Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s sports film ‘Home Team’ depicts an inspiring and engrossing saga of Sean Payton, who coaches his son’s sixth-grade football team, the Warriors, to new heights. Payton joins the team upon the insistence of Troy Lambert, the head coach of the Warriors. Lambert extends his support to Payton to radically change the roles and formations of the players. Together, they revive the players and motivate them to display their best in the field for the betterment of the team. As Taylor Lautner’s Troy Lambert wins our hearts, one must be wondering whether the character is based on a real coach. Let’s find out!
Is Troy Lambert Based on a Real Coach?
Yes, Troy Lambert is based on a real coach. The character is based on Brennan Hardy, the former head coach of Liberty Christian Warriors and former president of Liberty Youth Football Association. Hardy was a student-athlete while he was studying at Texas Christian University. He coached the sixth-grade football team during the 2012 season when Payton joined the Warriors.
Unlike the film’s portrayal, Hardy’s team wasn’t in a horrendous position when Payton joined the team upon his suspension from the NFL due to the Bountygate. In fact, the head coach led his team to a 30-0 win at the start of the 2012 season. When Payton joined the Warriors, he expressed his admiration towards Hardy. “I run the offense. The head coach is Brennan Hardy, who does a great job,” Payton said to NOLA in September 2012.
Hardy welcomed Payton’s arrival to the team wholeheartedly. He accommodated Payton and his revolutionary ideas in the team and they started a new chapter in the history of Liberty Christian Warriors together. When Payton started to implement the simplified versions of his New Orleans Saints’ game plans, Hardy was all up for it.
The consistency the Warriors displayed led Hardy and Payton into the championship game against the Springtown Porcupines. When Hardy shared his confusion regarding the opposition’s perplexing game plan with Payton, the latter called Bill Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach, for advice. Payton then shared the tactics to defeat Springtown with Hardy. Payton and Hardy’s 2012 season ended with the Warriors being the runners-up in the championship upon losing to Springtown.
Brennan Hardy played an important role in Liberty Christian Warriors’ incredible 2012 season as the head coach of the team and the companion of Sean Payton in the field. As the film depicts, both coaches rejuvenated the spirit and talent of the Warriors with motivation to aim and work hard for the best.
Read More: Home Team Ending, Explained
