The Running Back

Jack Delaney is in a new high school and is a very talented football player. Unfortunately, he has a criminal past and his attitude is colored. He recently began living with his aunt and uncle after being released from juvenile prison. The football coach knows about Jack's past but still wants him to go out for football, even though preseason practice has already been going for some time. Because he is not yet in condition for the contact of football, his coach tells him that he will not play in the first game. However, at the end, the coach relents and sends him in to run the ball. Jack runs all the way to the goal line, only to be stripped of the ball before he scores, costing them the game. Jack then gets into a fight with Peanuts, an offensive lineman and the son of the town's wealthiest man. The animosity between them remains and in the first half of a subsequent game, Peanut's friends do not block when Jack carries the ball. The coaches recognize this behavior and in a dramatic scene in the locker room, the coach kicks all of the slackers off the team. This fires up the remaining players and Jack's team goes on to win the game. Jack also learns how to interact with girls when he meets Sara, his first love affair. He has some difficulties at first, saying the wrong things and generally is a social klutz. However, with the help of some friends, he manages to make amends and even becomes friends with Peanuts. This book is about the difficulties of growing up, overcoming past difficulties and maturing. The scene where Jack confronts Peanuts is an excellent lesson in perceptions. Everyone thinks that Peanuts tried to frame Jack, but it turns out that was not the case. Only when Jack decides to face Peanuts, where he is fact facing his past as well, does he learn the truth and discover that Peanuts is in fact a good and honest person. That is a lesson that we should all learn and occasionally relearn.