Walking on Dead Fish

In the weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the tiny town of LaPlace was overrun with thousands of displaced New Orleans residents. Their already bursting-at-the-seams high school, East St. John, took in over 450 new students. Twenty of them were football players. In order to make them feel more welcome, the coach declared all positions were open (even those help by ESJ seniors). For some, that meant the opportunity to play the sport they lived for, but for others, it put their scholarship chances (for many, their only chance at a college education) in jeopardy. But rather than fight or turn bitter, these young men banded together in the face of tragedy to create a team.