Football Genius

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2007

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-16

Chapters 17-21

Chapters 22-28

Chapters 29-34

Chapters 35-41

Chapters 42-50

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

Honesty is Fundamental to Maturity

At the beginning of the novel, Troy struggles to be honest with his mother and behave in an ethical way. Although he sees himself as a good person, because of his hot-headed nature, he sometimes believes he needs to lie and steal in order to achieve his goals: “Troy knew it was wrong. It was wrong to sneak out of the house after midnight. It was wrong to take something that wasn’t yours. And, even though he wasn’t that kind of kid, that night, he was doing both” (1). Because one lie seems to beget another lie, before long Troy finds himself in a position where he needs to lie again. Although it is asserted earlier that Troy doesn’t consider himself “that kind of kid” (1), it seems as if he is on the path to becoming one. We see this when he lies easily to his mother: “The answer came to him without even trying. It was kind of like the gift his friends said he had with football, but this gift was nothing to be proud of. He would have to lie” (17-18).

It is not until Seth comes into Troy’s life and insists that they tell Tessa the truth about what they intend to do that Troy is willing to accept honesty as the best path forward. After he convinces Seth to bring him to Coach McFadden, despite the failure of the plan, Troy follows Seth’s lead with respect to his relationship with Tessa: “A lie popped into his head, an easy way out. A story about headphones and loud music and being so into his book that he lost track of time. Instead, he took a deep breath…” (152). In this instance, Troy finally tells Tessa the truth, establishing a clear shift in Troy’s character.

Once this change of pattern occurs, Troy is also able to overcome his petty jealousy and rivalry with Jamie Renfro and focus his energy on bringing his gift to the world: “Troy didn’t play, but it didn’t bother him the way it usually did because he was thinking about the plan…It didn’t even bother him when Jamie ran a quarterback sneak into the end zone” (180). Troy’s honesty is the major turning point that allows him to leave his childlike world and emerge into the adult world, where he has different concerns.

It is not until Tessa becomes frustrated with Troy’s behavior that he really sees the impact of his dishonesty, however. After the surprise date with Seth, Tessa reaches her breaking point: “She pounded a fist on the table, rattling the cover of the sugar bowl and tipping over the salt. ‘I am not a toy’” (183). Troy realizes he can’t manipulate his mother as though she’s an object to help execute his plans; she’s a real person with feelings. From this point on, Troy is honest with Tessa, and their relationship finally moves forward to a more mature understanding of one another.

Lying or dishonesty then is more like a burden and a childish bad habit, distracting Troy from who he can fully become if he is transparent about his desires and dreams. As Troy moves closer and closer toward the adult world, he abandons this behavior.

Happiness is Stronger than Anger

At the beginning of the novel, Troy is driven by jealousy, anger, and resentment. He steals the ball from Seth’s’ lawn because he is jealous of Jamie having a father and getting to be a starting quarterback. As a result, he lies and draws his friends into his scheme. Later, when he is caught, he becomes angry with his mother, and everyone else for that matter, for not allowing him to have the opportunity to achieve his dreams: “‘You’re all so stupid!’ he screamed into his pillow, pounding on it with a fist. He meant the parents, the coaches, and the players. Everyone over the age of thirteen” (64).

Ironically, he behaves more like his nemesis, Coach Krock, than he is aware. Thus, Troy is in danger of going down the path of Krock, one driven by anger. Even when Troy plays football, anger drives his actions: “If the pass was going to make it that far, he needed to stoke his arm with blinding anger. So he thought of his father, the man who abandoned him. When Rusty got open, Troy used his fury to launch the ball” (79).

It is not until Troy meets Seth and begins to see how Seth lives his life that Troy can conceptualize a way of being that exists outside the framework of anger. Seth’s energy comes from a place of kindness and excitement. He describes Seth as a philanthropist and also identifies the positive energy that Troy will later use when he plays football:

He was a hero, a great player, but a great guy, too. He was the guy who handed out toys to homeless kids at Christmas and who dished out soup to street people at the downtown shelters on Tuesday evenings, his day off. Troy loved him for that, but he loved him just as much for his big hits. As Seth came off the field, he raised his arms like lightning rods. By the look in Seth’s eyes, Troy suspected that the current of seventy thousand people was flowing right through him (41).

Through his generosity and kindness, Seth seems to channel the energy of the football community, almost as if he is connected to the source of communal power through his behavior.

For Troy, the flip side of his anger appears to be doubt about whether he can succeed in life. “[…] he heard the lonely sound of the Midnight Express, he wondered if he’d ever get a chance to do something special, to be someone special. Or were the Coach Renfros and Coach Krocks of the world always going to be there to put him down, while men like his father and Seth Halloway walked away?” (153). Because of the lack of a father figure in his life, Troy ultimately suffers from a lack of confidence. This is what drives his bad behavior early in the novel as he attempts to compensate. Seth’s belief in Troy slowly stabilizes his confidence as the season progresses.

It is also notable that Tate’s belief in Troy not only bolsters his confidence but also serves to create new, calmer, and mature feelings in Troy towards Tate and the world as a whole: “Tate kissed his cheek, and Troy felt tears spilling down the sides of his face, not tears of pain or fear, but tears of joy” (191).

Personal Identity as Self-Created

Both Troy and Tessa struggle with their identity throughout this novel, and both characters must find a way to overcome their self-limiting inner narratives if they are to move on and find happiness.

Early in the novel, Troy is not sure of his identity and conflicting narratives seem to pop into his head: “Now he was caught. A boy who lied. A boy who snuck out at night. A boy who took something that didn’t belong to him. It was stealing. He knew the word. Maybe he really was that kind of a kid, and maybe this was what was really meant to be” (14).

Troy seems to think he is destined for a future that has been pre-determined. In an immature way, Troy sees himself as already whole, already created rather than an evolving, changing self.

Poverty also seems to be something troy internalizes and worries about. From the beginning, it is clear he is not proud of his home: “Troy looked back at his house. It was nestled into the pines, with no side or backyard. In front, there was nothing more than a gritty patch of red clay […] more like a cabin, a single-story box with a roof covered by fallen pine needles” (2). Troy often looks at his home and his belongings for what they lack not for what they have. We see this again when he compares his own house to a nicer neighborhood, and it makes him think of his shabby clothes:

They drove down the curving streets, passing expensive cars and homes the size of small buildings […] He sighed and picked at the tattered hem of the T-shirt he wore, then poked a finger through the hole in the leg of his jeans. The laces on his sneakers were gray. He turned his foot on the side and saw the treads were worn nearly flat (147).

It is not until Grampa reminds him of what he has that Troy is able to put these material worries behind him and embrace his identity as someone capable of special, regardless of where he has come from: “Everyone has things they don’t have, things they want. I’m not saying it’s easy, but try to look at what you have, me—your mom” (110).

Similarly, Tessa sees herself as someone who is not capable of being loved because she is a single mother with a 12-year-old child. Fortunately for both, Gramp is also able to provide her with a similar, more universal perspective, encouraging her to see beyond these self-imposed constraints. For Troy, this means appreciating what he has and where he comes from. For Tessa, she must not jump to conclusions and should try to see people for who they are inside.