Everybody’s All-American 1988

Gavin Grey is a 1950s star athlete known by the moniker The Grey Ghost, who plays football at Louisiana State University. His campus girlfriend Babs Rogers Grey, his nephew Donnie ‘Cake’ McCaslin, and his teammate Ed Lawrence admire his magnetic personality and charm. During the Sugar Bowl, Gavin’s relentless competitiveness leads to a fumble by an opposing player, who returns it for a game-winning touchdown.

As his college days come to an end, Gavin marries Babs, starts a family, and is drafted by the Washington Redskins. Meanwhile, Lawrence opens a popular sports bar in Baton Rouge, and his friendly rival Narvel Blue mulls what might have been if he had chosen a different path. Reality quickly sets in as NFL life proves tough—grueling schedules, fierce competition, and a demanding public eye that never truly fades. Gavin remains a respected running back for the Redskins, but the idol status he enjoyed in school feels distant.

Lawrence has accrued gambling debts and is later murdered by unidentified attackers, leaving Gavin and Babs with new financial burdens tied to Lawrence’s struggling business. Babs fights to hold the family together, stepping up as the breadwinner after Gavin briefly retires. Donnie, drawn to Babs, becomes sympathetic to her loneliness and enters a brief extramarital affair. To help support Gavin’s obligations, Babs begins seeking work, including a stint at Narvel’s restaurant.

With retirement behind him and money troubles mounting, Gavin agrees to a comeback with the Denver Broncos, only to discover the modern NFL has moved on without him. He enters a fraught business relationship with entrepreneur Bolling Kiely, whom he comes to despise, spending long hours recounting the glory days to clients. Donnie moves forward with his life, becoming an author and getting engaged to Leslie Stone, while supporting Gavin and Babs through their marital breakdown.

In the end, a diminished Gavin reevaluates his life, mends his relationship with Babs, and spends his days reminiscing about the athletic youth that once defined him.