Mick is a dedicated young running back entering high school. His entire life revolves around football, a passion initially fueled by a desire to emulate his father's collegiate and professional legacy. He discovers the truth about his father's failed athletic career and faces his own insecurities regarding his physical size on the field. He determines he must secure a starting position by any means necessary.

Mike is a former college football star who had a brief, troubled stint in the NFL. He works at a local radio station and heavily invests his time and energy into shaping his son into a disciplined athlete. He sets high expectations and pressures Mick to achieve the athletic greatness that he squandered during his own youth.

Drew is an athletic, dedicated quarterback who quickly becomes Mick's closest friend and training partner. He matches Mick's work ethic, spending his summer mornings running drills and practicing plays. He acts as a grounded, loyal presence who genuinely wants to see his friends succeed on and off the field.

Hal Carlson initially works as the head custodian at Shilshole High before stepping in to take over the football program. He brings years of successful coaching experience from a previous high school and implements a merit-based system. He values talent and execution over seniority, offering younger players a fair chance to earn starting spots.

A former gymnast, Mick's mother provides a counterweight to her husband's intense sports focus. She prioritizes her son's safety over athletic glory, eventually refusing to attend his games out of fear for his physical well-being. She encourages him to pursue activities because he genuinely enjoys them, not out of obligation.

Coach Downs is the head football coach at Shilshole High during Mick's freshman year. He holds strict traditional views on team hierarchy, maintaining a firm policy against starting freshmen regardless of their talent or effort level. He serves as an early institutional roadblock for younger players attempting to make the varsity roster.

Drager is an upperclassman running back at Shilshole High. He relies on his significant natural size and strength to maintain his position on the team. He views younger, faster challengers with hostility and uses physical intimidation to assert dominance in the locker room and the weight room.

Peter is a personal trainer at Popeye's gym who takes an intense interest in Mick's athletic development. He recognizes his young client's desperation to gain muscle mass and strength quickly. He introduces aggressive, advanced training programs designed to yield rapid physical transformations, manipulating Mick's desire for success.

Kaylee is a high school sprinter and volleyball player who takes a romantic interest in Mick. She is friendly, socially active, and provides Mick with an avenue for a normal teenage social life outside of his obsessive football training. She enjoys spending time with him at local parks and lakes.

DeShawn is a fellow football player and part of Mick's core social group. He frequently joins Mick and Drew for extracurricular activities like off-roading in the Jeep or playing flag football. He represents the easygoing camaraderie of high school sports that Mick struggles to fully enjoy.

Clark is an upperclassman quarterback and Drager's close friend. He frequently acts as an accomplice in Drager's bullying efforts, helping to maintain their status at the top of the team's social and athletic hierarchy.

Dave is a talented, up-and-coming eighth-grade running back. Under Coach Carlson's merit-based system, he presents a direct and unexpected threat to Mick's starting position on the team, proving that raw talent constantly pushes up from the lower grades.

Mr. Rooney is a former college football player who coaches the local Pop Warner league. He holds a long-standing grudge against Mike Johnson from their college days and unfairly takes his resentment out on Mick during practices, criticizing him at every turn.

Russ is a good-natured, harmless, and overweight student who is generally well-liked by his peers. He inadvertently becomes a target for Mick's sudden, uncharacteristic aggression in the hallway, later showing grace by accepting an apology.

Nolan is a football player and originally one of Drager's friends. He initially resents Mick's rapid ascent on the team but later distances himself from Drager after witnessing his excessive bullying tactics.

Ben Braun is Mike Johnson's boss at the local radio station. He frequently refers to Mike as "Mr. Third-Rounder," a nickname that inadvertently prompts Mick to investigate his father's actual professional football history.