Review: Play Like He Would by Heath Hamrick

Tragedy and triumph collide beneath the Friday night lights in Play Like He Would by Heath Hamrick, a gritty true story of perseverance, honor, and the lasting impact of loss.

After a tough string of losing seasons and discouraging setbacks, “Slugger” Hamrick eagerly takes over as the head coach of the Bremond Tigers – a small and scrappy football team from East Texas. The town still remembers what vicarious victory and gridiron glory feel like, fueling dreams of young players and the excited hopes of a community. After a modest start at Bremond, Hamrick needs to deliver a playoff run in the 1999 season, and sophomore Jason Yancy, a rising star and the undisputed heart of the team, just might help them go the distance.

However, early in that ill-fated autumn, an unthinkable tragedy strikes Yancy in the middle of a game, plunging the entire town into a bitter season of shock and grief. This detailed narrative leads readers through the years preceding that devastating night, introducing teammates and friends, exploring the spirit and personality of the team, as well as Slugger’s admirable approach to life, coaching, and everything in between.

To reconstruct the shining moments and lasting power of a young person lost to tragedy, Hamrick painstakingly transports readers to the horseplay of locker rooms and the personality-packed hallways of small-town Texas high school. Hamrick was present on the sidelines when Jason fell, and had played with many of Yancy’s closest friends and teammates on that very same field – with this on-the-ground perspective, he is able to seamlessly recreate the critical days, moments, and minutes of this heartbreaking story, giving the sometimes journalistic prose the vivid potency of fiction, coupled with the urgent realism of a memoir.

The second half of the book, which details all that came after Jason’s death, is a touching portrait of empathy and friendship, of young men commemorating one of their own, finding purpose and passion by honoring Jason’s life in myriad ways. Thanks to Hamrick’s meticulous research and intimate connection to the players and places that shape this story, the prose is incredibly rich with authenticity, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the conversations, relationship dynamics, and raw emotions surrounding and following that tragic night.

Perhaps most notable in the storytelling is the compassion, love, and understanding the author demonstrates for his father; it is apparent on every page, making this book a loving testament to a legendary coach and a role model worthy of praise. This narrative tenderness is extended to others as well, particularly NaTasha Yancy, Hunter, Randy Jones, and Matt Yanowski. Capturing the traumatic emotions of loss and the emotional burden of forced resilience is not easy to do with believable grace and sensitivity, without becoming overly sentimental or maudlin, but Hamrick is a subtle writer while still conveying a breadth of emotion.

On a technical level, there is a roughness to the edges of the writing, an informality and tendency to delve into tangents, but the worthwhile heart of this story is unmistakable. Whether Slugger is coaching, weeping after learning the terrible news, eulogizing his fallen player, or courageously leading the Tigers to greater heights in subsequent seasons, the prose is a reflection of integrity, humility, and an unwavering sense of humanity.

A surprisingly powerful work of non-fiction even if you don’t know this team’s story and its players, the book is a moving reminder to overcome adversity with compassion, to lean on community when tragedies are too great to bear alone, and to defeat despair with purpose.