Remember the Titans

***Remember the Titans*** is a 2000 American sports film.

## Synopsis

The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.

## Plot

In 1971, at the desegregated T. C. Williams High School, a black head coach, Herman Boone, is hired to lead the school's football team. Boone is assigned to the coaching team under current coach Bill Yoast, nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. But, in an attempt to placate rising racial tensions and the fact that all other high schools are "white" only, Boone is assigned the head coach job. At first, he refuses as he thinks it is extremely unfair to Yoast, but accepts when he sees what it means to the black community. Yoast is then offered an assistant coach's job by the school board and initially refuses, but reconsiders after the white players pledge to boycott the team if he does not participate. Dismayed at the prospect of the students losing their chances at scholarships, Yoast changes his mind and takes up the position of defensive coordinator under Boone.

The black students have a meeting in the gymnasium in auditioning to play for the team until Boone arrives, but the meeting turns into a fiasco when Yoast and white students interrupt. On August 15, 1971, the players gather and journey to Gettysburg College, where their training camp takes place. As their days of training camp progress, black and white football team members frequently clash in racially motivated conflicts, including some between captains Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell. But after forceful coaching and rigorous athletic training by Boone, which includes an early morning run to the Gettysburg cemetery, and a motivational speech, the team achieves racial harmony and success. After returning from football camp, Boone is told by a member of the school board that if he loses even a single game, he will be dismissed. Subsequently, the Titans go through the season undefeated while battling racial prejudice, before slowly gaining support from the community. Gerry even has his best friend Ray removed from the team because of his racism, following a game where he intentionally missed a block that led to the near-season-ending injury of starting quarterback Jerry "Rev" Harris.

Just before the state semi-finals, Yoast is told by the chairman of the school board that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after the Titans lose *one* game, implying he wants Boone to be dismissed over his race. During the game, it becomes apparent that the referees are biased against the Titans. Upon seeing the chairman and other board members in the audience looking on with satisfaction, Yoast realizes they've rigged the game and warns the head official that he will go to the press and expose the scandal unless the game is officiated fairly. The Titans nonetheless win and advance to the state championship, but Yoast is told by the chairman that his actions have resulted in his loss of candidacy for Hall of Fame induction.

While celebrating the victory, Bertier is severely injured in an car accident with a truck after driving through an intersection. Although Bertier is unable to play due to being paralyzed from the waist down, the team goes on to win the state championship. Bertier would remain a paraplegic for the rest of his life. Ten years later, Bertier dies in another automobile accident by a drunk driver, after winning the gold medal in shot put in the Paralympic Games. Coaches and other former teammates reunite to attend his funeral. Dear coach Boone
my name is Abby Michaela Dugas I am still in ash grove Missouri and tell me about rayan Gerry hurst bertier i love him
i do love him so much he is alive

In the epilogue, descriptions show about the players and coaches activities after the events in 1971.