Summary
The tenth chapter opens with a description of the segregation and rampant racism at the University of Mississippi in 1958. Lewis ties these moments to the school's issues attracting Black players. He then adds that the Black players at the school are largely alienated from the greater student body. This is particularly true of the players who come from impoverished backgrounds, as they often arrive at school with little to no prior interactions with wealthy, and usually white, students, faculty, and administrators.
Michael manages these interactions fairly well upon first arriving, fitting in somewhat comfortably but still feeling and perceiving some of the tensions at the school. He starts playing right away and the season gets off to a somewhat rocky start. The coach pushes the team fairly hard, as he wants to demonstrate improvement to the school and feels pressure on his job. Lewis also describes the intense rivalry between the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State and its roots in class perceptions. This comes to a head during a particularly vicious game at Starkville where they suffer a narrow defeat. Still, Michael remains in good standing and his position at the school seems secure, until an incident occurs that throws that all into turmoil.
One of Michael's teammates, Antonio, continually antagonizes him throughout the year and one day makes a gross comment about Leigh Anne and Collins. Michael beats him up and throws him in a classroom, which results in a young child being injured. In a panic, Michael runs away from the scene. Extremely concerned, the Tuohys worry that Michael may disappear, as he has spent so much of his life, as Lewis puts it, running.
The eleventh chapter recounts Michael's family history and childhood, beginning with his mother's serious drug addiction. As a child, Michael's big concern was being separated from his family. When the police arrive at his home, he runs away. He runs away from Social Services a few additional times until they eventually lose track of him. He returns to his mother and spends most of his time drifting. During the day, he avoids school and plays basketball while looking for food and a place to sleep at night. As Michael describes it, every day was a struggle to survive.
Lewis then returns to the present timeline of the story and talks about Sean's efforts to get in touch with Michael. While initially there is no word from Michael, he eventually answers Sean's texts. Sean is able to smooth things over with everyone involved in the incident and talks to Michael about being more careful and aware of his physical strength. Things return to a state of relative normalcy, with Michael remaining in good standing at the school.
As Michael continues to get attention for his playing, Lewis notes that applications to Briarcrest from the inner city are on the rise, due in large part to Michael's story. Leigh Anne begins to hear more and more stories about kids like Michael and pushes him to become more involved in charity work. She encourages him to give back to the community as a way of using his public visibility and success to help people. She also asks Sean about pursuing the development of a program that supports student-athletes from underprivileged backgrounds.
The book ends with a scene in which Dwight Feeney hears about Michael's rise to prominence. Michael tells his best friend Craig that he could easily take Feeney. Lewis then describes Feeney listening to someone talk about Michael and seeming to perceive the very real threat Michael poses to him. Lewis writes that Feeney's smile slowly fades as he learns more about Michael's reputation.
Analysis
The final moment of the story posits Michael as the inheritor of the lineage of John Ayers, Steve Wallace, and Jonathan Ogden, possessing both the strength and agility necessary for his position. By describing Feeney as the new Lawrence Taylor, Lewis shows how the game continues to develop over time, with players honing specific skills and pushing the limits of their playing. Lewis describes Feeney as being fleet enough to evade Ogden, a feat that shocked many fans. His reaction to Michael's story is telling in that he seems aware that, in the same way Ayers and Wallace countered Taylor, Feeney may have finally met his match.
Race is one of the most important themes in the last part of the book, as it shows the risks Michael faces as he navigates the white social world at the University of Mississippi. The eleventh chapter ends with Big Tony admonishing Michael and Steven, saying that the rules of this world are ironclad for them, implying that these white people are not inclined to be forgiving of outsiders. This warning acts as something of a premonition, as Michael’s good fortune seems to nearly unravel in an instant when he inadvertently injures a child during a fight with another player. He runs away from the scene out of guilt and fear, knowing this could easily be the end of his football career and the beginning of a whole series of problems.
The eleventh chapter offers an in-depth and unflinching portrait of Michael’s childhood. It depicts his father’s complete absence from his life as well as his mother's crippling drug addiction. Left to fend for himself, Michael is constantly searching for food and shelter, becoming accustomed to a complete lack of stability. This chapter elucidates many of Michael’s choices, showing how, from a very young age, he had a constant struggle to survive. While this part of the story indicates his resilience, it also sheds light on the overlooked plight of a whole separate world, which goes overlooked by the other half of Memphis.
Leigh Anne's desire to help other kids with stories like Michael's is charitable and kind, but also sheds light on how rampant these issues are. By inserting background about Memphis's deeply entrenched class and racial divisions, Lewis shows how the bad circumstances that face kids like Michael do not come about by happenstance. These children are enmeshed in a whole series of invisible power structures that are stacked against them from the start.
Lewis tells Michael’s story with layers of nuance. By giving a complex overview of the world surrounding football, he shows how the uniqueness of Michael’s story played a large part in how it turned out. Not only was he a skilled athlete, but he had the care and protection of a real family, things without which many other individuals like him still suffered greatly.
