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Fans of the hit Netflix show, Last Chance
U, know Brittany Wagner as the “mother” of
the nationally-ranked EMCC football team.
Now, the Clinton-native is using her gifts to
encourage students beyond Mississippi
through her consulting business, 10 Thousand
Pencils, LLC.
For eight years, Wagner worked as an
advisor on the athletic administrative staff
at East Mississippi Community College. She
describes herself as an “eligibility specialist,”
helping prepare athletes not only academically,
but for the rest of their lives. More than
a dozen NFL players went through the EMCC
football program, gaining the junior college
national attention and eventually resulting
in a Netflix documentary about the team.
Because many of the players on the show
had records that kept them from playing for
Division I schools, EMCC was sometimes their
only option. It was up to Wagner and the
coaches to get them back on track. Wagner
quickly became a star of the show for the
way she fiercely loved and encouraged
players, often the driving force behind their
success.
“I think everyone deserves an opportunity
to get an education,” Wagner says on the first
episode of Last Chance U. “I think everyone
deserves to have a second chance.”
Wagner was the Lions’ cheerleader on
and off the field. She talked students through
their schedules, sat with them as they wrote
essays, and even walked some to class. Her
famous question: “Do you have a pencil?”
But before the Netflix series was even a
possibility, writer Drew Jubera with GQ
Magazine caught wind of what was happening
in Scuba, Mississippi, and spent six months
interviewing and following the team, coaches,
and Wagner. Wagner was excited to be
recognized for all her hard work, especially
in a national publication. But when the article
came out, she was shocked to see there was no
mention of her name. They had completely
cut her from the article.
“I was devastated,” says Wagner. “I don’t
think people realize how stories about
teachers impact them and give them
validation that what they’re doing matters.”
However, when director Greg Whiteley
read a copy of the unedited article, half of
which was dedicated just to Wagner’s role,
he realized the potential for a documentary.
Wagner says she was hesitant to be a part of
the show at first.
“I was really afraid they were going to
exploit Mississippi,” she says.
But when Whiteley sent her samples of
work he’d done, she realized it was in good
hands.
“They were the greatest crew,” Wagner
says. “They really embraced Mississippi and
wanted to make it as true as possible.”
She says most of the filming process was
top secret. The EMCC president, vice-president,
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