List of Friday Night Lights characters

This article contains character information for the NBC/DirecTV (The 101 Network) American drama television series Friday Night Lights.

Main characters

• Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) — The varsity football coach of the Dillon Panthers. The character is based on the real-life coach Gary Gaines. Like Gaines, Taylor is the new coach who is having a difficult time adjusting to the intensity that Dillon shows for football. Taylor is often conflicted with the advice he is given by local supporters of the team. After the team advances to the state tournament at the end of the Season 1 under his leadership, Taylor leaves Dillon to accept a higher level job at a college, also in Texas, only to return to Dillon early in Season 2. At the end of Season 3, a series of political moves result in Taylor losing his job and moving to the re-opened, and much more poorly-funded East Dillon High.
• Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) — The wife of Eric Taylor and mother of Julie Taylor. She begins the series as the guidance counselor at Dillon High School. At the start of Season 2 she gives birth to a baby girl and in Season 3 she becomes principal of the school, remaining there after her husband moves to East Dillon. After the conservative community demanded an apology from Tami regarding an incident that involved an abortion, Tami resigns as school principal and intends to start a counseling department at East Dillon.
• Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden) — The daughter of Eric and Tami Taylor, she begins the series as freshman at Dillon High School and becomes the girlfriend of Matt Saracen. During Seasons 1 and 2 she is depicted engaging in some teenage rebellion (drinking, getting a tattoo, dating around, etc.). In Season 4, despite having earned an interview at Boston College, Julie ultimately turns down the offer, realizing that her heart remains in Dillon. In the season finale Julie and Matt break up and go their separate ways. However, their paths cross once again in Season 5 when Julie goes to Chicago to see Matt after making some bad decisions. During her visit, they kiss and Matt gives Julie the belief that she should stop running from what she's done wrong. She again leaves and their relationship remain ambiguous. However Matt, spurred on by her visit in Chicago, arrives in Dillon and proposes, and Julie says yes. Eight months later, they are living happily in Chicago at the conclusion of the series whether or not they are married by this point is unknown.
• Matt Saracen#7 (Zach Gilford) — The shy and stammering sophomore who is quarterback/wide receiver of the Dillon Panthers who becomes the boyfriend of Julie Taylor. He has issues with abandonment, once summing it up as that he was left by Coach Taylor for a better team, left by Julie Taylor for a better guy, left by his father for a war. Beyond this, his mother is also known to have left him around age ten. Saracen is based on Mike Winchell. Saracen graduates at the end of Season 3 but remains in the cast. In Season 4, after the death of his father, Saracen moves to Chicago in order to pursue a career in art.
• Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons) - A somewhat nerdy and geek-worthy freshman. Best friend of Panthers quarterback Matt Saracen, but wasn't on the football team in Season 1. Joined the team to impress his father in Season 2. He has his own band and is in love with Tyra Collette, who he lost his virginity to. Landry is based on Brian Chavez. Like Chavez, Landry is best friends with the quarterback. Both characters have very good grades and await a life outside of Dillon /Odessa. In Season 4, having moved to East Dillon High, Landry makes the team as a kicker and makes the season-ending game-winning field goal against the Panthers. In Season 5, Landry goes off to college at Rice University in Houston.
• Tim Riggins#33 (Taylor Kitsch) — The fullback/running back of the Dillon Panthers. He is the troubled best friend to Jason Street. He is the ex-boyfriend of Tyra Collette and now dates Lyla Garrity, with whom he has an off and on relationship. Of course, both were stops in quite a long line of girls, as Riggins is known as a bit of a womanizer. He solves many of his problems through promiscuous sex and heavy drinking. Tim is based on Don Billingsley from the film. Both Tim and Don have rocky relationships with their fathers. Both are very good players and heavy partiers. In the Season 4 finale, Tim turns himself in to the sheriff after being discovered that he was operating a chop shop with his brother, Billy.
• Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) — Former Dillon High popular girl. Her dating history includes Tim Riggins (Season 1, Season 5), Landry (Season 2), and a cowboy named Cash (Season 3). She is seen developing throughout the show and hoping to rise above the stereotype of the blonde, oversexed female in Dillon. She was admitted into University of Texas in Austin after graduating from Dillon High.
• Jason Street (Scott Porter) — The former star quarterback of the Dillon panthers and former fiancee of Lyla Garrity. Street was paralyzed from the chest down during the first game of his senior year and has developed an interest in quad rugby. He was briefly an assistant coach of the Dillon Panthers. Now resides in Northern New Jersey with his wife Erin and their son Noah. (Recapped in Season 5)Pilot:#6
• Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) — Former fiancée of Jason Street and former Panthers cheerleader. She is now dating Tim Riggins, off and on. The drama of her story arc included a slip in judgment when Jason was initially paralyzed, which ended with her hooking up with Riggins. He eventually had feelings for her, and the two spent time going back and forth about their decision to be with one another. She has gone through a religious phase, as well, in season 2.
• Brian "Smash" Williams (Gaius Charles) — Former running back of the Dillon Panthers. Now plays for Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The character is based on Boobie Miles (played by Derek Luke in the film). Smash is suspended from the team once for fighting in a movie theater and in the first season he is benched by coach Taylor for using steroids. He is injured between the second and third season. Shirt number 20
• Luke Cafferty (Matt Lauria) - Cafferty is new character in Season 4. Previously a standout on [West] Dillon’s JV team, he had to transfer to East Dillon when it is discovered that he actually lives in the East Dillon district but has been lying about his address so he can continue to play for West Dillon. His parents, unlike most of the other parents, are not supportive of his involvement in football. In the Season 4 finale, Luke is offered a football scholarship at a more prestigious high school, St. Pat's, but it is still unknown whether or not he intends to leave East Dillon. It is revealed in Season 5 that he stayed at East Dillon. Luke eventually wins the heart of Becky Sproles during his Senior year where he is conflicted about whether or not to go to a low league College and play Football. Luke and his team-mates pull off a shock when they reach the State final and win. Eight months after the State final it is shown that Luke has enlisted and is seen at the bus garage giving Becky his State ring before boarding the bus and leaving Dillon.
• Vince Howard (Michael B. Jordan)- A new character beginning in Season 4, Howard is a talented athlete but had never played football before being given the choice of joining the new East Dillon football team or going to juvenile detention. After sending his mother to drug rehab, Vince becomes East Dillon's new quarterback and leads them to a win over the Panthers in the Season 4 finale. Vince is overwhelmed by all the attention he is receiving from colleges and becomes arrogant and selfish in Season 5. This behaviour sees Coach bench him but once he realises the error of his ways he matures and leads the Lions to State. Vince has problems with his recently released father this season. Eight months later, Vince is shown to be the quarterback for the Dillon Panthers.
• Jess Merriweather (Jurnee Smollett)- A character that joins the series in Season 4, Merriweather is an East Dillon student whose father was a former state-championship winning quarterback of the East Dillon Lions but came to resent the sport and the team. Merriweather carries the responsibility for working in her family's restaurant and caring for her three younger brothers. By the end of Season 4, after a brief relationship with Landry, Jess becomes Vince's girlfriend. In Season 5, Jess decides to become a coach and starts shadowing Coach Taylor. Her relationship with Vince reaches a rocky patch when he starts acting selfishly. They briefly break up, but eventually fix things by the end of the season getting back together at the end of episode 12 ,and then declaring their love for each other before the State game. Jess later informs Coach that she is moving to Dallas because her father's fast-food franchise took off; Coach tells her he knows a coach in Dallas and will recommend her. Eight months later, she is seen shadowing that coach in Dallas, her dream still alive.
• Becky Sproles (Madison Burge) - an East Dillon student/beauty-queen hopeful. Becky undergoes an abortion late in Season 4 after a one-night stand with Luke Cafferty, and leans on Tim Riggins for support. Becky's decision to terminate the pregnancy lands Tami Taylor in hot water, eventually costing her her job. In Season 5 Becky and Luke eventually get back together and she starts living with Billy and Mindy. Eight months after the State game she is seen kissing Luke goodbye at the bus garage as he heads off to join the army.
• Hastings Ruckle#88 (Grey Damon) - a new East Dillon football player, former basketball player.

Recurring characters

• Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland) - Owner of a popular Chevrolet dealership in town, father of Lyla Garrity, and an influential Dillon High booster. He ends up having an affair with Angela Collette, Tyra's mom, which causes stress with his family and results in a divorce. Buddy is based on John Aubrey, a character Leland himself played in the film. Having been ousted from the Panthers booster club by JD McCoy's father, Garrity denounces his allegiance to the Panthers and joins the Lions instead, becoming instrumental in providing sponsors, including a weekly radio show at a local station.
• Billy Riggins (Derek Phillips) — Older brother to Tim Riggins, acts as his guardian. Could have had a potential scholarship for golf, but gave it up to take care of Tim. Married Mindy Colette at the end of season 3. In Season 4, after increasing pressure from a pregnant Mindy and himself to provide for his family, he opens a chop shop to make ends meet.
• Lorraine “Grandma” Saracen (Louanne Stephens) — Grandmother to Matt Saracen, she often requires special care from Matt. She suffers from dementia. She acts as a motherly figure in Matt's life since his father is never around.
• Shelby Saracen (Kim Dickens) — Mother of Matt Saracen, she was largely absent throughout Matt's life, until his struggles with his grandmother forced him to seek her out, so that she could sign papers to legally emancipate him. She ends up staying in Dillon with Matt and his grandmother, though not at first without considerable friction with his grandmother.
• Mindy Collette (Stacey Oristano) - Sister of Tyra Collette and Billy Riggin's wife. Mindy works as a stripper at a local roadhouse, The Landing Strip. She and Billy have a son, Stevie.
• Corrina “Mama” Williams (Liz Mikel) — Mother to “Smash” Williams. She found the steroids in his room and went to Coach Taylor about it, briefly putting his career in doubt. Works in town as a nurse, and was the one to tell Tami Taylor she was pregnant at the end of season 1.
• Mac MacGill (Blue Deckert) — Offensive coordinator for the Dillon Panthers. Caused the black players on the team to walk off the team in the week leading up to a playoff game in season 1 after making racist comments. Later defended Smash after the rival teams police tried to arrest him for starting a brawl in the game. In season 3, he suffers a heart attack and takes a leave of absence from coaching, and is replaced by future coach Wade Aikman. In season 4, Coach Taylor offered him a job at East Dillon, but turned him down. In season 5, MacGill has succeeded Aikman as the head coach of the Dillon Panthers.
• Chad Clarke (Glenn Morshower) - Father of Landry Clarke, and police officer for the Dillon Police Department.
• Herc (Kevin Rankin) — Athlete with the same injury as Jason Street, member of the national quad rugby team who has taken Street under his wing.
• Jackie Miller (Brooke Langton) - Single mother to Bo Miller with a predilection for younger men.
• Waverly Grady (Aasha Davis) — One-time girlfriend to “Smash” Williams. Diagnosed with Bipolar disorder that caused a strain in their relationship.
• Ray “Voodoo” Tatum (Aldis Hodge) — Louisiana resident (displaced by Hurricane Katrina) and Panther quarterback for two weeks after being brought to town by Buddy Garrity to replace Jason Street. The Dillon Panthers meet him again in the State Final.
• Angela Collette (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) — Mother of Tyra Collette and former mistress to Buddy Garrity. She ends up having an affair with Buddy ultimately destroying his family life.
• Tony Dolia (Charon R. Arnold) — Panther Player #1, never shown outside of uniform but often highlighted during game play. He has been instrumental in several of the Panther’s on-field victories. Such as catching the winning TD pass from Saracen in the Pilot. He also blocked a punt in Nevermind to set up the winning touchdown drive led by Panther backup quarterback. He is showed in some deleted scenes and is interviewed in Eyes Wide Open deleted scene.
• J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter) — A very talented quarterback who joins the varsity team as a freshman and eventually replaces Matt Saracen as the starter, but he has trouble relating to his older teammates who don't share his straight-laced habits. He also faces intense pressure from his father to excel as a football player; the character may have been inspired by Todd Marinovich. In the fifth season it is revealed during the East Dillon/Dillon game that he is no longer the starting QB of the Panthers, even though at this point, he would be a Junior.
• Henry Saracen (Brent Smiga)- The father of Matt Saracen who was divorced from Matt's mother when Matt was young. He enlisted in the US Army and served in Iraq. He served for twenty years, missing much of Matt's life. The character is killed off by an IED in Iraq at the end of Episode 4, of Season 4, "A Sort of Homecoming;" Episode 5, "The Son" deals with Matt's reaction to this father's death. Matt's feelings of anger toward his father are revealed and the best thing he can say at his father's funeral is that he served his country well.
• Buddy Garrity Jr.(Jeff Rosick and Joey Truty)- son of Buddy Garrity and brother to Lyla Garrity, Buddy starts off as just a little kid, but after moving to California starts to act out and disrespect authority causing him to move back to Texas with Buddy. He eventually joins the East Dillon Lions to get straightened out.
• Dallas Tinker (LaMarcus Tinker) - An East Dillon Lion known to his teammates by his last name, Tinker is part of a core group of players including Vince Howard, Luke Cafferty, Hastings Ruckle and Buddy Garrity, Jr. Tinker once helped Luke mend a fence on his parents' farm when no one else showed up; in Season 5, he trades "his" rally girl, Becky, to Luke in exchange for Luke's prize pig.
• Regina Howard (Angela Rawna) - Vince Howard's mother, a former drug addict. After her son gets her into rehab, she is determined to turn her life around.
• Matt Riggins (Teddy Tala)- Uncredited East Dillon Lions Running Back and Wide Receiver who is cousin to Billy Riggins and Tim Riggins

External sources

• Fright Night Lights Beyond the Scenes: Character Profiles from NBC official site