Kip Pardue plays the handsome quarterback with a killer arm. One of the only actors to have played competitive football, Pardue was a wide receiver at his high school in Atlanta as well as during his college years at Yale University.
"My character is a good football player who's being shopped around," explains Pardue. "He's being recruited to play on the best team in the area, which seems like it might be another school at the beginning of the story. But interestingly enough, he and his father make the decision for him to go to T.C. Williams because of the fact that they are integrating. "Sunshine is this hippie who doesn't fit in," He continues. "He's different than anything southern people have ever seen, but he's a traditional quarterback who's used to throwing the ball. Unfortunately that doesn't fit into Boone's offense very well.
Donald Faison portrays running Petey Jones. One oh the stars of the hit film "Clueless," Faison drew crowds of fans stopping by between classes at every school location the show utilized. Soon every member of the cast attracted admirers.
"Petey is the sensitive guy in the group," says Faison. He's also the clown and Boone picks on him. Yoast sees that Petey is emotional and wants to play well and fit in, he helps him to find his strengths. I think Yoast can identify with this kid.
Defensive lineman Darryl 'Blue' Stanton is played by Earl C. Poitier. "Blue is a jokester," says Poitier. "In every tense situation he's the one who smoothes things over. I like this character because he's just like me. He's not an angry person, he just wants to keep the situation calm."
Like his character, Poitier played defensive tackle in high school and was experienced in dealing with coaches the likes of Herman Boone. "I know what it is to play defensive tackle." he says. "You have to plug up the holes. You stop the run and stop the run again. You go after the quarterback and kill anyone who tries to come past the line of scrimmage. If yon miss the block, you run a mile. If you drop the ball, you run a mile. Coach Boone pushes you to the extreme."
Alan Bosley is influenced by his father's prejudice even when he realizes that he wants to be part of the Titans and truly likes his teammates while Ray Budds is the most virulent segregationist.
"Alan's been raised by an incredibly pushy, racist father," says actor Ryan Gosling about defensive back Alan Bosley. "I think if it were left up to him, he would never have played football. He wouldn't really care if someone were black or white, he also has to come to terms with the fact that he's this skinny kid who can't play the game as well as the other kids. But his father pushes him to the end."
"If there's a bad guy in the movie, it's me," says Burgess Jenkins who portrays tight end Ray Budds. "He's a senior, it's his last year on the team and he feels confused and betrayed because he doesn't like the mixing of blacks and whites. When everyone comes together it makes life at school difficult for him, especially when his best friend Bertier and Big Ju become friends. He's the first to voice his disenchantment."
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