Mike’s father died when he was only 13, leaving him with an overwhelming desire to leave Odessa. Mike had a very close relationship with his father and idolized him even after his death. His older brother, Joe Bill, persuaded him to give the town another chance by reminding him that he could play football with the Panthers. Mike, a shy child, had excelled in Little League baseball with his dad’s support. He later devotes himself to football with similar success, though sometimes overanalyzes his plays.

The team’s more “ornery” players are “lean and mean” (87) and engage in daring or anti-social pastimes such as rattlesnake hunting, eating locker room cockroaches, or picking fights with city kids. Charlie Billingsley was such a player during his Permian Panthers career in the 1960s. Charlie’s son, Don Billingsley, moves from Oklahoma to Odessa specifically to play for the Permian Panthers. Charlie, a long-time alcoholic, enters rehab while Don is in high school, during which time Don lives with his grandparents and further relies on football as a source of belonging and comfort. Like his father, Don is a heavy drinker, having started drinking in the fifth grade. Don’s penchant for getting into fights comes from his drinking.