“All-Americans – November 6, 1962” is episode fourteen of season two of Quantum Leap.
Sam leaps into the quarterback in an American football game and for once Al is there immediately. Sam throws a terrible pass, but his team gets a touchdown and win the game. At a food truck, a man picks up a woman in celebration, then apologises and picks up his daughter. This wasn’t what Sa, was there to do, though.
Sam is Eddie Vega, a high school student, and his friend, Chuey, says there were scouts in the stands. Colleges will offer them both scholarships or they don’t go. The coach tells Sam that was the ugliest pass he ever saw. But he loved it.
Sam and Chuey are at the food van which is run by Eddie’s father, Manuel. A girl asks Sam for a cola and afterwards Manuel tells Sam to stay away from her. College and medical school before girls. Chuey’s mother is Celia, the woman Manuel picked up. There will be scouts at the championship game next week.
Al tells Sam to go and get something so they can talk. Eddie goes to UCLA on scholarship. Celia was Eddie’s mother’s best friend; she died giving birth to Maria. Celia never married, though Chuey thinks his father died before he was born. Celia crossed the Rio Grande so Chuey would be born in America. Three days after she did it. Chuey doesn’t get a scholarship because he throws the championship game. Chuey finds Sam afterwards, and he certainly doesn’t sound like he’s going to throw the match. Sam tells Al this; Al says they know he threw it, but not why.
A man, Ruben comes into Celia’s house. He was at the match, winning a bet. And he’s her landlord and she owes him $800 in overdue rent. He suggests there are other ways to pay. She offers a cheque. Ruben wants the rent by noon tomorrow, or she’s out.
Chuey and Sam enter at the tail end of the discussion. Ruben wants a tip on the team. Sam says they can’t give a gambler tips; no college would look at them. Ruben, as he leaves, tells Celia Friday. One way or another. Sam works out something is going on.
Chuey may not want to throw the game, but it’s pretty clear he’s going to work out this is a way to pay off his mother’s outstanding rent. Sam needs to convince him that it’s not worth it.