Summary Of Eddie Rake's Bleachers

Eddie Rake was a very hard man to read. Rake always had good intentions for each and every one of his football players; however, his actions as a high school football coach could be taken differently by every person. In John Grisham’s book, Bleachers, Eddie Rake was not the cold-hearted person that everyone thought he was. He actually had the biggest and most caring heart there could be. Rake cared so much for his players and would do absolutely anything for them. Rake made an impact and changed the idea of football in Messina. He made football the most popular and sought after sport for all of the high school boys, because every boy wanted to be on a winning football team. They all knew the struggle it would be to be one of Rake’s football

In his letter from the grave, Rake said, “Only two regrets in thirty-four years. As I said, I’m a lucky man. The first is Scotty Reardon. I never dreamed I would be responsible for the death of one of my players, but I accept the blame for his death. Holding him in my arms as he passed away is something I have wept over every day since” (Grisham 203). Before people knew what really happened to Scotty, people thought Rake did not really care about his death. In Rake’s letter, everyone finds out that Rake really had no intention of hurting or killing one of his players and he had a huge heart for Scotty. Ellen Rake Young read Rake’s letter at his funeral, and said, “I am with Scotty now, and for eternity, and as we look down together at this moment we have reconciled our past” (Grisham

Coach Rake said and did things that he regrets in his life time, but so did every one of the football players, and that is what makes the Messina Spartans such a family. They all supported each other, and they played and won as a team. Eddie Rake was a very hard man to read. Rake always had good intentions for each and every one of his football players; however, his actions as a high school football coach could be taken differently by every person. What Rake taught his football players is something the players will take with them wherever they go in their life after football is done. Rake’s football players learned a lot from him and took not only football with them wherever they went, but many more memories, goals, real meanings, and the real intensions that Rake had for every one of his