Written by Bill Nuss
Directed by James Whitmore Jr.
Airdate: November 27, 1988
Guest Star: Gary Lahti (Coach Lyle Rickman) Scott Allan Campbell (Teddy)
Booker and Penhall are assigned to investigate a popular High School football coach who's forcing his players to play through injuries. After a student suffers a serious spinal energy, Jump Street tries to build a case against the coach.
Despite some contrivances, the episode manages to distract from its shaky premise. Unsurprisingly, Booker and Penhall clash as they join the team as football players. I'm not sure if it was even legal for them to play - but whatever. At first Penhall suspects nothing until he visits the paralyzed player Teddy who talks about the relentless pressure he was under.
The episode culminates with a big game where Penhall gets injured, but the coach forces him to play. Despite it all, the Coach gets off free. His friends in the City Council and the community protect him because he keeps winning. Penhall does another rash move, giving a rambling speech at an awards banquet that's honoring the unethical coach.
In this case, justice fails to prevail. But it seemed like a slim chance anyway, how could they pin the coach for breaking the law? Sports themed episodes remain popular and that's a big part of the story's appeal. In the time since, the cult of the football coach remains stronger than ever.
For the second week in a row, Penhall was given a strong storyline, and we see more fraying of his confidence.
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