Number One 1969

Ron “Cat” Catlan once led the New Orleans Saints to a championship and is hailed by teammates, coaches, and sportswriters as an all-time great quarterback. After 15 years in pro football, his skills have declined and he struggles with repeated injuries, though he remains convinced he is the best in the game. Cat tries to compensate for his fading abilities with booze and an extramarital affair. A fan’s taunt echoes the shift in public perception: > “You’re not even worth the price of a ticket anymore,” a spectator cries after Cat refuses her autograph.

Friend and former teammate Richie Fowler offers him a path back to relevance, proposing a job with his auto-leasing company along with a possible management post in the computer industry. Cat hesitates, clinging to the idea that he can still lead the Saints to future glory. The computer-firm associate Harvey Hess warns him bluntly that time is not on his side: there are many young, skilled players entering the league, and a offer may not wait another year if he delays.

At home, Cat’s wife Julie Catlan bears the brunt of his troubles. Her patience wears thin as booze-fueled outbursts and late-night escapades erode their marriage, and she begins to drift away, seeking her own path. That strain opens space for a cautious, and ultimately ill-fated, affair with Ann Marley, adding another layer of complexity to Cat’s life.

As pressures mount, Cat pleads with Julie to stay and insists that victory on the field will mend their ruptures. He steps back onto the field in a crucial game against the Dallas Cowboys, driving the Saints down the field and even scoring a touchdown himself, a moment that briefly rekindles his relevance and pride. Yet the triumph is cut short in a brutal sack from three Cowboys players, a devastating blow that appears to end his football career, and perhaps his life. Julie, unable to watch the violence unfold, leaves the stadium, signaling a personal existential loss that mirrors the professional crash.