North Dallas Forty(1979)

Phillip Elliot is a wide receiver for the Dallas Bulls whose cynical outlook and strong independent streak are considered liabilities by the team's coaches and owner. Now near the end of his career, Elliot is relying on heavy doses of painkillers to get him through the games. He is well aware of how impersonal professional football has become, but when management benches him after they have manipulated him into training a teammate, Elliot is faced with the decision of whether he should continue with his career or move on.