Timothy "Tim" Riggins is a character in sports drama Friday Night Lights, portrayed by actor Taylor Kitsch. Tim Riggins is the fullback/running back of the Dillon Panthers in the television series. His character is similar to Don Billingsley from the original book and 2004 film Friday Night Lights.
Portrayal
Actor Taylor Kitsch says he is able to relate to the character of Tim Riggins based on his own personal experiences. "My father is out of my life, more or less", he revealed in an interview, "so I discover stuff that maybe I wasn't even dealing with as a person." Also, his background as a young and promising athlete helped him connect with the role. Nevertheless, he admits to differ from his character at least in his relations with the opposite sex; "...I didn't have as many girls at my fingertips. I don't know many guys who do!"
Background
Throughout the series, Tim lives with his older brother Billy after having been abandoned by both their parents. Billy was about to obtain his PGA card and pursue a professional golf career when their father Walt left and Billy became the sole guardian of his younger brother. Despite their seemingly immature behavior and Tim's stoic and uncaring facade, the brothers are shown to be caring and loyal to each other in times of crisis. Tim is best friends with his quarterback, Jason Street, whom he has known since he was young. Their catchphrase is "Texas Forever".
Characterization
Tim has been described as a character "who has puppy-dog, lady-killing eyes under his scraggly bangs." He is the fullback/running back of the Dillon Panthers with jersey #33. Tim is depicted as a womanizer and his ex-girlfriends include Tyra Collette and Lyla Garrity, with whom he has an off and on relationship. Described as the town drunk of the series, he copes with life through casual sex and heavy drinking. Despite his laissez-faire attitude, he is extremely loyal to his teammates when the occasion demands, as shown when he physically hits an opposition player who verbally provokes his black teammate, Smash Williams, and puts his Panthers career on the line to follow best friend, Jason Street, to Mexico to talk him out of a potentially life-threatening situation.
In season 1, Coach Taylor's wife discovers that Tim has been struggling academically and had been asking his schoolmates (especially the rally girls) to do his assignments for him. She pairs him up with Landry, who subsequently finds out that Tim has difficulty reading and writing (presumably dyslexia). Landry reads that week's assigned reading Of Mice and Men out loud to him and it is shown that Tim can comprehend the material better and even scored a B− on his assignment.
Tim and Jason drift apart for a while after Jason discovers that Tim has been sleeping with his girlfriend, Lyla Garrity, to cope with his guilt over Jason's accident. By season 3, they are on speaking terms again. Through all the ups and downs, they remain almost unconditionally supportive of each other and are often seen helping one another out or coming to one another's rescue.
Of the original main characters with whom he went to school, Tim is the only one who remains in Dillon when the show ended. Riggins also signs to play football at the fictional San Antonio State University, but after a short period of time, he decides that college is a waste of time for him and moves back to Dillon.
Storylines
Season one
In season one, Tim is shown being unable to cope with his best friend, star quarterback Jason Street's, accident, blaming himself for not being there to block the hit that Jason takes. At the start of the series he is dating Tyra Collette, though they both repeatedly cheat on one another. After Tyra breaks up with him, he begins sleeping with his best friend's girlfriend, Lyla Garrity. After Lyla calls off their affair, Tim goes on to stand by her and encourage her to stay with cheerleading even after their relationship is discovered and she becomes a social outcast. In the back half of season one, Tim becomes close to his neighbour, Jackie, and her young son, Bo. The two have an affair, but she eventually breaks up with him as he is much younger than she is.
Billy begins to take Tim seriously as a football player in season one, talking to coach Taylor about a potential scholarship for Tim.
Tim also reunites with his absentee father this season, tracking him down after receiving a traffic ticket that may result in the loss of his license without a parent's signature. He learns that his alcoholic father is now sober.