Last Chance U provides inspiration, entertainment

Last Chance U is a Netflix original series which focuses on the football program at Eastern Mississippi Community College. The title of the series relates to the fact that many of the players on the roster have been removed from Division I programs due to academic or disciplinary reasons and playing at the junior college level is their “last chance” to turn themselves around.

The show follows the 2016 season for the EMCC Lions as they aim to win a national championship. "At its heart, the second season of the series has the same goal as the first: To tell the story of a group of football players working for their dreams in a place that is far from where they thought they would be and a small community college in a small town that has produced an impressive number of Division I players” stated Nina Mandel from USA Today. Through the ups and downs, Last Chance U gives viewers the opportunity to see the barebone life of a JUCO football player. Individuals who were once stars on some of the biggest college campuses in the country now live in a motel room and go to college in a school the size of the average high school. They practice on a grass field that has turned to mostly dirt and must work harder than they ever had before in order to get back to where they want to be.

Buddy Stephens is the head coach at EMCC. He has won four National Championships and nine division championships. He has a total record of 98-13. Some of the featured players are D.J. Law, Ronald Ollie, Isaiah Wright, De’Andre Johnson, Chauncey Rivers, Dakota Allen, Tim Bonner, and Kamonte Carter. Featured coaches include Clint Trickett, Marcus Williams, and Davern WIlliams. The last star in the series is former EMCC academic advisor Brittany Wagner.

Last Chance U is very similar to that of the NFL’s ‘Hard Knocks’, but better. Hard Knocks only covers training camp while Last Chance U starts in the preseason and goes all the way through the Lions’ whole season. The producers do an exceptional job of detailing the struggles the players have faced and the different challenges they face every day as they strive to earn back the respect of family, friends, and coaches. You learn a lot about individuals who had it all, only to throw it all away. Last Chance U is unlike any show that has ever aired and it is certainly a show you will want to binge-watch. There truly are no negatives other than the fact there are only two seasons so far!

Although it is only available on Netflix, Last Chance U alone is worth the price of a subscription. It is as real as a show can get as you witness the struggles of some of the most talented individuals in the world fight to earn back the respect of everyone. The show is entertaining and very-well put together. I have watched the two seasons four times over and I still find it entertaining. I highly recommend Last Chance U to anyone looking for reality television at its best while also looking for a story of motivation and hope.