Necessary Roughness (1991)

Due to NCAA sanctions, the Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos must form a football team from their actual student body, with no scholarships to help, to play their football schedule.

Director:

Stan Dragoti

Writers:

Rick Natkin, David Fuller

Stars:

Scott Bakula, Hector Elizondo, Robert Loggia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scott Bakula	...	Paul Blake
Hector Elizondo	...	Coach Ed Gennero
Robert Loggia	...	Coach Wally Rig
Harley Jane Kozak	...	Dr. Suzanne Carter
Larry Miller	...	Dean Phillip Elias
Sinbad	...	Andre Krimm
Fred Thompson	...	Carver Purcell (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
Rob Schneider	...	Chuck Neiderman
Jason Bateman	...	Jarvis Edison
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Wyatt Beaudry
Duane Davis	...	Featherstone
Michael Dolan	...	Eric 'Samorai' Hansen
Marcus Giamatti	...	Sargie 'Fumblina' Wilkinson
Kathy Ireland	...	Lucy Draper
Andrew Lauer	...	Charlie Banks

Storyline

Due to NCAA sanctions, the Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos must form a football team from their actual student body, with no scholarships to help, to play their football schedule. With fewer players than most teams, the makeshift team must overcome obstacles that the best teams in the country couldn't deal with. Using a thirty-four-year-old quarterback, a female placekicker, and a gang of misfits, Ed "Straight Arrow" Genero must take his team to play the number one Texas Colts.

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Plot Keywords:

texas | football team | american football | locker room | men's locker room | 

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Taglines:

They just might be the biggest bunch of losers that ever became winners.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

Laikai Manumana (Peter Navy Tuiasosopo) says his name in Samoan means 'runt of the litter.' Depending on the spelling, it could also mean 'seawater' or 'sandwich.'

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Goofs

On the opening kickoff against Texas, the PA announcer says the ball was caught on the 6 yard line. It is then returned for a TD and the PA announcer says it was a 96 yard return. The ball would have to have been caught on the 4 yard line or it would have been a 94 yard return.

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Quotes

Chuck Neiderman: [over the campus loud speaker] Hey Armadillo Fans! This is Chuck Neiderman. The voice of the Fighting Armadillo! This season your football team needs more than your support. So if any of you listener can punt, pass, block or kick, then report to the gymnasium at 3 o'clock sharp for open football tryouts.

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Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version was cut by 7 seconds to cut two of the film's three uses of strong language for a '12' rating. Video versions are uncut, and upgraded to a '15' rating.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Monsters vs Aliens/The Haunting in Connecticut/12 Rounds (2009)

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Soundtracks

The Nearness of You
by Ned Washington & Hoagy Carmichael

User Reviews

Aging quarterback returns to college

You can read most details of the film in other, more complete reviews, pro and con. But I need to add an oddity.

The movie team, the Texas State University Fighting Armadillos, battles to a pounding against the Southwest Texas State Bobcats in one game. The point I want to make is that the REAL Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, TX changed its name in real life to Texas State University--San Marcos (the "--San Marcos" designation has also recently been dropped). So, in the movie, the problematic TSU university team in green and white plays its own real-life future alter ego, the real maroon-and-gold SWT Bobcats, complete with cheerleaders. The Armadillo mascot for Texas State in the movie is fictitious, but the Bobcats are real.

Since the movie was made in 1991 and the name change took place in 2003, the two movie opponent school names -- before anyone knew about the future name change -- eventually became the same university in reality.

Footnote: I graduated from Southwest Texas State in 1978 in journalism, with a minor in art. When the name change happened, the Alumni Association wrote and asked if I wanted a new diploma with the new college name, which I did opt for. So they sent me a new diploma with the new school name. I now have two diplomas from the same university (different names) with the same degree and minor.

According to WOAI-AM radio station in San Antonio, the total cost of the name change and resulting associated do-overs (stationary letterheads, repainting, etc) was $350,000, paid for by private donations.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Necessary Roughness

Filming Locations:

Azle, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,513,130, 29 September 1991

Gross USA:

$26,255,594

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$26,255,594

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1