Harrison is the story’s protagonist. He is a round, dynamic character who grows and changes dramatically throughout the novel. At age 13, he sees himself as “as big and fast and strong as a weak man” (10), and his enduring strength and determination despite the adversity of his past contributes to his initial success on the football field and aids him in his later struggles to overcome his health issues. At the beginning of the novel, Harrison is a boy in foster care who endures rigorous hardships and outright abuses due to the injustices of Mr. Constable’s oppressive stewardship. Amidst this deeply damaging setting, he comes to see football as his refuge, and he delights in the few glimpses that he manages to catch of the televised games in the midst of his unending chores. To Harrison, football symbolizes the continuation of hope and ambition in the face of adversity. Throughout the novel, Harrison’s determination and unyielding spirit remain unfazed by numerous challenges, and this inner strength forms the foundation of his character.

After the accidental death of Mr. Constable catapults Harrison into a new living situation with the kind, generous, and empathic Kellys as his new foster guardians, he truly begins to blossom and find his way in the world.