Last Man Out

As the dynamic and round protagonist of the novel, 12-year-old Tommy undergoes an exploration of grief and identity. Initially defined by his talent and ferocity on the football field, a passion inherited from his firefighter father, Tommy finds his sense of self shattered by Patrick’s death. His primary internal conflict is the struggle to manage the rage that erupts from this loss. His grief manifests as uncontrolled aggression in the one place he feels most at home, the football field. Initially, he points to his father’s lessons in a misguided attempt to justify his aggression, as demonstrated by his reaction after Coach Fisher benches him during practice: “When did coaches start punishing guys for trying too hard? […] The best players never left anything on the field. It was the football version of being the last man out, like his dad used to be when he was fighting fires” (59). Tommy’s aggression is an attempt to exert control over a world that seems terrifyingly unpredictable after his father’s death, and his violent outbursts represent a desperate effort to fight back against the powerlessness he feels. Through the theme of Sports as an Emotional Outlet, Lupica shows how Tommy learns to channel these negative emotions more constructively and protect his relationship with his team.