Nate is a thirteen-year-old quarterback for the Valley eighth-grade football team, nicknamed "Brady" for his throwing precision. He relies on football as his safe harbor while he faces stressful changes at home, including his family's financial struggles and his best friend's failing eyesight. He recently won a chance to make a promotional throw at a Patriots game for a large sum of money.

Abby is Nate's longtime best friend and neighbor. She is a talented artist who is rapidly losing her eyesight to retinitis pigmentosa. Despite her frightening diagnosis, she maintains an optimistic attitude and acts as Nate's biggest supporter at his games.

Nate's mother is a supportive presence who tries to shield him from the harsh realities of their financial decline. Formerly a stay-at-home parent, she takes on extra work as a waitress at the Grille to help keep the family afloat.

Nate's father is a former real estate agent whose recent job loss forces him to work multiple jobs to avoid losing the family home. He loves his son and normally bonds with him over football and the New England Patriots, but severe financial stress makes him increasingly irritable.

Coach Rivers is the head coach of the Valley eighth-grade football team. As a former football player himself, he relates easily to the boys and uses sports terminology to teach them life lessons about effort and teamwork.

Tom Brady is the star quarterback for the New England Patriots. In Nate's life, he represents the ultimate success story of an underdog who survived hardship and injury to achieve greatness.

Malcolm is one of Nate's close friends and a teammate on the Valley eighth-grade football team. He tries to keep Nate's spirits up when the quarterback's throwing abilities begin to falter.

Pete is another of Nate's friends and teammates. He is highly impressed by Nate's sudden local fame after winning the contest drawing, viewing a spot on SportsCenter as the ultimate achievement.

Eric is the backup quarterback for the Valley football team. When Nate loses his throwing precision, Eric steps into the starting role and performs well under pressure.

Assistant Coach Hanratty works alongside Coach Rivers to manage the Valley eighth-grade football team. He helps run the players through their extensive seventy-five-play playbook during practice.

Doug Compton is an employee for SportStuff. He manages the logistics and scheduling of the promotional million-dollar throw contest at Gillette Stadium.

LaDell is a football player and teammate of Nate on the Valley squad. He supports the team's efforts on the field alongside the rest of the players.