‘Little Giants’ deserved a sequel. So we made one
What would a sequel to the 1994 “Little Giants” movie have looked like? SB Nation’s Sam Eggleston thinks he knows.
Let’s rewind our VHS tapes to October 1995, when Little Giants first hit the big screen. It wasn’t particularly well-reviewed, nor was it a blockbuster hit. What it was, and what it became, was a cult classic.
In today’s entertainment climate, that would have nearly guaranteed a sequel would be born from the $19.3M it made at the box office ($32.5M in today’s dollars).
But what would the sequel be?
At the end of the first film, the Little Giants win their head-to-head single game and become the lone pee-wee team in Urbania, Ohio, with players from both teams comprising the roster and former rival coaches Kevin and Danny O’Shea splitting duties at the helm of the program. The town’s water tower is changed to reflect the contributions of both O’Shea brothers.
We fade to black and the credits begin to roll.
In the sequel, dubbed Little Giants Go For 2, we open up with the Giants having just defeated another opponent from a nearby town. The team, in a show of sportsmanship, is shaking hands with the other team at the 50-yard line, the scoreboard lit up in the background to show a 20-point win.
Kevin and Danny are cheering with the kids in the locker room afterward, well-placed endorsement items like Gatorade and Doritos here and there.
”We’re going to the state playoffs and our first game is a week from today,” Kevin says. “There are three games ahead of us before the state championship game, and we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’re going to have to lay some wood and crack some heads if we’re going to get through Port Clinton in the first round.”
”And we’re going to have to have fun, too,” Danny pipes in. Kevin rolls his eyes. Right then, the commissioner of the pee-wee league comes into the locker room, holding the regional trophy the team just won. The kids cheer and rush the poor man, who is taken to the ground when Marcus trips and tumbles into him. The trophy flies into the air and gasps abound until Hot Hands Hanon leaps up and snags it.
”Spike thinks that was a great catch,” says the former villain as he takes the trophy. He claps Hanon on the back, sending him sprawling to the ground.
”Ugh,” Becky O’Shea says from behind Spike. “Why do you have to be such a Neanderthal all the time?”
Spike scrunches up his face, clearly trying to avoid an outburst.
”Spike … is … not … A NEANDERTHAL!” he screams out. “Besides, Spike would rather be that than a stupid girl!”
”This stupid girl has kicked your butt before and can do it again!”
Junior Floyd steps between them.
”Stop it!” he says. “We just won a game because the two of you are the best football players in Ohio. We’re better when we’re a team and not trying to fight each other.”
Becky glares at Spike for a moment and then puts her hand out for a shake.
”Fine,” she says. “I’m sorry for calling you a Neanderthal.”
Spike stares at her hand for a moment and then turns and walks away without a word.
We return to Urbania where we see Danny working at the service station. He is talking to the town’s mayor as he pumps gas. The discussion is about the upcoming game against Port Clinton, a game the mayor has heard the Little Giants will probably win hands down.
As the mayor pulls away, another car comes into the station lot, the bell ringing as it pulls up to the pumps. It’s Danny’s love interest, Patty. She is all smiles as she gets out of the car, a lunchbox in her hand.
”You forgot this,” she said as Danny approaches.
”Did I?” he teases. “Maybe I just left it so I’d get to see you a little extra today.”
The two are about to share a kiss when a full-size Hummer H1 comes roaring into the station, surprising them. The Hummer is a gaudy green and gold with a hood ornament in the shape of a wedge of cheese.
Danny steps up to the tinted driver’s window, which rolls down slowly. Inside is a man wearing Tommy Hilfiger with a pair of Oakley sunglasses.
”You O’Shea?” the man asks, chewing a wad of gum. Next to him in the passenger’s seat is basically a miniature clone of him.
”I am,” Danny responds, looking more than a bit confused. “And you are?”
”Freddy Hayes,” he says, cracking a jerk-type smile. “Coach Freddy Hayes.”
Danny looks at the boy in the passenger’s seat. He, too, is wearing Oakleys and chewing gum.
”That’s great,” Danny says, polite as always. “Any relation to Woody?”
”Yeah,” the guy says. “Well, probably. Like distant cousins on my dad’s side. Maybe.”
Danny glances back at Patty, who just shrugs. The question clearly irritates Hayes, who reaches out and pokes Danny in the chest with his index finger.
”I know you’re the coach of those stupid Little Giants,” he says, scoffing. “Well, I coach the Packers over at Port Clinton. And you know what? I’m going to make sure you and your brother get the beating you deserve.
”Boo-yah!”
Without giving Danny a chance to respond, Hayes slams on the gas and tears out into the street, forcing a car to swerve to avoid hitting him. Tires squeal as the big Hummer tears away.
”What the hell was that?” Danny wonders aloud.
There is commotion inside O’Shea Chevrolet.
”Freddy Hayes?!?” Kevin O’Shea yells from inside the dealership. The scene jumps inside as Danny nods his head.
”Yeah. Do you know him?”
”Know him?” Kevin repeats, pacing around his office. “You could say that. The year I won the Heisman, I pretty much punched the ticket with four touchdowns in the Alamo Bowl. On the last play of the game, we were down by four, and Coach called a wheel route off the play-action. As I turn up field, our quarterback Beau Rondeau hit me with a beaut of a pass. I secure the ball, start sprinting down the sideline and here comes the defense’s best player, Freddy Hayes.
”Well, Freight Train Freddy makes the mistake of going for my knees. As soon as I saw his shoulder drop, I jumped and hurdled right over him.” Kevin mimes the move energetically.
Danny’s eyes grow wide.
”I remember that,” he says. “He flew right off the field and slammed into those poor cheerleaders. And you scored, untouched.”
”And they replayed it on SportsCenter over and over,” Kevin says, a smile on his face. “Dan Patrick must have played that clip 10 times in a row.”
The O’Shea brothers look at each other and in perfect sync quote Patrick.
”The WHIFFFFFFF!”
Danny sits down in the chair across from Kevin’s desk. “So what the heck does he want with you now?”
Kevin stands up, rotating the wedding ring on his finger as he looks out the window into the car lot.
”I think it’s obvious,” he says. “Don’t you?”
Danny remains silent.
”He wants revenge, Danny. He wants to embarrass us like we embarrassed him.”
”Wait — ‘we’ didn’t embarrass anyone. You did!”
Kevin chuckles as he walks up to his little brother. He pats him on the shoulder.
”There’s no ‘you’ in team, Danny. He wants all the Little Giants to suffer.”
The Little Giants are all sitting in an old garage, pizza and soda and other goodies scattered around. Junior Floyd is sitting on a beat-up couch with Becky “Icebox” O’Shea. They are holding hands. Nearby, there are a few of the old Cowboys players chatting with Rudy Zolteck and the rest of the Little Giants are scattered around.
Spike is lifting weights while little Jake Berman watches in amazement. “His arms are the size of my head!” Berman announces before wiping his nose.
”That’s because Spike never misses his weight training,” Spike says. “That’s because Spike knows the value of a good diet and a strong workout.”
Zolteck turns to look at Spike. He’s holding a bag of Reese’s Pieces.
”Do you like seafood?” He asks Spike.
”Yeah, it’s a great source of protein,” Spike says.
”Here’s some see food for you!” Zolteck says, opening his mouth to reveal the chewed up and colorful oranges and yellows mixed with peanut butter brown in his mouth.
”Ugh!” Spike says, dropping the weights to the ground with a thud. “Why do they even let you in here?”
Zolteck shrugs his shoulders and throws more candy into his mouth. At the same time, the door to the garage opens and Kevin and Danny enter.
”All right, take a seat and shut your mouths,” Kevin says as he walks up to a television and VCR. He pops a tape in and the static on the screen turns to a football game.
”Whoa,” says Junior. “Those guys are big.”
”Really, really big,” says Tad Simpson.
”Bigger than Spike,” Johnny Vennaro says.
Spike growls as he stares at the television under a furrowed brow.
The scene on the film shows play after play of a team wearing green and gold crushing their opponents. Offensive lines look like wet paper bags and defenders tear through them, sacking the quarterback and picking up tackles for losses. Interceptions abound. On offense, they cruise through their opponents like they are running past tackling dummies.
”Who are they?” Vennaro asks, his eyes wide with fear.
”That, kids, is the team from Port Clinton,” Kevin says. “The Packers.”
Three Little Giants players are walking down the driveway, away from the garage.
”Where are you going?” Danny calls out after them.
”To update my life insurance!” Zolteck answers over his shoulder.
”Yeah, I need to call my grammy,” Tad says.
”I’m just getting the heck out of here!” Berman cries out, speeding up his walk.
Danny steps out of the garage and jogs after them. He catches them before they are out of the driveway.
”C’mon, guys,” he says. “They’re just pee-wee football players. Just like you.”
”Like us?’ Zolteck says in disbelief. “They’re all bigger than anyone on our team! I think some of them had beards! And tattoos!”
Danny corrals the boys and turns them back towards the garage. The boys look reluctant, but they fall into step and allow themselves to be escorted back inside where the other players are waiting.
Kevin is at a chalkboard with Nubie standing next to him, his playbook in hand.
”We ready?” Kevin asks, looking slightly annoyed.
Danny nods as the three absconding players find places to sit next to their teammates.
Kevin begins drawing on the chalkboard, glancing down at Nubie’s playbook.
”The best way to defeat size,” he says as the Xs and Os develop on the slate, “is with speed.”
It’s game day, and we get a view of a beautiful football field surrounded on both sides by bleachers. Fans are packed into them, each side waving signs and wearing the colors of their team.
As the Little Giants come onto the field and tear through a paper sign, one side of the stadium erupts in cheers.
”Nice turnout,” says Danny to Kevin as they come out behind their team.
”People can’t resist a good football game, Danny,” Kevin says. “Let’s give them a game to remember.”
On the other side of the field, a golf cart pulling a trailer drives up in front of the entrance of the home team. On the trailer is a brick wall with “Packers” spray painted on it in green and gold. All the Little Giants are standing there, eyes locked on the strange display across the field.
Suddenly, the wall shakes. And then again. And again. And again. And then it topples and crumbles to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust into the air. Fans on the Little Giants’ side of the field gasp as figures begin to emerge from the dust.
A trio of Packers players, including the younger Hayes, steps into view. They are holding sledgehammers. Without a word, Hayes lifts his hammer and points it straight at the Little Giants. He holds it there for a few moments before letting it drop onto the green grass turf.
”Packers! Packers! Packers! Packers!” the crowd on that side of the field begins to chant. The players come marching over the rubble of the fallen bricks, three abreast, and flow onto the field.
Fans in the Little Giants’ stands look at one another nervously and remain silent.
Danny and Kevin glance back at the stunned crowd, then to their players, and then call them to the sidelines.
”We can’t let their size intimidate us,” Danny says. “You’ve beaten teams with bigger players than you before. And with some of these plays that Nubie has designed, you’re going to have the element of surprise.”
”Yeah, I’d be surprised if we don’t die during the kickoff,” groans Tommy Moore.
Danny frowns and then gestures onto the field.
”Get out there and show them what you’re made of,” he says.
”Blood and guts,” Zolteck says. “If they hit us hard enough, they’ll get to see both.”
The Little Giants trudge onto the field, and things instantly start to go bad. The Packers take the opening kickoff all the way back for a touchdown, and then kick an onside and recover it.
Kevin looks across the field to where Freddy Hayes is standing with his arms crossed, his attention locked on the O’Shea brothers and not at all on the game. Kevin looks away just in time to see a deep pass from the younger Hayes, who is the Packers quarterback, to a receiver who easily leaps over Hot Hands to make the catch and jaunt into the end zone after shedding a tackle. The scoreboard reads 14-0 with just 30 seconds off the clock.
The Little Giants recover the ensuing onside kick and Junior jogs onto the field with Icebox and Spike already waiting in the huddle.
”Power-I 32 Fullback Lead,” he says. “On two.”
The team lines up with Icebox at fullback and Spike at tailback. As Junior calls “Down!” all the Giants linemen go into three-point stances.
”Set!” Junior barks, beginning his cadence. “Hit!”
The entire Packers defensive line fires forward, slamming into the Little Giants. Players fly backwards, slamming into the ground. The center, one of the former Cowboys, is thrown into Junior, who stumbles backwards into Icebox and the duo then crash into Spike, knocking them all to the ground.
Yellow flags fly all over the field and the referee turns towards the pressbox and signals an offsides on the Packers.
”That’s all you’re going to call?” Kevin yells out. “How about unnecessary roughness? That was nothing but a bunch of cheap shots!”
The referee ignores the O’Shea brothers as the Little Giants once again approach the line of scrimmage.
Zolteck puts his hand down in his three-point and looks across the line at the massive defensive tackle he is tasked with blocking.
”Can we just agree that football is a game about sportsmanship and caring for your fellow player?” he asks.
”I’m going to knock you into next week, and then I’m going to sack your quarterback,” the Packers defender growls. “And then I’m going to steal all your candy.”
As the ball is snapped, Zolteck is run over. Junior turns to hand the ball to Spike, but Becky’s lead block is blown up and she is knocked aside. Spike and Junior are tackled at the same time by the Packer.
”Spike wants to know where you learned to block!” Spike screams at Becky as they all get off the ground.
”The same place you learned to use pronouns!” Icebox barks back.
The chaos continues and we get towards the end of the second quarter and the Giants are forced to punt and then go on defense. There, on the first play, Spike misses a tackle and inadvertently trips Becky in the process. The two get facemask-to-facemask and growl at each other as the horn sounds to end the first half.
As the Little Giants tramp into the locker room, the scoreboard behind them reads 24-3.
As Danny comes in, the scene is one of battered and bruised players. Zolteck is laying under a table, a bag of ice on his face. Spike is taping up bloody knuckles. Junior is helping Marcus fix a pair of broken shoulderpads.
”Things are looking tough out there,” Danny says. “Our backs are against the wall. But we’ve got two quarters left, and that’s a lot of football.”
”That’s a lot of football,” Berman repeats, but in a groan of despair.
Kevin is making his way towards the locker room when Coach Hayes steps out in front of him.
”There’s Mr. Heisman,” Hayes says, pointing. “Oh, man, this is so exciting! Can I get your autograph.”
”Hello, Freddy,” Kevin says, tensing up. “What do you want?”
Hayes takes off his Oakley sunglasses and walks right up to Kevin.
”What do I want?” Hayes says, chewing his gum harder and harder with each passing second. “Well, for starters, I want you to admit that you’re not worthy of the Heisman Trophy.”
”For starters …,” Kevin repeats, slowly.
”That’s right,” Hayes snarls. “Because when you’re done with that, I want you to dress in a clown costume and go out to midfield and do a funny dance.”
Kevin looks confused. He opens his mouth to say something, then changes his mind and closes it again. He can’t help himself but to open his mouth again, a question clearly at the tip of his tongue. He sighs and closes his mouth again.
”You know, because you’re a clown,” Hayes says, a sneer forming across his lips.
”Oddly enough, I did get what you were trying to say,” Kevin says. “Listen, I’ve got a team to coach, so I’m going to go do that.”
Hayes throws his head back and laughs.
”A team?” he says. “You don’t have a team. I heard all about it. Your stupid little brother beat you and you lost your team. If it weren’t for that loser, you wouldn’t even be coaching right now.”
Kevin nods his head, clearly agitated. He looks down the hall and through a crack in the door he can see his brother passionately trying to rally the troops.
”You know what? You’re right,” Kevin says. He steps up right into Hayes. “I wouldn’t be a coach if it weren’t for my loser little brother. I wouldn’t even have a job right now if it weren’t for him.
”And I’ll tell you something else. Not only did my little brother beat me, he’s going to beat you, too. Get ready for one big WHIFFFFFF, Hayes.
”And you know what? You should probably stop with the excessive gum chewing. You’re not Mike Ditka.”
Kevin pushes past Hayes, who is practically stammering. Without looking back, Kevin steps into the locker room and looks at Becky and Spike, who’ve been snapping at each other all day. Danny quiets down, sensing his brother has something to say to the team.
”Becky, you’re my niece and I love you,” Kevin says. “And Spike, you’re probably the best football player I’ve ever seen at your age. You two are amazing at this sport. You’re the leaders of this team. But right now, you’re tearing it apart because you just can’t get past one little moment in one football game.
”Football is a game. It’s not something that should control your life. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be played with friends. My brother taught me that. Unless the two of you can get past that one play and that one game, you’re never going to be able to lead this team to victory.”
Icebox looks angry at first. She glances over and sees Spike, his knuckles bloody from trying so hard. She looks down at her leg and the scrape across her shin. She takes a deep breath and then stands up, offering her hand to Spike.
”You wanna win a football game?” she asks.
Spike looks at her for several long and silent moments. He smiles and grabs her hand.
”Let’s do this.”
A smug Coach Hayes stands across the field from the O’Shea brothers as his team lines up for the kickoff to open the second half. With a 24-3 lead, he’s confident his team is on their way to a rout.
Kevin is glaring back at first, and then hears Danny clapping and cheering in support of the Little Giants as they trot onto the field for the return. Kevin looks at his brother, out at the kids, and then starts clapping too.
”Let’s play some football, Giants!” he yells out.
Hot Hands lines up to receive the kick with Spike and Icebox ahead of him. The Packers boot the ball deep, nearly into the end zone, and Hot Hands makes the catch at the 2-yard line and sprints forward. A group of Packers break through the initial line of blocks and are sprinting toward the kick returner when suddenly Becky and Spike converge in front of him, shoulder to shoulder, and lead block right into the Packers. Bodies tumble away as the duo opens up a lane and Hot Hands leans into his sprint, pulling away from any would-be tacklers and into the open field for a long score to cut into the lead, 24-10.
The entire stadium erupts in cheers and jeers. The Little Giants rally around their teammate, celebrating the 98-yard touchdown.
”We need to get that ball back,” says Junior to Marcus. “Can you onside it?”
”I can barely kick it straight,” Marcus says.
The Little Giants look worried, but then Nubie steps into the group. “Actually,” he says, “kicking straight is exactly what we need.”
We cut to the two teams lining up for the kickoff, with Coach Hayes livid on the sidelines. He’s yelling at his Packers players, accusing them of being soft.
”You better start playing like men, or you’re going to run tomorrow at practice from sunup until sundown!”
The Packers players look upset and begin to glare at the Little Giants across from them.
”Get your hands up and be ready to dive on that football!” Hayes screams out again. His own son is at the front of the pack of players, his hands ready and his eye fixed securely on the ball as Marcus begins his approach for the kick.
The ball fires off the tee like a bullet, straight at the young Hayes. His first instinct, to come forward expecting an onside dribbling across the open field, is the wrong one as the line drive hits him in the shoulder and bounces back towards the rushing Little Giants. Players from both teams dive for it and end up in a dogpile. The refs start pulling players off here and there until we get to the bottom — and Spike has it.
As the Little Giants go to the huddle, Coach Hayes is screaming at his son on the field. The Packers are looking at him as he throws a clipboard.
”Is that how I taught you to play football?” he screams. “Is that how you’re going to represent me on this field?”
Kevin and Danny are frowning on the opposite sideline.
”C’mon, man, it’s just a game!” Danny yells across at the other coach.
”Shut up, loser!” Hayes screams back. There are murmurs from the crowd.
The Little Giants break the huddle and come up to the line of scrimmage in a shotgun formation with Spike and Becky as split backs. Junior stomps his foot on the ground and Johnny goes into motion and heads toward the trio in the backfield.
”Hit!”
The snap hits Junior in the hands and he spins around as Spike and Becky converge on him just as Johnny reaches them. The four players then burst apart, heading in different directions, all holding their arms as though they have the ball.
A Packers player hits Junior and brings him to the ground and another grabs Johnny around the hips and tackles him. Neither have the ball.
As Icebox scoots around the end, ball wrapped in her arms, a Packers linebacker meets her, gets hit and misses the tackle. She cuts in front of a defensive back, spins off another tackle and then is brought down 20 yards later.
Hayes reaches down and takes Becky’s hand, pulling her to her feet.
”Nice run,” the Packer says.
”Thanks. Plan on a few more coming,” she says and then jogs back to the huddle.
On the next play, the Little Giants move the ball within five yards of the goal before coming out in a Power-I formation.
”SHIFT!” Junior calls out and suddenly everyone seems to be in motion. Linemen break away and start jogging toward the sideline to their left, joined by Spike and Johnny. Hot Hands splits out to the right. The only players left in their original positions are the center, the quarterback, and the fullback. The Packers look utterly confused.
”Swinging gate! Swinging gate!” Coach Hayes begins screaming from the end of the coaches’ box. “Shift with them!”
Packers players begin scrambling and nearly all of them bolt towards the largest concentration of players near the sideline.
In the confusion, the Little Giants get set and Junior calls out.
”Hit!”
On the snap, Hot Hands races into the end zone, drawing his corner with him. The center drives forward, pushing a defensive lineman backward while Becky sprints ahead of Junior and plows into the linebacker. Junior jukes another linebacker and walks in for the score.
”Are you kidding me?” the Packers coach is screaming. “Are. You. Kidding. Me?!?!”
With the extra point sailing through the uprights, the Little Giants now trail the Packers, 24-17.
The game rages on through the remainder of the third quarter and into the fourth when the Packers are facing fourth-and-3 with just over two minutes remaining.
On the snap, Hayes turns and hands the ball to a running back, who sprints towards the right side tackle. Suddenly Icebox breaks through the line, filling the hole and coming in for the tackle. The Packers runner plants his foot in the ground and reverses field, but as he does, he’s met by Spike blitzing from the opposite side and is crushed with a huge hit.
As the referee signals a first down for the Little Giants, Becky helps Spike off the ground.
”Nice hit,” she says.
”Thanks for pushing him back towards Spike,” he responds.
From the sidelines, Kevin calls a timeout and gathers up the players.
”We’ve got to get down the field and score, and we have less than two minutes to do it,” he says. “That’s a lot to ask against a team like this.
”But I want you to know that however this game ends, I’m proud of you Little Giants. And I hope you’ve been having fun. I know Danny and I have.”
The team is then greeted by Nubie as he steps into the huddle. He looks around at the players and then opens up his playbook.
”It’s time,” he says, “for the Siege of Stirling Castle.”
The Little Giants are lined up on the field in a spread formation. Junior is in the shotgun with Johnny by his side. To his left out wide stands Hot Hands, while Icebox and Spike are out to his right.
”Down!” Junior calls out, and the offensive line drops their hands to the ground in unison. “Set!”
Junior stomps his foot and Johnny goes into motion to his right, towards the sidelines.
”Hit!”
Junior takes the snap and steps back, then looks to his left as Hot Hands slants towards the middle of the field. Suddenly Hayes bursts through the line on a blitz and Junior scrambles to escape. He is looking downfield for an open receiver when he sees Becky break toward the sidelines on an out route, and he fires the ball just as he’s hit by Hayes.
The throw looks to be off target and heads out of bounds, but Becky leaps for it anyway. She snags the ball in the air and before she lands, she flings it back onto the field to Spike, who had delayed his route so he would be at full speed behind her when she caught the ball.
The Packers players, stunned, are completely unprepared as he sprints past them, breaking away from the defense and into the end zone for the score.
Cheers erupt throughout both sides of the stands and the Little Giants are all celebrating. Both Junior and Becky run up to Spike.
”That was amazing!” Junior screams. “I can’t believe that worked!”
”Just like Nubie drew it up!” Becky says.
The trio turn and look at the scoreboard, which reads 24-23.
”Should we kick it and tie it, or go for two?” Danny asks, looking at his brother. Kevin is looking across the field at Coach Hayes, who is screaming at his players. Packers heads are hanging, and the verbal berating isn’t helping matters.
Kevin takes a deep breath and then looks at his brother.
”I think we go for the win,” he says. “It’s risky, but it’s football.”
The Little Giants line up in the Power-I as the Packers stack the line. Junior looks over the top of the center at Hayes, who is creeping up, his eyes locked on the quarterback.
”Icebox, right?” Hayes asks.
Junior just looks at him and smiles.
”Down. Set.”
The atmosphere is tense. Fans on both sides are standing. There is a silence hanging over everything.
”Hit!”
The center snaps the ball back, through Junior’s legs and directly to Spike, who charges forward. Junior and Becky run a fake dive to the right, drawing Hayes and another linebacker with them. By the time they realize it’s Spike with the ball, it’s too late as he leaps up and into the fray, stretching the ball out over the line for the score.
”AND IT’S GOOOOOOD! Giants win! Giants win!” The announcer’s voice echoes in the stadium but is immediately overtaken by the roar from the crowd. The Little Giants are celebrating when the younger Hayes walks up to them.
”That was one heck of a football game,” he says, shaking the hands of Junior, Icebox, and Spike. “I can’t wait for the rematch next season.”
”We’ll be there,” Becky says. “You can count on it.”
At midfield, Kevin and Freddy Hayes meet. Kevin holds out his hand.
”Nice game, Freddy,” he says.
Hayes looks at the outstretched hand and then back at Kevin.
”It’s time to forget the past,” Kevin says, looking down the field at Hayes’ son, “and start to think about the future.
”You’ve got a special boy there, and he’s a solid football player. Give him the love of the game, just like you and I had when we played. There are far more great moments than bad ones.”
Hayes watches his son shake hands with the Little Giants. He takes a deep breath, reaches up and pulls off his Oakleys, and then looks Kevin right in the eyes.
”You got lucky when you hurdled me,” he says.
Kevin smiles.
”I did.”
Hayes looks down the field again as the Packers begin to gather together in the end zone. The Little Giants are gathering with Danny on the opposite end of the field.
”Great game, Coach,” Hayes says, taking Kevin’s hand and shaking it. “See you next year.”
As Kevin approaches his team, some of the players rush over and grab him, dragging him next to Danny as the rest of the team surrounds them both. Smiles all around.
”This one was for you two,” Becky says, hugging her dad and then her uncle. “Thank you for being our coaches.”
As she steps back, Junior lifts his helmet in the air, followed by the rest of the players.
”Little Giants on three!” he yells.
Kevin and Danny look at one another and then shake hands as the players scream out the count down.
”One! Two! Three!
”LITTLE GIANTS!”
We fade to black, and the credits begin to roll.