Brian Smash Williams is the running back for the Dillon High School Panthers high school football team. He has talent for miles, but suffers a series of setbacks that threaten to allow him to play the game he plays so well in an effort to one day be able to support his family.In the first season, he tries to work through steroid use as he is taking them to get bigger and stronger on the field. Coach Taylor helps get him the help he needs. Still, other issues loom as Smash tends to react decisively and aggressively when faced with racial taunts -- this gets him into trouble at some point. Later, he suffers an injury that holds him out of games for a signifiant portion of the season, leaving his future even more in doubt.