故事发生在美国西弗吉利亚的亨廷顿小镇上,那里有一支令全镇人民骄傲不已,同时也在全美国大学校队中位处顶尖的马歇尔大学橄榄球队。长久以来,马歇尔大学橄榄球队早已成为了当地历史的一部分,一代又一代队员们坚韧不拔的运动精神在时间和汗水中不断的被传承着。 1970年,是大家不愿意记起却又无法忘记的一年,参赛归来的马歇尔大学橄榄球队乘坐飞机返回亨廷顿。途中,可怕的空难发生了,包括队员、教练、后勤在内的75名乘客全部丧生。人们被这一噩耗惊呆了,悲伤和压抑的气氛迅速席卷了整个小镇。这时,一个名叫杰克(马修·麦康纳 Matthew McConaughey 饰)的橄榄球教练站了出来,善良的他不忍看到居民们就此消沉,他决定要用自己的力量,延续马歇尔大学橄榄球队的辉煌。In November, 1970, virtually the entire football team and coaches of Marshall University (Huntington, W.V.) die in a plane crash. That spring, led by Nate Ruffin, a player who was ill and missed the fatal flight, students rally to convince the board of governors to play the 1971 season. The college president, Don Dedman, must find a coach, who then must find players. They petition the NCAA to allow freshmen to play, and coach Jack Lengyel motivates and leads young players at the same time that he reexamines the Lombardi creed that winning is the only thing. The father and the fiancée of a player who died find strength to move on. Can Marshall win even one game in 1971?