Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U‘ is a sports documentary series that explores all aspects of JUCO football, but, along with that, it also opens up into everything else that is related to the athletes who play the game. In the case of the fifth and final season (before the series shifts to basketball), ‘Last Chance U: Laney’ showed us the cost of ambition, the divides within families, the importance of the city where they dwell, and the athletes’ desperation to get into a higher education system.
Over the years, we’ve grown to know and care about the coaches and players who have been featured on the series. They were from East Mississippi Community College in the first two seasons, and then, for season 3 and 4, we delved into the world of Independence Community college to get to know Coach Jason Brown and his team. So, now, its only natural for us to wonder more about the people from Laney College in Oakland, California.
Coach John Beam
Today I start the 40th Year doing something I Love Coaching Football and Making a Difference in Young People Lives #LaneyBuilt pic.twitter.com/5239yVaAu4
— Coach John Beam (@beam_coach) August 7, 2019
Coach John Beam has been a fixture for the Oakland community and the footballing world for over 40 years. By having the perfect combination of competitiveness, dominance, and compassion, he has produced some amazing players and has also helped some of them get off of the streets. He has created not just a dynasty at Laney but a legacy in Oakland. So, of course, he would be returning as the head coach and athletic director for the Laney Eagles. However, because of the pandemic, the sports season has been delayed until spring 2021.
Nu’u Taugavau
https://twitter.com/NuutaiTaugavau/status/1284689111136133121
Nu’u was the very first player that we met in season 5 and honestly, he instantly became a fan favorite. His love for his wife and family was evident, and his passion for his background and football even more so. There were times when we thought of him as a background character because of his lack of leadership skills or outspoken-ness, but by the end, he had proved us wrong. By successfully working hard on his academic and athletic career, he received a scholarship from Murray State University in Kentucky, where he, his wife, and their two daughters will be moving.
Rejzohn Wright
DREAMTEAM(Committed)… pic.twitter.com/DYgZJDGthQ
— Rejzohn Wright (@Ray2wright) December 18, 2019
Rejzohn Wright’s story was one that gripped us the most- from his familial background to his struggles, to his ambitions and his hustle, we were with him at every step of the way. He seemed to have an attitude problem on the field, yes, but because of how good of a player he is, he almost deserves to have that “swag.” Despite an ankle injury in the middle of the season, he earned scholarship offers from quite a few places. After deliberation, though, Rejzohn accepted the one from Oregon State, where his brother and former Laney alum, Nahshon, also currently plays. While he is there, it seems like he would be pursuing a degree in sociology.
Dior Walker-Scott
https://twitter.com/DiGiornio_4Chz/status/1170419500899921920
Another central figure in season 5 was Dior Walker-Scott. The Wide Receiver’s versatile and dynamic plays helped him grasp the opportunity to play as Quarterback as well, and, by the end of the season, he had turned into an overall athlete. Not bound by just one position, a few doors opened up for him, and he decided to attend the University of Hawaii to play as a walk-on. He hopes that his play there would help him earn a Division 1 scholarship. Dior no longer has to worry about his father or sleeping in a car as he is in Hawaii and has his own room. He doesn’t appear to be on Hawaii’s spring football roster, but that may be because the season has been postponed till late September.
RJ Stern
— RJ (@FlvshGordon) March 29, 2020
RJ Stern’s narrative had a bit of an emotional arc. He talked about his childhood traumas and feeling overlooked and isolated growing up. And, somehow, it transpired on the field as well. For the season, he felt like the coaches weren’t giving him the chances he deserved and that he could play extremely well if only the ball was passed on to him. By the end, though, RJ had decided to take matters into his own hands and started planning for his future. He communicated with other university coaches on his own and ended up signing a scholarship offer from Tennessee’s Tusculum University. The football team there, the Pioneers aren’t scheduled to begin their first game until late September.
Read More: Where Is Dior Johnson Now?
