Jake Walker has been a professional football player for ten years, and as exhibition season approaches, his future with the Memphis Monarchs appears to be in doubt because of his bad knee. Nevertheless, he has been setting records since high school and he has tremendous confidence and a conceited attitude every time he gets in front of a camera. And his aggressive and gorgeous agent Candace will make sure he can get whatever he can if he has to go to another team.
In Riverton, North Carolina, Jake's father Frank still coaches the high school team for which Jake and his brother Dean played back when the school won the state championship in 1996. The team isn't that good this year, though Dr. Tate's son Sean is a talented quarterback and would benefit from better players. Sean's father is a team booster who knows of a really good player who, due to problems at home, would like to move in with his aunt who lives in the district. Frank won't go against the rules.
Frank has a heart attack and Dean contacts Jake, who is slow to respond. He hasn't returned home much since high school; in flashbacks we see a game where Jake set a personal record, but alienated his father and brother in the process. Jake thinks they don't want him around, but when he gets the message about his father he returns home quickly. The family thinks he'll stay around for a few minutes and then leave again. But it is true Jake's career depends on his doing just that.
Meanwhile, Dean has a beautiful wife Karen and two children, and he is happy with his life--possibly happier than Jake with all his money and fame. And he is promoted to head coach in place of his father, who is not likely to recover quickly to the point where he can handle coaching full-time.
Sarah Tate is Jake's old girlfriend and a former professional dancer who worked in New York City. She has a son Micah and in addition to teaching performing arts, Sarah coaches the cheerleaders.
Jake has decisions to make. Should he continue his NFL career, or should he help his brother coach the high school team? What about Sarah? And why does Micah not have a father? Might Jake become his stepfather?
This movie is well-done, and it has no offensive content. It is rated TV-G. It is full of moral lessons, including many cases where the right decision will be detrimental to the football team, or to a career, or whatever, but it will be the right decision. The movie stresses the importance of family.
You don't really have to like football, but it helps.
Ryan McPartlin and Catherine Hicks (as his mom) do a good job, and Beau Bridges does a great job. Young Maxwell Perry Cotton stands out and his character ends up making a real difference.
One problem, which would only be of interest to the really picky--regular-season high school football seems to start before NFL exhibition games.
The product placement is a little obvious, but this is a Wal-Mart and P & G family movie.
It's a worthwhile effort.
