Obsessed with pitching a first-person story to Sports Illustrated about what it's like to be a professional quarterback, klutzy journalist George Plimpton (Alan Alda) persuades the Detroit Lions to let him participate undercover in the team's training camp. The supporting cast includes Lauren Hutton (in her film debut) and bona fide National Football League personalities Alex Karras, Lem Barney, Frank Gifford and Vincent Lombardi.