For the third season of the Netflix original series "Last Chance U," we saw a polarizing change in scenery: after having the first two seasons feature junior college power house East Mississippi Community College, the setting switched gears to the nearly winless Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas.
Before I dive into the main cast, I've gotta say that I enjoyed the campus change that came after two seasons in Scooba, Mississippi. The fact that EMCC was such an established junior college program almost defeated the purpose of learning more about the underexposed world of JuCo football. I mean, the EMCC Lions boast more NFL alumni than some Division 1 schools. So it seemed oddly refreshing to be introduced to a team that had been losing game after game, for years and years, without a sliver of hope. That is, until, Independence Community College hired head coach Jason Brown in order to bring some much-needed success to the program, the school, and the small town of all small towns known as Independence, Kansas. As for the actual physical change in setting and landscape, I may sound uncultured but a small town in Kansas looks no different to me than a small town in Mississippi. Sorry if that offends.
A lot of people have a lot to say about head coach Jason Brown, and understandably so. Like most football coaches, Jason Brown is confident, loud, and swears like a gosh darn sailor. By both viewers of the show and players on his team, Brown has been accused of being an absolute idiot. From his play calling to the treatment of his players, people weren't too impressed with Coach Brown. If I were speaking from the perspective of an athletic director, yeah...not so sure that Jason Brown would be my first choice of hire. Speaking from the perspective of a player, no chance in hell I'd want to play for this guy; I'd quit pretty quickly. But from the perspective of a guy watching Netflix on his couch in hopes to be entertained, Jason Brown is awesome.
Brown was undoubtedly too unfiltered during shouting matches with assistant coaches, players, and refs. But when Brown crosses the line, that increases the chance of his verbal opponent to cross that same line, creating excellent television. Although Brown's alpha personality clashes with those of other players/coaches, he still connects with the players in a way that many people would not be able to. Brown was raised in the notorious Compton, USA and he does not let you forget that. I've seen/heard people say he pushed his tough upbringing narrative a bit too much throughout the show, but I can't blame him. How else is he going to get players to come to Independence, Kansas? He utilizes his past as a great recruiting tool. The majority of his recruits come from far less than ideal living situations, so for players to be able to find common ground in something so influential on their current spot in life is wildly significant. Especially because the stage of JuCo football can be emotionally draining on the players; there is so much mystery regarding the next step, doubt about your future, regrets about your past, and not many distractions to wash way these thoughts. So having someone that you can connect to in any way is a major asset, and Coach Brown is fully aware that he can land top recruits by emphasizing where he comes from, and why he's here now.
Coach Brown truly grinds for his players and the program, even if his efforts are flawed. There's no denying that Coach Brown works hard; it's the working smart aspect that could be put in question. Toward the end of the season, Brown even said himself that it doesn't matter what plays he calls, if his players truly love and play for him they'll find a way to run the other team over and win. While football certainly is an emotional game, that's a completely asinine approach to coaching. If your players loving you is what your strategy relies on, I'd suggest being a little kinder to them. At the end of the day, I can certainly say Jason Brown is not as skilled of a football coach as Buddy Stephens from Seasons 1 and 2, but I do think he had a higher entertainment value. I mean watching him whip around his Cadillac and smoke fat cigars in his hot tub was hysterical. Just big ballin' in Kansas.
I had an extreme soft spot for quarterback coach Frank Diaz throughout the season. You could tell that much like his players, he was just a young guy trying to find his way, using Independence Community College as a subpar stepping stone in order to pave a brighter future. Early in the season, Diaz is talking about how he connects with the players by pointing out the similarities of their current situations, much like Coach Brown compares his past with the players' pasts. Except Diaz isn't using the comparisons as a recruiting tool; he is using it as a legitimate venting method, and trying to let these players (who make his job harder than it is) know that he also hates it in Independence and he also wants to get out of their as soon as humanly possible, but that it's a place where you need to ignore all the negatives and build toward your future.
I really felt bad for Diaz because he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, trying to make the best of his situation. But unfortunately for him, the QB coach was stuck in a constant cross-fire between head coach Jason Brown and quarterback Malik Henry (who we'll get to next). It seemed like an absolute nightmare for Diaz, trying to do his job while two alphas were constantly bickering and disagreeing, all while being looked to as the middle man to help even the keel in any way. But when you're dealing with two people like Brown and Henry, it makes that very difficult. It should probably be mentioned that Diaz joined the Independence coaching staff with the perks of: a dorm room to live in, a zero-dollar salary, and free meals on campus. This guy's commitment is unmatched, and I genuinely hope that his time in Independence pays off for his future.
Quarterback Malik Henry was without a doubt the most frustrating person in the entire show. For starters, that kid played nothing like you'd expect the former #2 high school recruit in the country. I expected him to absolutely light up every single JuCo defense on the schedule. But I'm not here to bash Malik Henry's play; I'm here to express frustration regarding his attitude. I don't know where this kid gets off, strutting around like he's too good for everyone in Independence. Actually I know exactly where he gets off acting that way. He's a prime example of a kid that has been told he's the best for his entire life, because he pretty much has been the best his entire life. But kids like that don't deal with mistakes very well, like him screwing up his opportunity at Florida State. He doesn't realize how much he needs Independence Community College, and how much he needs to listen to the people trying to give him advice.
Part of Malik Henry's attitude is that it seems he just doesn't want to play football. Which is completely fine. Don't waste your time if you don't love doing it. I've never understood the crowd that gets so upset about "wasted talent" especially when it comes to a game as dangerous as football. He even mentioned at one point to Coach Diaz that he wanted to coach in the future, which would be a great way to utilize his football IQ instead of wasting time doing something he doesn't love. But once the episode rolls around where you meet Malik's father, you immediately understand why this kid is pursuing something he's not even interested in. Malik even tells the cameras about how he'd feel that he would be disappointing so many different people if he didn't make it to the League. It was in that moment that I first felt bad for the kid. Everyone knows at least one parent who is too involved and obsessed with their child's athletic success. I think Malik's dad is one of many parents who need to learn how to find that happy medium of support that is not overbearing on the kid. Even in his Florida State commitment video, Malik Henry just didn't look all that excited about it. I'm hoping he'll find his way as a coach in the future, because talent can only get you so far; in order to make it, you need persistence and determination to work toward your goal.
Although Malik Henry's problematic attitude frustrated me beyond belief, I was just as frustrated with the on-field decision making of defensive lineman Emmit Gooden. Things ended up working out for Gooden as he signed a letter of intent with Tennessee. So I can't possibly sit here and tell you Emmit Goooden isn't a good football player. He honestly has extraordinary talent, but he committed some of the dumbest penalties I've ever seen. He kept getting called for extracurricular B.S. which is extra aggravating for both coaches and viewers. It'd be one thing if he was getting called for holding and false start, in that case your fundamentals are lacking. Some people are good, some people kind of suck. But when they're easily avoidable penalties, ones that wouldn't have existed if he just walked away and refused to retaliate, those are the ones that make me yell at the screen.
I think it's safe to say that everyone who watched this show had at least the smallest soft spot for Bobby Bruce. Which, by the way, is an excellent football name. Bobby Bruce. One of those names that you never say either part of on its own. First and last name, every time. But seriously, whenever they feature one of the JuCo players' hometown and family life, giving us all a peek into their past, it's never particularly pretty. And Bobby Bruce's hometown was no different than most other players; football was the only option to get out of a life full of poverty and crime.
Most players featured on Last Chance U throughout the three seasons have come from troubled upbringings, but something about Bobby Bruce's story really stuck with people. I think what really made the difference with Bobby Bruce was that viewers could so clearly see his struggle and eventual persistence. The kid truly was putting in the effort to bring his grades up and create himself a better future.
One of the most anticipated parts of the show for me is the epilogue before the final credits, when it is revealed the audience where everyone is headed to. Yeah, by the time Netflix airs the show, all of that news can be found with a simple search on your phone. But I like to save that ending for as much of a surprise as possible. And let me tell ya, folks....I was very unpleasantly surprised to see that Bobby Bruce was arrested for robbery. You really hate to see that from anyone, especially the guy you were rooting for the hardest.
Sure, it only took up a minuscule amount of screen time, but easily one of the top moments in the show was Bobby Bruce rocking the bunny mask as ICC came out of the tunnel against Coffeyville:
An absolutely incredible entrance that would certainly make me not want to play against the guy who orchestrated it.
Kerry Buckmaster was an interesting character for sure. Buckmaster definitely seemed like an extremely determined kid, and you could tell his shoulder injury that prevented him from full contact was absolutely eating at him. Honestly, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say Buckmaster had a chew in his lip for 97% of the show. With a last name like "Buckmaster" I guess that level of grit is expected. The center was incredibly cocky, which was honestly refreshing to see, since his initial impression was the hard-working sweetheart. But I'll tell you, he could be a real jerk out there on that gridiron. Him talking back to coaches was a surprise to me, but like I explained earlier: the more conflict, the more entertainment.
I loved when Coach Brown was on the phone with a coach who was asking about Buckmaster, and Coach Brown told him he's a typical tough northern Nevada kid. For someone like Coach Brown from the west coast, that might make a ton of sense. But for me, I never could have imagined there are enough people in northern Nevada for a stereotype to exist. You learn something new every day.
I honestly wasn't left much of an impression of running back Rakeem Boyd in terms of him as a "character," but as far as on-field entertainment value goes, he takes the cake as the top dog. This kid is an absolute freak, and I think we'll be hearing his name a bunch during his time at Arkansas.
Last, but certainly not least, we have this guy. The highlight of the season, hands down. Put his heart and soul into a song dedicated to the ICC football team. If you don't think the song being produced and the team's success have a direct correlation, I'm sorry to inform you but you're wrong.
Song of the summer, song of the fall, song of the decade. If you're not tailgating football this fall to this jam, you're underachieving.
