All American – All Eyez On Me

By starrymag | February 5, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

As the team trains for the upcoming combine, Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) calls over Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) and Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling) to introduce them to Damon King (Hosea Chanchez), a coach for Angelus Southern University. Jordan tells King that he’d love to play for them, but King is more excited about Spencer.

 

King comments that moving to Beverly allowed him to make the combine, but Spencer tells him that the Crenshaw players are good too. King asks if he’s ever considered playing for ASU, and Billy tells him not to recruit until the combine is over. Despite King mentioning that he’s giving away one scholarship, Spencer tells him he needs to keep his options open.

 

Dillon James (Jalyn Hall) suggests that he should be Spencer’s agent before handing him a stack of college recruiter letters. They find one letter in the stack addressed to Grace James (Karimah Westbrook) and open it. Jordan is surprised to find Grandpa Willy (Brent Jennings) knocking on the door and asks what he’s doing there. Willy asks why he stopped coming over, asking if he wants to train. Jordan tells him he’s good, but they can still hang out as long as he doesn’t ask for money.

 

Willy offers to buy him breakfast, but Jordan tells him that the combine is today and that he’s good enough to have been invited. Willy tells him he shouldn’t be satisfied with being good enough, telling him he was invited because he was Billy’s son. Jordan denies it, and Willy warns him that the combine is more challenging than anything else he’s done. However, Jordan is determined to prove him wrong.

 

As they prepare for the combine, Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan) is surprised to see Asher Adams’ (Cody Christian) name on the list of invitees. Billy tells him that the decision to invite him wasn’t his, and Olivia asks if he followed up with Asher to get his RSVP. He tells her he would be there if he wanted to be, and Olivia grabs Asher’s combine jersey out of the bin.

 

Olivia finds Asher sleeping in his car, and he admits that he had nowhere else to go. She hands him his jersey, telling him this is his last chance for a scholarship. Asher admits he thought he was uninvited when he was kicked off the team. She tells him that he’s still invited but needs a shower. Spencer confronts Grace about not telling them she stopped attending night school. She tells him she dropped out to help pay for him and Dillon. Spencer tells her he is close to getting a full scholarship, and Grace tells him that he shouldn’t bet everything on football.

 

Spencer is surprised to see Leila Keating (Greta Onieogou) at the combine, and she explains she’s temporarily filling in for Olivia. He tells her he has a lot on his mind, and she leaves the table, asking what’s wrong. Spencer tells her that he needs to get a full scholarship this weekend. King comes over and tells Spencer he took his advice and invited the Crenshaw players to the combine.

 

Chris (Spence Moore II) thanks Spencer for putting Crenshaw on King’s radar, but Spencer is worried about Cameron (Mitchell Edwards). Billy addresses the players and gives them an introduction to himself and the combine. He tells them that the best players will receive an invitation to play in a seven on seven showcase and wishes everyone luck.

 

Chris asks Jordan if he’s heard from Olivia, but Jordan tells him he hasn’t. Chris then asks if he’s nervous, but Jordan is confident coming off a winning season. Chris reminds him the combine isn’t a team sport but tells him that scouts are probably already salivating over him. Billy takes attendance, and Asher arrives at the last minute.

 

The players’ skills are measured at the combine, and Cameron continues performing better than Spencer. Later, Spencer asks Jordan who the man talking to King is, and Jordan tells him that he’s Brett Hanson (Bart Johnson), ASU’s number one booster. Jordan asks why he’s so stressed since he’s performed well, but Spencer tells him it’s not good enough for him.

 

Cameron comes over to them and suggests to Spencer that they put on a show for the scouts. He reminds Spencer that he likes competition, and Spencer asks what he has in mind. As they line up, Billy asks King and Hanson if they challenged Spencer and Cameron to race each other and they tell him that it was requested. The race begins and Cameron beats Spencer by a fraction of a second.

 

Billy asks Spencer why he took Cameron’s bait, and Spencer is upset that Cameron will end up getting the scholarship. Billy asks what happened to keeping his options open, and Spencer explains that he wants Grace to follow her dreams too. Billy tells him he needs to prove to the scouts he’s the best player out there, and Spencer goes through the rest of the combine with renewed determination.

 

King and Hanson agree that Cameron needs to work on his hands as he drops a pass and Asher does well in his combine performance. Jordan misses Cameron, and Cameron requests a real quarterback. At the water cooler, Jordan admits Chris outplayed him, but Jordan is given the invitation to the exhibition game instead. Chris gets upset, telling him that having Billy as his dad helped him score the invitation and declaring that he won’t stop hustling.

 

JJ (Hunter Clowdus) congratulates Spencer on his performance, and Spencer hopes it was enough. They watch as Cameron receives his invitation. Olivia finds Asher on the field, and he admits he’s not ready to leave yet. She tells him to come to the showcase tomorrow, and Asher shows her his invitation. Olivia congratulates him, and he tells her that he wouldn’t have gotten it without her. Chris sees them embrace and walks away.

 

King tells Billy that Spencer has potential thanks to him and offers him a position coaching at ASU. Billy accuses him of wanting the package deal, but King tells him he’s an elite coach. Billy takes the job and urges King to make Spencer an offer. Hanson finds Spencer and gives him his invitation before promising they will make room for him at ASU.

 

Olivia tells Leila that Chris left without saying goodbye, assuming he just needs space. Leila points out that she spent the day helping Asher instead of him, and Olivia tells her that she’s trying to offer the support that she got when she was struggling. Spencer tells Grace that he got a full ride at ASU, but Grace tells him it’s too early to make the decision. He tells her it’s the right decision for him, but she tells him that ASU isn’t good enough for him.

 

Spencer tells her that he wants her to pursue her dreams, and she tells him she didn’t sacrifice for him to settle. Spencer reminds her of the sacrifices he made, and she is unhappy with his tone. He apologizes but tells her ASU is the right decision for the family. Upstairs, he opens the invitation and finds a stack of money inside the envelope.

 

Spencer attempts to return the money to Hanson at the party, but he tells him to keep it. Cameron comes over to them, showing off his new watch, and Hanson tells them to have fun. Spencer criticizes Cameron for taking the money, warning him he could potentially lose his eligibility for the bribe. Cameron is aware it’s a bribe and has no issues with it. Spencer asks if he’s cool being bought and paid for, but Cameron tells him he doesn’t have a fairy godfather in Beverly Hills.

 

Asher visits Billy and thanks him for the opportunity, and that a scout told him he could potentially get a scholarship. He realizes that Billy never told them he was kicked off the team, and Billy tells him that he won’t lie if asked directly. Billy tells him that Olivia has come a long way in her recovery, warning him not to drag her back down with him.

 

Jordan approaches King and suggests that he become ASU’s next star quarterback. King tells him he has potential, but it seems like something’s holding him back when he plays. Coach Rogers (Ben Turner Dixon) asks Asher about Billy’s plan to use him in the playoffs, and Asher stumbles before admitting he’s thinking of transferring to Malibu. Roger asks if it’s because of Spencer, but Asher admits he was kicked off the team.

 

Billy congratulates Spencer, but Spencer tells him about the bribe. Spencer tells him he can’t lose his scholarship, and Billy promises to handle it. Billy reports it to King, but King tells him not to make a big deal of it, declaring that’s how the recruiting game is played. Billy declares he won’t let King compromise any of his players, but King tells him that both his and Spencer’s offers are revoked.

 

Spencer is angry about losing the opportunity to play in the showcase and asks what he should say if another recruiter asks. Billy tells him they’ll say he’s injured, as playing will imply he took the bribe. Olivia points out to Chris that he disappeared after the combine, and Chris calls her out for helping Asher instead of him. She apologizes, promising to work harder, and that she’s helping Asher because not asking for help nearly cost her life.

 

Olivia explains that she is still an addict even if she isn’t using, and that part of her recovery is helping others. Olivia tells him she understands if it’s too complicated for him, but he kisses her and tells her he can’t be mad at her for her big heart. Olivia gets a call from Asher, and Chris encourages her to take it.

 

Grace tells Spencer that Billy told her what happened and believes that he should still play. Spencer tells her he wanted the scholarship for her, telling her that her dreams are important too. Grace tells him she’s glad he didn’t compromise himself but encourages him not to back down.

 

Olivia apologizes to Asher for his removal from the exhibition, but Asher tells her honesty has consequences. He comments that he didn’t tell her about the rewards as well, telling her that he’s back on the team. She embraces him, and he explains that Billy took his honesty as a sign he was willing to own up to his mistakes. Asher thanks her, and Olivia tells him that he can’t keep sleeping in his car.

 

Jordan struggles in the showcase and Cameron complains. Billy asks Jordan if he’s going to let Cameron badmouth him, and Jordan admits he’s right. Billy attempts to argue, but Jordan tells him to start pushing him to be the best. Jordan asks if he would have made the showcase if he wasn’t his son, but Billy tells him it doesn’t matter as long as he proves he belongs.

 

Spencer tells Jordan not to give up, and Jordan questions his injury. Spencer declares the scouts can think what they want, and that nobody’s going to forget about him once he gets his opportunity. Billy tells both of them to get warmed up and threatens to report ASU’s recruiting methods when King argues. After the ball is snatched, Jordan throws the ball a long distance and Spencer makes a perfect catch before running to the end zone.

 

Billy and Jordan show Spencer that footage of the catch has gone viral, and Billy tells him that a recruiter called about him. Leila is shocked that Olivia wants Asher to live with her, but Olivia points out that Asher is homeless, and she has a big empty house. Olivia argues that Asher deserves another chance, and Spencer tells Leila he trusts her.

 

Jordan shows Willy the video, and Willy tells him the play is more about Spencer’s catch than his throw. Jordan asks Willy to train him, telling him he wants to be great and that he’s the only one who’s ever pushed him. Willy tells him it’ll be difficult, but Jordan is determined.

 

Leila lets Asher into her house, telling him he knows where the guest room is. Grace makes dinner for Spencer and Dillon, telling them that Spencer showed her that she needed to pursue her own dreams as well. She shows them a financial aid application and asks for their support. Spencer and Dillon agree, showing her the grant application that they picked up as well as telling her Dillon’s plan to attend an after school program.