Last Man Out

Mike Lupica’s 2016 middle grade sports novel, Last Man Out, tells the story of 12-year-old Tommy Gallagher, a star football player who idolizes his father, Patrick, a Boston firefighter. When his father is killed in the line of duty, Tommy’s world is shattered, and the grief he cannot articulate begins to manifest as uncontrolled aggression on the football field. As he struggles with his loss, Tommy must navigate a new family dynamic and find a constructive way to process his anger and sorrow. The novel explores themes of identity, sports, and mentorship.

Lupica is a best-selling author and veteran sports journalist known for his long-running column in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN’s The Sports Reporters. This background informs the novel’s detailed, play-by-play descriptions of football games and its use of sports as a framework for exploring adolescent challenges, a signature feature of Lupica’s popular youth novels like Heat and Travel Team. The story is also grounded in the specific culture of Boston firefighting, a profession defined by camaraderie, risk, and a strong sense of duty. The narrative reflects the dangers faced by firefighters, adding a layer of realism to Tommy’s personal journey of loss and recovery.

This guide refers to the 2017 Puffin Books paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, bullying, religious discrimination, and racism.

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Tommy Gallagher is the star strong safety for his football team, the Brighton Bears. He models his tough but fair playing style on lessons from his father, Patrick, a Boston firefighter. During a game against the Allston Jaguars, Tommy dominates on defense and scores a game-sealing touchdown on an interception return. As he crosses the goal line, he hears sirens. Tommy’s mother explains that Patrick was hurt in a fire, and she, Tommy, and his younger sister, Emily, hurry to the hospital. Patrick rescued three children from a burning house and was trapped inside when the roof collapsed. At the hospital, Patrick’s best friend and fellow firefighter, Brendan Joyce, confirms that Patrick is dead.

In the days following his father’s death and hero’s funeral, Tommy struggles with overwhelming grief but insists on returning to football, believing that Patrick would have wanted him to play. At his first practice back, Tommy is consumed by anger and makes a series of dangerously aggressive tackles, culminating in a hard hit on his friend and the team’s quarterback, Nick Petty. Their coach, John Fisher, benches Tommy for being too aggressive. At home, Tommy learns that Emily has become withdrawn, refusing to attend school or soccer practice.

Tommy’s uncontrolled emotions spill onto the field, where two costly penalties contribute to the Bears’ first loss of the season. Meanwhile, Emily, a star soccer player, abruptly quits her team mid-game without explanation. Tommy finds a new outlet for his grief and anger when his teammate Mike Fallon introduces him to skateboarding. His sister’s grief manifests differently, as she runs away to her father’s firehouse in an attempt to feel close to him. In an effort to reconnect with his sibling, Tommy takes Emily to the park where he used to train with his father, briefly breaking through her sadness.

The Bears face their rivals, the undefeated Wellesley Wildcats, who are led by quarterback Blake Winthrop. The long-standing animosity between Tommy and Blake escalates throughout the tense game. After a hard tackle, Blake taunts Tommy about his father, causing Tommy to attack him out of anger. Both players are ejected. Without their star quarterback, the Wildcats’ offense collapses, and the Bears win. Tommy avoids a suspension but is warned that he will be benched for the season if there are any future outbursts. He throws himself into skateboarding, taking bigger and bigger risks. The Bears win their next three games to earn a spot in the championship, a rematch against Wellesley.

Seeking a greater thrill, Tommy and Mike try “bus surfing” by hanging onto the back of a shuttle bus on their skateboards. When the bus swerves, Tommy loses his grip and crashes into a streetlight. He suffers a separated shoulder that ends his football season two weeks before the championship game. Devastated by his injury, Tommy withdraws into himself and refuses to attend practice. Seeing his pain, Emily is moved to rejoin her soccer team and tells Tommy that she will play for both of them. She leads her team to victory, securing their place in their own championship game. Inspired by his sister, Tommy attends the Bears’ practices to help his team prepare.

During the championship match between the Bears and the Wildcats, Tommy watches from his father’s old spot in the top corner of the bleachers. The game is a close defensive struggle. Late in the fourth quarter, with the Wildcats driving for a potential game-winning score, Tommy’s high vantage point allows him to spot a crucial pattern in Blake’s play calling. He races down to the sideline during a timeout and tells his coach that Blake will fake a pass and run the ball himself. The defense adjusts, forces a fumble, and recovers the ball to win the championship. The following weekend, Tommy watches Emily play in her championship game. He realizes that, in the aftermath of their tragedy, he and his sister have found a way to rescue each other.