Buster Schuler, the town's legendary football coach who retired when his own son died in a freak on-the-field accident, returns to coach one last season. As if to replace Buster's son, a hard-scrabbling young man, Elvis Jackson, shows up, too, wanting to play football. Buster and his assistant coax their wobbly team through a tough season, naturally climaxing in the last game, all the while dealing with issues from their past.