All American – Legacy

By starrymag | March 5, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

At the Beverly pep rally, Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) introduces the football team to the crowd and tells everyone that they have no reason to fear their upcoming opponent despite their reputation of knocking out the first-seeded team each year. In the locker room, Billy tells the team that they are not ready to face their opponent. He reminds them that regular season records don’t matter in the playoffs, but they can defeat them by changing up their offense.

 

Billy tells them that they will run the wildcat with Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) from the start of the game. Jordan Baker (Michael Evans Behling) realizes that it could mean that he’s benched for the entire game, but Billy ignores him and warns everyone to bring their grades up, so they are eligible to play.

 

Mr. Vega (Rigo Sanchez) asks to speak to Spencer after class, questioning his decision to write his essay about his greatest influence on Deion Sanders. He tells Spencer he learned nothing about him from the paper, and suggests football is getting in the way of his studies. Vega tells him to get his rewritten essay to him by Friday or else he won’t be able to play.

 

Grace James (Karimah Westbrook) tells Spencer he can pick a better topic than Deion Sanders and tells him about her urban planning assignment to design a space that will benefit the community.  She tells him she’s enjoying it, and he tells her she’s going to change the world.

 

Jordan visits Billy’s office and expresses his displeasure at being benched. Billy is mad at him for questioning his decision in front of the team, and Jordan questions why he’s benching him now after delivering all season. Jordan tells him that Grandpa Willy (Brent Jennings) suggested that he doesn’t think he’s clutch enough, and that Willy is coming to the family barbecue tomorrow.

 

Tyrone Morris (Demetrius Shipp Jr.) criticizes Tamia ‘Coop’ Cooper (Bre-Z) for being late. He mentions that Shawn wouldn’t keep him waiting, and Coop asks why she hasn’t gotten Shawn’s old spot. Tyrone offers to let her prove she can do it, introducing her to her driver for the job, Preach (Kareem Grimes).

 

Michael Richards (Wole Park) introduces himself as the substitute for Grace’s class. He asks the class why they chose it, and everyone tells him it’s an elective for them. Grace raises her hand and explains that she wants to prevent crises like the one in Flint, Michigan. Richards compliments her answer and continues the class.

 

Spencer joins Billy and Jordan as they watch game film, and Billy asks about the rewrite of his essay. He complains that he shouldn’t have to rewrite it, but Billy tells him he has to if he wants to play. As Spencer and Jordan pull up a file of their opponents’ game, they see a Crenshaw video in there. Spencer is eager to open it but realizes that it’s old footage of his father making a spectacular play when he was in high school. Spencer admits he didn’t know his father was good, and Jordan suggests that he’s his greatest influence.

 

Spencer tells Leila Keating (Greta Onieogou) about the video, and she compares his talent to his father. Spencer doesn’t like the comparison, and JJ Parker (Hunter Clowdus) asks Spencer about his essay. Spencer believes Vega is giving him a hard because he’s a football player, but JJ tells him Vega isn’t making him rewrite his essay on Dwayne Johnson.

 

Billy and Willy argue about how to properly make ribs, and Willy calls Jordan over to show him how to properly do it. Billy tells him he’ll teach Jordan himself, and Willy tells him he’s been doing the work in training Jordan. Willy challenges Billy to tell Jordan the truth that he doesn’t think he’s ready for the playoffs, and Billy admits that Jordan struggles under pressure. Willy argues that Jordan is better than he thinks, but Billy accuses him of trying to drive a wedge between him and Jordan.

 

Coop visits Jamal (Antwon D. Jones), who comments that she finally got Shawn’s old spot. Jamal comments that he misses Shawn, and Coop tries to tell him that Tyrone had Shawn killed. However, Tyrone and Preach interrupt the conversation and Coop leaves with them.

 

Leila asks Spencer about his paper, but he admits that he keeps getting more questions than answers. Spencer asks to read her essay on her Mom, but Leila admits it’s too personal to share. He asks if she trusts him, and she asks if he’s going to ask to read her diary next. Spencer leaves abruptly, despite assuring her he’s not mad.

 

Richards approaches Grace after class, asking her about her assignment. She tells him that it’s going well, and he advises her not to do a playground like everyone else. He offers to give her more advice over coffee, but she tells him she’s busy. Richards tells her they can get the coffee to go, and Grace agrees.

 

Billy urges Spencer to finish the paper and Laura Fine-Baker (Monet Mazur) asks what it’s about. Olivia Baker (Samantha Logan) tells her it’s about their greatest influence but refuses to tell her the topic of her own paper. Spencer sits with Willy and asks him about his father. Willy tells him that his father could have been in the NFL, but never made it to the league. Spencer asks why, and Willy explains that he gave up his chance in the NFL to be with Grace. Spencer asks why he walked out, and Willy tells him to ask Grace.

 

Grace and Richards flirt as they discuss her project. She tells him this could work, and he agrees. Grace clarifies that she meant the playground, and Spencer gets angry upon seeing Richards in the house. Grace pulls Spencer into another room, and he asks why his father left. Grace avoids the subject, and Spencer calls her out for not telling him about his father’s talent. She doesn’t answer, telling him the conversation is over.

 

Coop talks to Jamal about Shawn, telling him that Shawn had his back. Preach tells her it’s time to go, and she leaves with him. Spencer and Asher Adams (Cody Christian) bond as they talk about Grace’s date, and Asher comments that offering to help a girl study is his move. Leila comes over and Spencer apologizes for earlier.

 

Leila takes him to show him her parent’s office with the lyrics of the songs her Mom wrote on the wall. She tells him it’s nice knowing she was great at something, and suggests he’ll someday be glad knowing about his father’s talent. When Leila leaves to check on Asher we see Spencer look at a notebook of lyrics on the desk. Leila gets upset seeing him with it, telling him he shouldn’t assume he can read it.

 

Willy works Jordan hard, promising that he’ll be on the field for the game to prove himself. Jordan tells him Billy knows what he can do, and Willy tells him that Billy is worried about him buckling under pressure. Willy tells him that he needs a killer instinct like Billy, telling him that Billy would step off the field after the game and ask who’s next.

 

Spencer finds Grace at the Baker home, and she tells him she doesn’t want to end the day with an argument. She wishes him luck for the game, apologizing that she can’t be there. Spencer apologizes for embarrassing her and admits that the essay is getting in his head. He tells her about the video of his father, and Grace tells him his father doesn’t deserve the title of greatest influence. Spencer asks why he left, and she tells him that it had nothing to do with him, but she doesn’t owe him more than that.

 

Spencer hopes being with Coop will help inspire his essay, but she tells him he needs to figure it out for himself. Coop tells him that it doesn’t matter why his father left, pointing out how good he’s become despite him. She points out that life would be different if his father was still around, reminding him life has been good for him.

 

Laura approaches Olivia and asks how she’s doing. Laura reminds her she promised she would pay more attention, and Olivia tells her she isn’t using again. Olivia admits she’s stressed about school, and Laura admits she wants to know her topic of her essay despite knowing it’s not her. Laura tells her she understands, promising to be better in the future.

 

Jordan rants to Olivia about Billy benching him, questioning why when he helped with the drug test. He rants that Billy is treating him like a kid, and Olivia tells him Billy’s trying to protect him. Jordan declares he doesn’t need his protection, and Olivia advises him to tell Billy how he feels.

 

Vega hands back the essays to the class, making a comment about Leila’s inherited talent. Spencer hands in his rewritten essay, Leila apologizes for overreacting the previous night. Spencer realizes that the notebook had Leila’s lyrics in them and tells her she has a gift. Jordan marches into Billy’s office, asking him to treat him like man. Billy admits he doesn’t know if he’s ready, telling him he needs to see it.

 

During the game, Spencer takes the snap and runs down the field for a touchdown. On the sideline, Billy tells the team to remember the stakes of the game. However, Spencer is distracted upon seeing Cory James (Chad L. Coleman) in the stands and confirms to Jordan that his father is there.

 

Spencer is shaken by Cory’s presence, and struggles on the field. Billy asks what’s going on and Jordan tells him about Cory. Billy and Cory look at each other, and Jordan tells Billy to put him in and win the game. Billy agrees and Jordan takes control of the huddle, telling Spencer not to let Cory take this game from him too.

 

The ball is snapped, but Jordan is tackled. Jordan shakes it off and makes a great throw as he is tackled again to the ground. He steps up and throws the ball down the field despite defensive pressure. With eleven seconds left, Jordan throws the game winning touchdown and the team celebrates. Billy congratulates Jordan, but Jordan asks who’s next before walking away. As Spencer looks for Cory, Vega congratulates him on the game. Vega returns his essay with an A+ grade, telling him that he has potential beyond football.

 

Willy tells Billy that Jordan needed someone to believe in him and a chance to step up. Billy tells Willy that Cory was at the game, and Willy tells him he told Cory that Spencer wanted to see him play. Billy tells him that he has no idea what he’s done, but Willy tells him that he created an opportunity for Jordan to shine.

 

Billy tells Spencer he can’t imagine what he’s going through, and Spencer asks why Cory was there. Spencer explains that he put his father’s ghost to rest in his essay, showing him the essay where he states his greatest influence is his father’s absence. As Spencer reads his essay, Leila writes new lyrics, Jordan resumes training with Willy, and Olivia shows Laura her essay. Olivia tells Laura that she wrote about the influence of her drug addiction, but that she would have chosen Laura as a topic otherwise.

 

Coop asks Preach what he did in prison and Preach tells her he read books. He comments that he read Greek Mythology and the story of the Trojan Horse. Coop realizes he’s alluding to her plan for Tyrone, and comments that the Greek were smart. However, Preach tells her the Greeks weren’t as smart as they thought they were. Grace comes home to find Cory standing inside. She asks why he’s there, and he promises not to tells Spencer the truth. Cory tells her he wants to be part of Spencer’s life, greeting Spencer as he comes into the house.