Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Supt. Dr. Monica Merritt recalled the time when she learned that Oscar winner Denzel Washington was going to play her father, the late Herman Boone, in “Remember the Titans.”
“We had an opportunity to consult with Denzel at one point after they just started filming,” recalled Merritt. “He wanted to come and actually meet my father. He’s such an amazing actor and I believe he wanted his performance to be authentic, so he came to my father’s house.”
Merritt was determined to meet Washington, the star of many hit movies, including 1989’s “Glory” (for which he won an Oscar), 1992’s “Malcolm X” (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), 1993’s “Philadelphia,” 1995’s “Crimson Tide,” 1996’s “Courage Under Fire,” 2001’s “Training Day” (for which he won an Oscar), among others. She recounted with an infectious laugh how that came about.
“I was teaching in Southfield at the time. I went to my principal and said, ‘Hey, listen, I’m not gonna lie to you: I’m not sick but I will not be at work tomorrow. I’m going to Virginia to meet Denzel Washington!’” explained Merritt. “So I flew home and listened to my dad’s stories. It was so beautiful. Denzel went back and changed the script to reflect some of my father’s sayings. For example, my father called my mother ‘Mama’ instead of ‘Carol,’ so you saw that pop up in the film. Those are the parts that helped make it feel authentic.”
“Titans” – which was released Sept. 27, 2000—is loosely based on the true story of Boone, who became the head football coach of T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School) in 1971. That year, the school had become desegregated, and Boone was placed in charge of a football team that had both African-American and Caucasian athletes playing on it. At first, racial tensions threatened to tear the team apart. Yet through forceful coaching, unrelenting practices in the summer heat, strict discipline and an inspiring early morning run to the Gettysburg National Cemetery, Boone manages to get the athletes to function as a unit and come together as team.
As a result, the Titans go through the season undefeated and advance to the state championship while battling racial prejudice and slowly gaining support from the community.
“There’s so many takeaways from this movie that resonate with people. It feels good. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, it’s amazing to see how this team of young boys were able to come together in a community that was divided by race. (My father) made sure they took the time to get to know each other and focus on the team’s direction,” said Merritt.
“Titans” also featured Will Patton (“Armageddon”), Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook”), Ryan Hurst (“Sons of Anarchy”), Nicole Ari Parker (“Boogie Nights”), Wood Harris (“Creed”), Donald Faison (“Scrubs”), Ethan Suplee (“My Name is Earl”), Kate Bosworth (“Superman Returns”), and Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”). Krysten Lee Jones (“Fatherhood”) played Merritt, the youngest of three daughters. In the film, Boone only had two daughters.
“Everybody in Virginia calls me ‘Nickie,’ but my real name is ‘Monica.’ After the movie came out, my father would introduce me, ‘This is the real Nickie Boone!’ My eldest sister is Sharon. My sister Donna is 13 months older than me. They called the oldest child Nickie and the younger child Sharon in the movie. My sister would get so upset – ‘You’re not the oldest!’” explained Merritt, laughing.
Merritt explained the genesis of “Titans.” The movie’s screenwriter, the late Gregory Allen Howard (“Ali”), was in a barbershop in Alexandria, VA when he learned about the Titans. According to Merritt, Howard wanted to know about the football team people were still talking about 30 years later, so he met with Boone and Merritt and did extensive research before writing the script.
“I think, originally, he planned to do a made-for-TV movie, but (Detroit native/film producer) Jerry Bruckheimer (‘Top Gun’) got a look at it and the rest is history—it became a Disney movie,” she said.
Merritt called Washington’s performance as her father “outstanding!”
“I watched the transformation from this icon Denzel that we’ve loved for years in different films to seeing Herman Boone on the screen and feeling in this strange way that I was looking at my father—it was amazing,” she said. “He’s just an incredible actor and to meet with my father and incorporate the core of who he was, he came alive in that role. My father passed away in 2019 (at 84). Looking at the movie and watching Denzel, I can still see my father through him—it’s amazing; that’s his talent.”
According to Merritt, she had to keep Boone grounded throughout filming, she recounted, laughing.
When asked how Boone liked Washington’s performance, Merritt responded: “He LOVED it! When he found out Denzel was playing him, my dad was like, ‘There’s nobody good-looking to play me but Denzel!’” Merritt laughed. “The filmmakers actually gave my dad the privilege of allowing him on the sidelines during the coaching scenes. This is hilarious. As they’re doing their (exercises), my dad is actually coaching them. Denzel was like, ‘Hey, Coach, they’re actors!’ My dad told him, ‘Perfection is a benchmark’ and went right back into that mode. The filmmakers were very gracious to allow my dad to be part of it.”
Merritt lost both parents within nine months of each other. When Boone died, Washington and his wife Pauletta expressed their condolences.
“They sent a beautiful arrangement of flowers,” she said.
Merritt spoke about Boone’s legacy, which she described as one of giving and selflessness.
“My dad is just larger than life!” said Merritt. “What I see in his legacy is he was able to see gifts and talent in people that they didn’t see in themselves and bring the best out in them. It was definitely something that he instilled in me. He wasn’t afraid of adversity; he believed it was part of your character. For him, he valued respect and hard work over everything.”
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She continued: “His biggest legacy was giving back to others. He would say to my sisters and I every morning, ‘If you didn’t wake up planning to make a difference in somebody’s life today, carry your butt back to bed!’ That was ingrained in us from Day 1. That and ‘Don’t’ forget where you came from; you’re never better than anyone else.’ He made sure we were always giving and helping those in need.”
When “Titans” was originally released, it received mixed reviews from critics, yet it grossed nearly $137 million worldwide at the box office on a $30 million budget. Today, several media outlets—including USA Today, Esquire, and Men’s Journal—have named it one of the greatest football movies of all time.
Merritt stated the lessons of “Titans” transcend any time.
“This movie is about so much more than football; it’s not about football. (Boone’s) goal was to take a group of unfocused young men and bring them together as a team, to learn to respect each other, and respect the diversity that is represented there. When you move together with one heartbeat, that is the true notion of a team,” she said. “My father was truly a model of what it means to be a part of humankind and mankind. Everyone plays a role in the success of others. Even though we all have differences, we always see each other and respect where everyone is coming from and realize we’re greater together in the spirit of unity than we are being divisive and apart.”
About Dr. Monica Merritt
Dr. Monica Merritt has the distinction of being the first African-American female superintendent of the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, a position she’s held since 2016.
Her parents, Herman and Carol Boone (portrayed by Oscar winner Denzel Washington and Nicole Ari Parker, respectively, in 2000’s “Remember the Titans”), were both educators. In addition to being a football coach, her father was a physical education teacher, whereas her mother was an English teacher.
A Virginia native, Merritt—who lives in Wayne County with her husband and two children— followed in their footsteps. A 2-time alumna of Virginia Commonwealth University, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and her master’s degree in teaching. She later earned her doctoral degree in educational leadership from Michigan State University.
Merritt has been an educator since 1993. She was a teacher for nearly 10 years before becoming an administrator. During her career, she has worked at Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, the Southfield Public School District and Ypsilanti Community Schools before coming to Plymouth-Canton in 2010. Her first foray into administration was as the assistant principal of Ypsilanti High School for two years before becoming the principal of West Middle School in Ypsilanti for seven years.
She has strived to live up to her father’s legacy.
“I’m blessed and grateful that I’m Herman Boone’s daughter, that lives on in me. Although he is no longer with me, his voice is so strong; it’s shaped me into who I am as a mother, a wife, and an educator,” said Merritt. “I lead the 2,000 students and adults here in Plymouth-Canton with that same vision, ensuring that we take care of each other and do whatever it takes for every single student to have access and opportunity to a world-class education without exception… it’s about students and their future.”
