What Shane Falco Teaches Us About Resilience

Shane Falco from maybe the greatest sports film of all time, “The Replacements” has a lot to teach us about being resilient. Yes, he is a fictional character, but what he goes through in this movie are very similar things that not only athletes but everyone has gone through at some point in their life. 

Shane Falco grew up playing football and knew it was what he wanted to do professionally once he graduated from college. Unfortunately, Shane had one of his worst college games during the 1996 Sugar Bowl and did not get drafted until the second round. 

He plays professional football for a few games until he suffers an unfortunate ACL injury and is dropped by his professional team. Shane leaves the professional football world with more than just physical scars and finds solace in living on his boat. 

One day, he is visited by Jimmy McGinty, an NFL coach and Jimmy offers him a chance for a comeback. He would be able to play as a replacement player for the Washington Sentinels as the current NFL players were on strike. At first Shane is resistant to coming back but decides to take the chance and becomes a professional football player once again. 

Shane has a tough time getting adjusted to playing professionally, but once he gets back in the swing of things the team becomes difficult to beat. Shane has a great mentor in his coach, Jimmy McGinty, that believes in him and this helps Shane build back his confidence and trust in himself. Shane overcomes the scars from his past and gets the team into the playoffs before the NFL strike comes to an end. 

Shane Falco is the definition of resilient. He got back up after falling with the help of a supportive team behind him. 

Written by: Hannah Simmons