The Carter grade Scandal

From the Dallas Morning News, Friday October 8, 2004

A chapter of H.G. Bissinger's best seller Friday Night Lights about the 1988 Odessa Permian football season focuses on the fallout from Carter cornerback Gary Edwards' grade being changed in an algebra class.

It didn't merit a mention in the movie, much to Mr. Edwards' surprise.

Mr. Edwards and former teammates Anthony Allen and Cedric Buckley watched a special showing of the movie Wednesday night at the Loews Cityplace theater.

In 1988, Carter principal Clarence Russeau changed Mr. Edwards' grade to a C, ensuring that the key player would remain eligible under the no-pass, no-play law for the Carter football team's playoff run. The Texas Education Agency ruled that Mr. Russeau had exceeded his authority, meaning Carter could not play in the playoffs. Carter got the ruling overturned, and ensuing court hearings made statewide headlines throughout the playoffs.

Carter won the state championship – beating Permian in the state semifinals – but was eventually stripped of the title.

Mr. Edwards said he was surprised the grade scandal wasn't included in the movie, but it wouldn't have bothered him if it were.

"All of those things are over and done with," said Mr. Edwards, who owns three copies of the book.

The ex-players said they were bothered by a scene in which Carter coach Freddie James, who is black, lobbies for black referees to be included on the officiating crew for the playoff game between the teams.

Mr. James, when reached Thursday, confirmed that he did insist on black officials. He said he wanted to prevent phantom holding calls and asked for at least two black officials to be included on the crew. He said he had seen several instances that season in which white officials made poor calls against Carter.

The former Carter players said that James was portrayed as a racist in the scene.

The movie portrays Carter as the big bully from the big city. One scene during the Carter-Permian game shows a Carter player kicking a helmet into the face of a Permian player on the ground. Several Carter cheerleaders push a Permian player on the sideline in another scene.

"They didn't do us justice," Mr. Edwards said. "Our coaches weren't like that, our players weren't like that, and our cheerleaders weren't like that."

Mr. Buckley, who now works for Texas Instruments, and Mr. Allen, a security specialist for the Dallas Independent School District, said they didn't have a problem with the Carter team's cockiness in the movie.

"We did trash talk," said Mr. Allen, a former running back. "That's all part of football – intimidation."

The former players said they enjoyed the movie for the most part. They thought it was interesting how much the football scenes differed from what really happened.

"I liked the action," said Mr. Buckley, who played defensive end. "I'll take my kids to see it on Friday."