Friday Night Lights has been off the air for about five long years now and we still can’t get over all of the amazing characters that the show introduced to us.
Yes, Tami Taylor is 100% our queen and we see a lot of ourselves in Julie Taylor (as well as Tyra Collette), but, when we think about Friday Night Lights, we can’t help but think of the men.
The wonderful, huggable, complex men of Dillon (and East Dillon).
Whenever we scour the internet looking for other Friday Night Lights fans and things that will make our longing for the show less painful, we always see rumblings of which guy was the best. Interestingly, nobody ever seems to have the same answer.
So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to come up with the definitive ranking of all of the main/most popular Friday Night Lights men. Sure, we have our favorites, but we tried to be as objective as possible by using a points system based on desirable personality traits.
All of the personality traits add points to the characters’ scores (except for “stupidity,” which subtracts points). Each character’s personality traits are rated on a scale from 0-5, with their final ranking depending on their overall personality trait score.
9. Billy Riggins
Billy may not ever achieve main character status, but he’s been a constant throughout the series (both in presence and personality). While he may not be the smartest and none of his ideas really ever works out, we still love Billy Riggins.
Dependability ???
Attractiveness ???
Athleticism ??
Intelligence ??
Loyalty ???? — He’s always there for his family. No matter what.
Fun-Ness ???
Compassion ???
Vulnerability ??
Lovability ???
Stupidity -????
Overall score: 21/45
8. Brian ‘Smash’ Williams
While he can be kind of (totally) pompous and selfish, Smash definitely has his moments (especially when it comes to protecting and providing for his family). Smash has big dreams and the personality to get himself there.
Dependability ???
Attractiveness ?????
Athleticism ?????
Intelligence ??
Loyalty ??
Fun-Ness ????
Compassion ??
Vulnerability ?
Lovability ??
Stupidity -??? — Remember the ‘roids? How about his obsession with recruiters? Or ranting before he thought things through?
Overall score: 23/45
7. Jason Street
Jason Street is quite the underdog, so obviously we can’t help but root for him (even when he’s moody or trying to make a stupid decision involving shark blood). He’s just such a go-getter, even in the face of extreme adversity.
Dependability ????
Attractiveness ????
Athleticism ????
Intelligence ????
Loyalty ???
Fun-Ness ??
Compassion ??
Vulnerability ??
Lovability ???
Stupidity -??? — An operation in Mexico with shark blood? Really?
Overall score: 25/45
6. Luke Cafferty
While he may not be a traditional alpha male, Luke Cafferty is quite the leader and role model. He’s incredibly kind and compassionate, not to mention friendly. It also doesn’t help that he has a cute face. Man, we really miss Luke Cafferty.
Dependability ????
Attractiveness ?????
Athleticism ????
Intelligence ???
Loyalty ???? — He never once wavers on his loyalty to his Lions teammates, even when the Panther douchenozzles are around.
Fun-Ness ???
Compassion ????
Vulnerability ???
Lovability ????
Stupidity -??
Overall score: 32/45
5. Vince Howard
Sure, he may be a little rough around the edges, but Vince Howard has one of the biggest hearts of all of the Friday Night Lights men (if not all of the characters period). There’s nothing Vince wouldn’t do for the people he loves.
Dependability ????
Attractiveness ?????
Athleticism ????? — Vince is an amazing quarterback and never knew. That’s insane!
Intelligence ???
Loyalty ????
Fun-Ness ???
Compassion ????
Vulnerability ???
Lovability ????
Stupidity -??
Overall score: 33/45
4. Landry Clark
Landy Clark is just an all-around great guy. He’s smart, caring, and hilarious (not to mention musically inclined). While we hate seeing other characters take advantage of his kindness, we love that, over the seasons, he doesn’t change a bit.
Dependability ?????
Attractiveness ??? (more like 3.5) — He’s got one of those cute baby faces!
Athleticism ???
Intelligence ????
Loyalty ?????
Fun-Ness ???
Compassion ????
Vulnerability ????
Lovability ???? — Don’t you just want to hug him?
Stupidity -??
Overall score: 33.5/45
3. Tim Riggins
Tim Riggins is the heart of Friday Night Lights. Though he may have a tough exterior (and quite the alcohol tolerance), he’s such a vulnerable and lovable character. It’s impossible not to root for him. He’s one of the best parts of the show.
Dependability ????
Attractiveness ?????
Athleticism ?????
Intelligence ??? — He may not be book smart, but he knows his way around football, cars, and people.
Loyalty ????
Fun-Ness ?????
Compassion ????
Vulnerability ????
Lovability ????? – We’d give Tim Riggins more footballs if we could. And lots of hugs.
Stupidity -???
Overall score: 35/45
2. Matt Saracen
Matt Saracen is the equivalent of a puppy dog. He’s constantly looking to please and comfort those around him. He’s a hard worker who juggles quite a lot. We couldn’t help but love Matt from day one and root for him at every turn. Our lives aren’t the same without him.
Dependability ????
Attractiveness ???? — Matt Saracen is our beautiful cinnamon roll.
Athleticism ?????
Intelligence ???
Loyalty ?????
Fun-Ness ???
Compassion ?????
Vulnerability ????
Lovability ?????
Stupidity -?? — We’re trying to forget that whole “moving to Chicago and not calling” thing.
Overall score: 36/45
1. Coach Eric Taylor
Who else could be #1 but Coach Taylor? He’s pretty tough on his players and can sometimes react pretty badly to situations (like finding Tim Riggins putting Julie to bed), but Coach Taylor’s heart is always in the right place. He’s always willing to go the extra mile for the people in his life. He’s a true gentleman.
Dependability ?????
Attractiveness ???
Athleticism ???
Intelligence ?????
Loyalty ????? — No matter what happens, you can always count on Coach Taylor.
Fun-Ness ???
Compassion ?????
Vulnerability ???
Lovability ????
Stupidity -?
Overall score: 36/45