"Without Character, There Can Never Be a Legacy"
In a climactic moment of Remember the Titans — Disney’s film based on the true story of the T.C. Williams High School football team — Head Coach Herman Boone wakes his players at 3 a.m. and leads them on a run to the hallowed civil-war fields of Gettysburg.
“Listen to their souls, man,” Boone tells his team — a racially-charged mix of white and black young men — as the sun rises in the background. “You listen and take a lesson from the dead. If we don’t come together right now, we too will be destroyed just like they were.
“I don’t care if you don’t like each other, but you will respect each other.”
As the story goes, Boone’s players do, ultimately, unite and go on to win the 1975 Virginia state championship.
But the legendary coach, portrayed in the movie by Denzel Washington, told Brunswick students firsthand — in a visit to the Upper School on Thursday — that this movie is about much more than football.
“The Titans stood for respect, teamwork, leadership, brotherhood, and the importance of character in their community,” Boone said.
“These incredible boys decided to put their racial differences aside and learn to accept the soul of an individual, rather than reject an individual based on the color of his skin.”
On a day students gathered to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — and the School’s beloved, late Robert L. Cosby — Boone called on everyone in the audience to follow in the footsteps of these two great men.
“Without character, there can never be a legacy,” he said.
“If you want to plant the seed of brotherhood, choose to love, not hate; choose to persevere, not quit; choose to live, not die.”
Boone closed by referencing Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go.
“So, you’re off to great places, young boys. Today is your day. The mountain is waiting for you, so I suggest you get on your way.”
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Coach Herman Boone (left) joins Brunswick Head Football Coach and Alumni Relations Director Jarrett Shine '92
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Brunswick School Greenwich, CT
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Upper School
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Office: 203.625.5856
Lower School
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Office: 203.485.3670 -
Middle School
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Pre School
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Main Phone: 203.625.5800
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Alumni: 203.242.1223