Halfback Tough by Thomas J. Dygard
"Halfback Tough" by Thomas J. Dygard is a young adult sports novel centered around Joe Atkins, a character navigating the complexities of adolescence and personal identity through the lens of high school football. As Joe transitions to Graham High, he grapples with his past as a tough delinquent from Worthington High and his desire to fit in with a new group of athletes. The narrative explores themes of loyalty, self-acceptance, and the pressure of peer perception, particularly as Joe finds himself torn between his old friends, who represent a troubled past, and the camaraderie of his new teammates.
Throughout the story, Joe evolves from a rebellious and scowling figure into a respected football star, all while confronting the shadows of his previous life. His journey is marked by key moments of self-discovery, especially during an encounter that forces him to evaluate the choices he makes regarding friendship and ambition. The plot culminates in a pivotal trial where Joe must assert his innocence while reconciling his past with his aspirations for acceptance and success in sports. Dygard's work not only provides an engaging sports narrative but also serves as a metaphor for the broader challenges young people face as they strive for personal growth and integrity.
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Subject Terms
Halfback Tough by Thomas J. Dygard
First published: 1986
Type of work: Moral tale
Themes: Coming-of-age, education, friendship, and sports
Time of work: The 1980’s
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Locale: Graham, a small American town
Principal Characters:
Joe Atkins , a young man with a troubled past who discovers his natural athletic abilities and potential for success at Graham High SchoolRichard Costen , a tough friend from Joe’s past who wants Joe to return to drinking and troublemakingMarty Benton , Richard’s loud cohort and Joe’s friendCramer Springer , the tackle who befriends Joe and helps him bridge his pastPaul King , the quarterback who will not let Joe forget his pastJason McNeal , the upperclassman halfback who loses his position to JoeEarl Steel , the football coach at Graham High who sees Joe’s potentialLouie Simpson , a young tough at Graham High who knows Joe’s association with Richard and Marty
The Story
Joe Atkins in Halfback Tough wears pads and a football uniform while doing calisthenics under a hot August sun. He remembers his old gang at Worthington High School and their disdain for the goody-goody boys who play team sports. Joe knows that his angry, frowning friend Richard Costen and carefree pal Marty Benton will taunt him for selling out to be one of the “snoots,” but Joe is beginning a new life at Graham High.
Joe tries out for football on a whim. He believes himself fast enough because of nights running away from police, strong enough because of his nickname, “Muscles,” and tough enough because of fistfights he has won. He continues to doubt his decision, however, because he does not want to be a snoot.
Joe justifies his disdain because of the tanned blond quarterback Paul King, who once imperiously commanded Joe to put out a cigarette. Paul suspects Joe’s past, making Joe self-conscious. Joe believes that the other players treat him with indifference or suspicion. Still, he begins to enjoy practices, and he realizes that he has a natural athletic ability. Joe eventually replaces the returning Jason McNeal as starting halfback and punt receiver, causing further conflict. Soon, however, he becomes a football star.
Joe is transformed from an unkempt, scowling, surly tough guy to a pleasant, friendly, successful student and player because of his spectacular plays on the football field. Yet his past continues to plague him. He fears that his teammates will reject him because of his old reputation, especially after a game at Worthington High, when the drunk Marty and Richard call out to him. His new friends begin to question Joe’s loyalty to them and his new life. Joe doubts himself. He allows others’ perceptions to shape his self-concept.
A turning point occurs when Richard and Marty visit Joe at Graham. Joe does not want his teammates to see him with these old friends, so the three go to the ill reputed Purple People Eater drive-in outside the town. While with Richard and Marty, Joe smokes and drinks for the first time since starting football. This encounter enables him to gain a clear perspective on what his new and old lives have to offer. Joe decides to leave his old friends and run back home, realizing that he is ending their friendship.
The following Monday, Joe and his schoolmates learn of the break-in at Graham High: The principal’s office has been vandalized and the cash box robbed. Louie Simpson is a prime suspect because of his drinking and tough reputation. Joe begins to worry, for Louie had seen him Friday night at the Purple People Eater with Richard and Marty. Joe suspects that not only Louie but also his old friends are responsible for the break-in.
Joe then begins a series of interviews with the principal and detectives which reveal his past delinquent record at Worthington High. Members of the football team, including his supportive friend Cramer Springer, question Joe’s innocence and dedication to the team. He struggles with loyalty to his old friends and with his desires to succeed and be accepted as a friend at Graham. Joe begins to accept himself when the no-nonsense coach Earl Steel tells him that he has always known about Joe’s past at Worthington High, but only Joe’s present and future interest him.
Finally, the truth comes out: Joe is innocent, and his old friends are guilty. Joe accepts his past and his present, and he learns that his own attitudes towards others have shaped their opinions of him. His teammates accept him as he accepts them. They finish by winning their toughest football game of the year.
Context
Halfback Tough reflects Thomas J. Dygard’s success as a writer of young adult sports literature. His sports journalism background allows him to provide concise yet detailed play-by-play accounts of whichever sport he is chronicling. He is able to focus on the athlete’s point of view and to reveal insights into the sport for readers who are not familiar with the game.
Dygard’s novels are more significant, however, for their exploration of young people’s struggles to grow up. For example, Dygard explores sex roles and coeducational sports in Rebound Caper (1983), when Gary Whipple, the class clown, is suspended from the boys’ basketball team because of his antics. In response, Gary joins the girls’ basketball team. Dygard deals with the ramifications of sex-role switches and how they affect all involved. He addresses integrity and courage in Wilderness Peril (1985), where two teenage canoers find stashed ransom money and decide to turn it over to the authorities, but are pursued through a wilderness as they try to achieve their objective. Dygard examines inner reserve versus peer pressure in Quarterback Walk-on (1982), as a fourth-string quarterback suddenly becomes a starter in a crucial, must-win game. Miracles happen through hard work and perseverance in Tournament Upstart (1984), in which a rural school of under two hundred students surprises everyone by making it to state basketball finals.
Dygard understands that detailed accounts of sporting events are ineffective unless they serve as possible metaphors of a young person’s life. He takes the typically plot-oriented sports story and turns it into a psychological novel showing young athletes’ vulnerable personalities and lives. Because Dygard strongly believes in hard work and integrity, his young athletes, including Joe Atkins in Halfback Tough, do grow and do succeed in sports as well as in life.