Chapter 8, Character Courses Summary and Analysis

This chapter opens with a description of a meeting at the Tuohy home with a woman named Joyce Thompson. Miss Thompson is an investigator for the NCAA, and she is interviewing Michael to determine if the Tuohys are in violation of NCAA recruitment rules due to their relationship with Michael and their status as Ole Miss boosters. During the interview, the reader learns that Michael may have at least thirteen siblings. He is not even sure of all of their names. Sean points out that they may have different last names as well, since he believes that Michael's mother has children by at least five different fathers.

Michael understands what Miss Thompson is thinking. He also wonders if all of the rich white people helping him would be so helpful if he were not such a promising...