John "Crash" Coogan

John Coogan is the narrator of "Crash" and its main character. "Crash" takes place mostly over the course of John's seventh grade year, and the novel follows John on his journey of maturity from someone whose opinions, actions, and emotions are determined by his "Crash Man" personality into someone whose identity is driven by his own motivations. John opens "Crash" by explaining the background behind his nickname, "Crash." He got the nickname when he was just a little kid for an incident he can barely remember--knocking over his cousin Bridget one Christmas while wearing his new football helmet. Everybody calls John "Crash," including his parents. Throughout the novel, John sees the nickname as both a reason and an excuse to act a certain way. To John, the Crash Man persona justifies being overly aggressive on the football field and in interactions with his peers. He believes...