A redemptive story of a modern athlete learning a lesson from the generation that made football great.

Logline:

JOHN SINGER the master of the fourth quarter comeback, won an unprecedented three superbowls in a row then retired at the age of thirty-five. Five years later, at his hall of fame induction ceremony, he is approached by his  college coach about mentoring a troubled young franchise QB – there are rules about how many hours a coach can stay with a player, but another player can shadow him night and day –  “Singer the Slinger” is back in the game, but it has changed.

Synopsis:

JOHN SINGER, the master of the fourth quarter comeback, won an unprecedented three superbowls in a row then retired at the age of thirty-five. Five years later, at his hall of fame induction ceremony, he is approached by his former college coach about mentoring a troubled young franchise QB. The NFL is cracking down on players who have off-field brushes with the law with their new policy “first downs” – any player who has been suspended can be immediately suspended again without a hearing. The person who this most concerns is a young QB (BAM) who is one step away from getting drummed out before he even has a chance to prove himself. He needs someone who is part mentor, part probation officer, but the rules are strict about how many hours that a coach can spend with a player. The rules are not so strict about players spending time with other players. John can be the kid’s shadow, all he has to do is return to the active roster of the team that used to be his arch rival.

He takes the job over the protestation of his wife LANE. She was the one who urged him to retire early, and now she sees this assignment as a way for John to relive the glory years. She secretly worries that his experience will make John resent her for taking away all of the playing time. His children: Jamie, Colt and Sawyer are a crew of constant action. They are supportive of their father but their mother is definitely in charge of the family.

From the beginning there is trouble on the field. Many of the players still remember John as the enemy and want to make him look bad. Bam resents his truly “old” school way of approaching the game. It all turns around in the final pre-season game however and John gives them all a lesson in leadership that none of them forget. He breaks a solemn promise to Lane and stays with the team on the active roster. He tells Bam that he’s no longer there to keep him out of trouble. Now, he’s coming to work every day to take his starting job. Gradually they become a team. The team becomes a team with their very different leadership styles propelling it forward in an unorthodox, but almost championship-caliber way.

Lane uses her husband’s absence to put her mark on the family business. She takes risks liker her husband and ends up being a much better manager than John. The experience brings the family closer together. Now they all stand behind their father on his last push for a championship. When the time comes his heart puts them into the championship game. Then with time winding down in the final game, he does something he never thought he could do – and leaves the game, the way he always wanted to.