Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story) stars as the 165-pound defensive back, Freddie Steinmark who helped lead the 1969 Texas team to the college football national championship. Steinmark had been mostly ignored by the college scouts because of his small size, but Longhorn coach Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart) saw the way he threw himself around the field and gave him a scholarship.

After the Longhorn's greatest victory in years-a miraculous 15-14 comeback win against Arkansas with President Nixon in attendance-Steinmark's jubilation was curtailed by a leg injury that, upon further examination, revealed a serious illness.