I’m currently watching Friday Night Lights for the 28th time (maybe more, I really don’t even know). It is literally the best show to air on TV, and really, there isn’t a close second.
Dramatics, storyline, heartbreaks, family, football: this show has everything. Peter Berg did a helluva job making this story come true. The characters were phenomenal by allowing the viewers to feel like they were apart of this small town of Dillon, Texas.
But the real question is, what happened to all the characters after the show finished? Somewhere out there, Dillon, Texas, is a real place and we need answers on what Tim Riggins, the Taylor family, Vince Howard and all the rest of the characters are up to. What ever happened to everyone after we saw Coach Eric Taylor and Tami Taylor walk off the football field in Pennsylvania?
Well, as I was sitting at work and watching Friday Night Lights during my lunch break, thoughts were flying through my head. One thought after another, and boom, just like that, they started connecting. And I’ll tell you what, I’m pretty sure I came up with a bullet proof, blood bank guarantee on exactly what all the characters are up to.
The End of the Series
As we all know, the Taylor Family moves to Philadelphia so Tami Taylor can be the dean of students at Braemore college, Tim Riggins is building his dream house on the land he bought, and the Dillon Panthers and East Dillon Lions formed a “Super Team” with Vince Howard at Quarterback. But does anyone really believe that that’s where it ends? Do people believe that Coach Taylor is coaching in Pennsylvania the rest of his life? That the Taylor’s stay in Philadelphia the rest of their lives? And Vince Howard has to go to school somewhere, right?
The Year after the Series Finale
Let’s focus on the Taylor Family and Vince Howard. In reality, Tim Riggins finished his house, he’s living there comfortably and he’s working full time at Riggins Rigs (which is doing a lot better than expected).
The Taylor Family is living in Philadelphia full time now. Fast forward a year and Tami Taylor is absolutely killing it at her new job as the dean of Braemore College. In one year, she has helped the school make an amazing turnaround and the university becomes a very respected school, both educationally and ethically, on the East Coast. She is constantly being praised for her amazing year as the application rate of incoming students doubled after Tami’s first year.
Coach Eric Taylor is coaching at the nearby high school, the Pemberton Pioneers, and what a steal for the Pioneers. Pemberton had the greatest high school football coach on planet Earth fall right into their laps. Let’s be honest, Texas High School Football is a lot more difficult than Pennsylvania High School, and in Texas, Coach Taylor won 2 state championships in 5 years. That’s incredibly difficult to do. So you can imagine that in his first year at Pemberton, Eric Taylor leads his team to a State championship. Now his third title in 6 years.
Onto the Dillon Panthers and the “Super Team”. All the players from the Lions state championship team joined the Panthers except Luke Cafferty and obviously, Coach Taylor. The season starts off shaky for the Panthers as the Lions players are having a State Championship “hangover”. The Panthers start off 2-2 but they win every other regular season game as Vince Howard lights on fire. However, they DO NOT win a State Championship, In fact, they don’t even make the title game. The shaky start, the loss of Coach Taylor and the “hangover” from last years title game was too much to handle and the Panthers lose in the State semifinals. The Super Team fell short of expectations without their leader.
The Vince Howard decision
Vince Howard graduated from Dillon High School, winning a state title with East Dillon his Junior season, and is easily one of the best quarterback recruits in the country. Everyone under the sun offered Vince Howard a scholarship, but it came down to 4 schools: TMU, Oklahoma Tech, Alabama and Mississippi Central.
And Vince Howard decides to attend…
Oklahoma Tech.
Before you say, “In Season 5, Episode 10 Mr. Howard receives a phone call from Oklahoma Tech saying they offered the scholarship to someone other than Vince.” But guess what? That was Vince’s junior season during a real rough patch in his life in which he was just suspended for a game. After a stellar senior season at Dillon and amazing behavior and leadership on and off the field, Oklahoma Tech comes calling again because Vince and Oklahoma Tech are a perfect fit. Let me explain why…
For starters, Vince is an athletic quarterback with a big arm, great speed and a propensity to score touchdowns. Hello, Oklahoma Tech. OK Tech, as stated in the show, was the number one ranked offense in the Big 12. That means they put up a lot of points in a short amount of time. So it’s a perfect system. Also, Oklahoma and Texas are not that far away so his mom can see him play in college. The final reason Vince chooses OK Tech? Remember how excited he was when he took his “unofficial” visit? He looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Every kid should feel like that when they commit to a school.
The Next Year
Vince Howard is thrown into the starting quarterback position at Oklahoma Tech after the team starts 2-4. Vince becomes the quarterback and the team doesn’t do to well. The team finishes 4-8, the head coach is fired after a terrible season and Vince is frustrated. He’s frustrated about the fact he didn’t start right away, he’s frustrated he’s not the star of the team yet, and he’s frustrated that the team only won 4 games. But, as with everything, there is always a plan.
Tami Taylor has now completely turned around Braemore College and the school is absolutely thriving. The school is one of the best on the East Coast and Tami is praised again as a great intellectual leader. Unfortunately, Oklahoma Tech’s education has taken a drop and they need a turnaround.
Tami Taylor gets the call from Oklahoma Tech and they offer her a job as dean of the university. She accepts the offer since she’s done everything she could for Braemore and she LOVES a challenge. (Let’s be real, the Taylors are not East Coast people. They are down South people and don’t belong in Pennsylvania). Tami is up for the challenge and she becomes the new dean of Oklahoma Tech.
But guess what? Before Tami accepts the job, the Pioneers play another season and do not have a State championship “hangover”. Coach Taylor leads the Pioneers to their second straight State title, his personal 4th title in 7 years.
And guess what? Oklahoma Tech went 4-8 and fired their coach. Eric Taylor has 4 state titles in 7 years and was already offered a Division 1 head coaching job (if you’ve forgotten, Shane State sent him an offer). Vince Howard is the quarterback of Oklahoma Tech and his wife is about to start a job there. Why wouldn’t Oklahoma Tech offer the job to Coach Taylor to coach the program led by his former state champion quarterback? They don’t think twice about it and offer the head coaching job to Coach Taylor.
Tami Taylor is the dean of students at Oklahoma Tech, Vince Howard is the quarterback at Oklahoma Tech, and Coach Taylor is now the head coach at Oklahoma Tech, to try to right the ship and give Vince Howard the leadership he needs to succeed.
The Riggins brothers
For starters Riggins Rigs is thriving. After Tim gets out of jail, he works full time at Riggins Rigs and Billy works part time at Riggins Rigs while also coaching football. Tim brings some great ideas and renovations into Riggins Rigs and it becomes the best auto body shop in Dillon.
But remember how it was mentioned before that the Dillon Panthers “Super Team” lost in the semifinals? Well, after that all the players graduated and the next season was a disaster. The head coach of the Panthers is let go and they need a new head coach.
Most people would think that would be Tim Riggins, and they’re half right. But in reality, Billy Riggins is hired to be the head coach. Think about it, he played under Coach Taylor, he coached with Coach Taylor, he’s been an assistant coach for 4 years and did a great job coaching Luke Cafferty. He’s the closest thing the Panthers are going to get to Coach Taylor. Usually, the Panthers hire from within and Billy makes perfect sense.
So, who does Billy hire as a top assistant? None other than Tim Riggins. The Riggins brothers lead the Panthers back to relevancy and back to winning state championships.
Now, every great Panther to play at Dillon has a free scholarship to play at Oklahoma Tech due to Coach Taylor being the Head Coach.
Tim Riggins
Tim is killing the game. Obviously, he is coaching at Dillon (dominating) and Riggins Rigs becomes a huge success. But what about his personal life?
Well, it’s the same story as how it ends. Tyra and Tim sit on his unfinished house, thinking about their respective futures. But afterwards, Tyra comes back to Dillon post college, becomes a guidance counselor at Dillon High School, where Tim is coaching the Panthers, and her and Tim build a life together.
Welcome the new Eric and Tami Taylor.
Filling in the rest of the characters
- Matt and Julie get married shortly after their engagement
- Smash Williams is selected in the Third Round of the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys
- Jason Street quits his job as an agent and joins Coach Taylor as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Tech. Coaching and football are both in his blood.
- Lyla Garrity graduates near the top of her class at Vanderbilt and never returns home to Dillon.
- Hastings Ruckle plays one season of football at Dillon Tech (community college Matt Saracen attended) and then transfers to Oklahoma Tech to reunite with his head coach and quarterback
- Luke Cafferty becomes a general in the Army and, after a successful career, returns home to start a family with Becky.
- JD McCoy never made it to the NFL (hahahahhaha… loser)
- Vince Howard is awarded the Heisman Trophy in his junior season. He is then chosen as a first round draft selection by the Dallas Cowboys. How awesome would it be to see Smash and Vince on the same NFL team?
- Oklahoma Tech wins a National Championship in Howard’s junior season and Coach Taylor’s second year as Coach.
- Tami Taylor turns around the education system at Oklahoma Tech and the Taylors stay there together for the rest of time
Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.
