John Grisham, known best for writing legal dramas such as The Pelican Brief and The Firm, branches into writing for young adults with his sports drama, Bleachers. The novel was originally published in 2003 and is loosely inspired by Grisham’s own experience as a high school quarterback in Mississippi. Bleachers follows former all-American quarterback Neely Crenshaw, who returns after 15 years to his small hometown of Messina. Neely and the rest of the former players gather on the bleachers to reminisce about the glory days, while their legendary high school football coach, Eddie Rake, lies on his deathbed. Upon his arrival, Neely is forced to confront the mistakes of his past, find the courage to embrace his future, and learns the power of forgiveness. Bleachers explores themes of glory, both the rewards and the dangers of it, and the toxic cultural worship of sports heroes, specifically in small Southern towns in America. Throughout the novel, the men who so often won on the field discover that the greatest victories are the ones that are won off it. The brotherhood they found in football strengthens, and together they learn that while no hero is perfect, no hero is irredeemable, either. The edition used in this guide is the first edition, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc., in October 2003.

Plot Summary

In the small town of Messina, implied to exist in an anonymous Southern state, football reigns. Forty-four years prior, 28-year-old Eddie Rake began his football career coaching the Messina High School Spartans. Rake was ruthless with his football players, and before long, he proved himself to be an invaluable asset to the team, eventually leading the Spartans to six years of undefeated seasons. Even after the streak broke in 1970, the town still heralded Rake above all others, and he held “more political clout in Messina than all the politicians combined” (4). However, in 1992, Rake’s grueling and abusive methods of training led to the death of one of his players, Scotty Reardon, which ultimately led to Rake’s termination as coach. Now, the town stands divided in how they feel about Rake. However, his legacy remains strong enough that as he approaches his death, former players and citizens of Messina alike gather in the town to await his passing.

One such player is the novel’s protagonist, former all-American quarterback for the Spartans, Neely Crenshaw. The book begins with Neely’s pilgrimage back to Messina, though he isn’t certain of his reasoning: “Why he was returning now wasn’t completely clear […] deep in his soul he’d known this day would come, the day somewhere out in the future when he was called back” (2). Neely’s return brings a mix of beautiful and painful memories.

As Neely reacquaints himself with his hometown, Messina’s obsession with football becomes strikingly evident. Rake Field (referred to as “The Field” in the years when Rake was the coach and named for him after his career ended) is sacred to the townspeople. The unapologetic worship of the high school football team is evidenced by Messina’s financial priorities and the various pictures of the team hanging in the local restaurants. Most importantly, we see the effects in the psychological health of each of the former players.

The glory that comes with being a Spartan is fleeting, and that loss weighs on Neely and the other former players. On the bleachers at Rake Field, Spartans of years past gather to exchange stories about their high school days. Neely is joined by several others: Silo and Paul, who were on the team with him, Mal, who played in the 1960s when Messina was undefeated, and Jaeger, who was in high school when Rake was fired. Though they are from different generations, the bond they share is considerable: “[t]hey were members of a small fraternity whose membership was forever closed” (13). This shared experience transcends the different paths each life took and creates friends who are closer than brothers.

More of Rake’s abusive nature, both physical and verbal, is revealed as the players discuss their years on The Field. The discipline engrained in the players during high school stayed with them; Rake’s “voice is never far away” (159), haunting them and demanding more than excellence. Yet even now, they want nothing more than to please him.

Rake’s violent tendencies gained greater notoriety on three occasions: the first was a sparring match early in his coaching career, and the second was during the championship when Neely, Paul, and Silo were on the team. Though the details are kept secret from the rest of the town, Neely always carries the weight of that night with him. The Spartans were losing at halftime, and Rake lost his cool with Neely, punching him in the face. Neely instinctively retaliated and punched Rake so hard it broke Neely’s hand. Years later, Rake came to Neely’s bedside when he was injured during a college game to apologize, but Neely wouldn’t accept the apology.

The third time Rake pushed the boundaries was a tragedy that cost Rake his job. During one of his infamous Spartan Marathons, a grueling event where he forced his players to run laps and up and down the bleachers in extreme conditions, one of his players collapsed of heatstroke and never regained consciousness. Scotty Reardon died in Rake’s arms that day, and his uncle, superintendent John Reardon, demanded justice. Rake was immediately fired, and while many people in Messina finally questioned Rake’s training methods, others questioned Scotty’s toughness, dividing the town. The chasm between the sides grew larger as new coaches cycled through, none of them able to yield the results that Rake had. The issue became more political when those who wanted to “see sports deemphasized” seized the moment to act, causing friction with the die-hard football fans (58). The result was a nasty race between Dudley Bumpus, who had plans to rehire Rake if elected, running against Reardon for superintendent. Though the votes were nearly tied, and more citizens than ever turned out to cast their vote, the race ultimately ended in Reardon’s re-election. Rake, meanwhile, retreated to his home and didn’t emerge for two years.

In addition to the controversy surrounding Rake, Neely confronts other mistakes during his time in Messina. His ex-girlfriend and first love, Cameron, is in town, and he finally gets closure with her. He visits Messina High School and witnesses from the outside that the cycle of quarterbacks ruling the school continues. As Neely watches the current quarterback strut through the halls, he thinks “Your fabulous career will be a footnote” (73). He reflects on how the glory gained from athletic stardom is ultimately trivial and fleeting.

However, this doesn’t negate the friendships made on the football team, which only grow stronger during his visit. At Rake’s funeral, his daughter reads his final note, which includes an apology to Neely for what happened at the championship game in 1987. Other moving speeches recount the duality of Rake: love him or hate him, he was human, and he cared deeply for his players. When Neely is asked to give a eulogy for the coach, he finally finds peace with the past and freedom in forgiveness. Removing the pressures of being a hero allows Neely to forgive Rake as well as himself. At the end of the novel, Neely gains the necessary perspective to appreciate his hometown and football for all the experiences that shaped his life. He vows to come home more, now that the voice of Eddie Rake is no longer a haunting voice in his head, but a more pleasant, if bittersweet, memory.