either they have already been at one of these programs and weren't playing as much as they wished, their grades weren't too good, or they wanted to play at a better school then they were already at. Both the struggles and the triumphs are recorded making for an incredible show that captures what it's like to have the stress of being an athlete, even if you're at the best junior college in the nation with some of the best college athletes on the planet. The decisions that these kids make throughout the fall will decide their future of football or even life.
 

Player talking to their "mother" Mrs. Wagner

     More than anything the young athletes at this school need is academics in order to thrive and do what they are so incredibly good at. They are expected to get to every class and make their grades because it is absolutely crucial. By far, their most valuable resource has definitely got to be Brittany Wagner. She is their student resource guide that helps with everything from personal issues to their academic situations. She is the backbone to this football team and without her most of the players would't be able to make it through the semester. She is referred to as a mother figure by most all of the athletes and even the coaches who look up to her and truly appreciate the value of her presence. Obviously their academics are only half of what it takes to be at the top of their game. Athleticism is major in all sports, not only football and this team has tons of it.
 
   One of the athletes that played for EMCC was a quarterback by the name of John Franklin lll, who transferred over from Florida State University because they added another quarterback onto their roster. With his future on the line and one player ahead of him at EMCC he had only one opportunity to show what he could do in the final regular season game of the season when the starting quarterback went down with an injury. With the Auburn Offensive Coordinator in attendance, John knew he had to put on a show. In the first half alone, he manged to do something very few football players in history get to say that they accomplished. He scored a mass of six total touchdowns and had a whopping total of 291 yards. This incredible first half landed him a scholarship offer from the Auburn Tigers. He willingly took the offer and expected to compete for the starting job at one of the most note worthy football schools in the world.

Players huddle around the head coach after a win

     For others getting onto a top tier team wasn't nearly as easy as it was for John. Others had either gotten injured or just didn't give the amount of effort in the classroom that college coaches would have wished for. The list of insanely athletic players goes on and on but one made more of a dramatic impact on the show than most did. Dacorious (D.J.) Law, a running back on the team, was a kid who you simply couldn't take your eyes off of once he got his hands on the football. Out of high school, Law had several official visits to major division 1 programs but simply could not make the grades. East Mississippi Community College was a second chance at life for the young man and he barely made it out alive. Near the last few episodes of the season, Mrs. Wagner openly questioned whether or not he was going to make it because of his 18 missed quizzes and tests and his poor work ethic throughout the semester. A kid that had 12 college offers out of high school and who was No. 40 running back and No. 630 prospect in the "247sports" football composite now had to race to save his career as a football player. D.J. Law ended up completing his quizzes and committed to play football at UAB even though he had offers from Louisville, West Virginia and Ole Miss. Injuries gave each of these players and others not only problems but also chances to prove who they were.

        Just like they give chances, they also take them away. By saying that, I am indeed talking about injuries and there sure are a ton of them in the game of football. For some athletes, their careers could end in the blink of an eye which is one of the scariest things that goes through the head of every single person that has ever played a sport in their life. For others an injury is only a temporary issue that sets them back a few weeks or months or maybe even a year. Injuries can also give chances like the one that gave John Franklin lll the opportunity to score six touchdowns in one half of football. A few of the other athletes with setbacks dealt with the issues like D.J. Law did when he landed on his knee wrong after he got tackled in one of East Mississippi games. Law ended up putting a brace on his knee and everybody thought he wouldn't be nearly as good as he was but he actually became seemingly faster then anybody had ever thought. Another athlete who was one of the most followed characters on the show, Ronald Ollie, a defensive tackle, was highly regarded as being an SEC-caliber player before he got a concussion and couldn't finish the season leaving him with not enough film to impress the scouts. If EMCC would have made the playoffs then his story would have been a lot different than it was. Ollie ended up playing for Nicholls State  where he currently resides on the roster.
                                     

 D.J. Law viewing from the sideline

   The reason EMCC did not make the playoffs was not because of their record, in fact their record was remarkable with 8 wins and one loss. The team was banned from the playoffs for their brawl in their game against Mississippi Delta Community College, a rival school of East Mississippi Community College. EMCC ended up defeating Mississippi Delta 48 to 0. All of their points were    scored in the first half right before the brawl broke out at the end of the second quarter. If you'd like to see the brawl for yourself it will be right here. -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-F2TCuxwlA  <- This fight ended their playoff hopes and a shot at the championship game. This was a very disappointing turnout of the season for all of the players and coaches alike. If it were to happen in a school where students didn't literally have one more shot at their future than this wouldn't have been nearly as big of a deal. But this sidetracked some of the players and even the coaches creating a sense of drama at the end of the season.

    Netflix produced a reality television show about that couldn't be any more action packed then it already is. By following the lives of these gentleman a show about struggles and hardships was filmed. Each player on this team had to come together and form a bond to get through what seemed like hell and uncertainty for an entire semester. From my own perspective the show is highly intriguing and I enjoyed every second of it. I would honestly recommend this show to people who aren't even interested in the game of football. It shows how hard it is to one, play the game of football, two, play the game of football along with completing your school work, and three, the emotional baggage and toll that the stress ends up having on some of the toughest kids in the entire nation. If you're a person who enjoys intense trump and blood bumping action then "Last Chance U' is the show for you. Season one is on Netflix and a rumored season two is supposedly on the way so find a comfortable place to sit and start binge watching today!

Work Cited 

Richards, George. "Ready to binge-watch some football? 'Last Chance U' does the trick." Miami Herald, The (FL) 05 Aug. 2016: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

Swanson, Tim. "Catch 'Last Chance U' for intense college football drama." Sacramento Bee, The (CA) 24 Nov. 2016: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

Justin, Neal. "Netflix's 'Last Chance U' offers an education in college football." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) 22 July 2016: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

MALESIC, JONATHAN. "Field Of Vision." America 215.11 (2016): 29-32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.