When Atlantic University’s star quarterback, Clark Jenkins, becomes romantically involved with Margaret Anthony, a coed whose father, Brad Anthony, writes a newspaper sports column, he takes criticism for accepting money from gambler George Scott. Clark explains that without George’s subsidies, he and other players like Pop, a former coal miner and father of three, would be unable to afford college. After news of an injury to Clark’s knee is leaked to George and his gambling network by Clark’s roommate, Cal Calhoun, the betting suddenly switches to favor Atlantic’s next opponent. This switch alerts Anthony, who later sees Clark talking to gambling kingpin Blackie Dawson at a practice session. Convinced that Clark has been feeding information to Dawson, Anthony writes a damning column about him and reports him to the university’s board of directors. Fuelled by the coach’s speech about the financial importance of football to the university, the board, however, declares Clark innocent. Although cleared, Clark storms at Cal and accuses him of being a selfish, cowardly player who would rather run with the ball than block for his teammates. On the morning before Atlantic’s big game with Erie, Clark receives a telephone call about his brother Pete, a professional boxer, and is told to go to a particular hotel room to help him, unaware that Dawson plans to kidnap him in order to guarantee Atlantic’s loss. Eventually Pete, Margaret and several of Clark’s teammates track down and beat up the gangsters, and while a reformed Cal is blocking for victory and Pop is stalling the game by provoking an on-field riot, a liberated Clark is rushed to the stadium in time to win the big game and marry Margaret. More on Wikipedia or Mubi
Watch The Big Game (1936)
