Prime Video is set to release one of the more improbable true-crime sagas in sports history with "Cocaine Quarterback", a new three-part docuseries centered on former USC quarterback Owen Hanson. The project, which is produced by Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas, will premiere on September 25 and chronicles Hanson’s journey from walk-on athlete for the Trojans to international drug trafficker. The trailer was released this week.
Hanson’s story unfolds cinematically, tracing his early years as a Redondo Beach native before making USC’s football roster in the glory days of the early 2000s. Though he never rose to stardom on the field, he found his name in notoriety off it. First as a campus drug dealer and later as the architect of a sprawling illegal sports betting and narcotics network. At the height of his operation, Hanson counted professional athletes and Hollywood figures among his clients.
The series draws from firsthand accounts, archival material, and dramatizations to frame Hanson’s path. Prime Video describes it as a cautionary tale, steeped in “dangerous debt, absurd criminal mishap, and thrilling FBI investigation.
The arc took a decisive turn in 2015 when Hanson was arrested as part of an FBI sting. Two years later, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to run a drug trafficking, gambling, and money laundering enterprise spanning the U.S., Latin America, and Australia. Hanson received a 21-year sentence and a $5 million forfeiture order. According to the FBI, 21 associates also pleaded guilty in connection with the case.
Hanson ultimately served nine years before his release in March 2024. He spent three months in a halfway house and remains on supervised parole.
Known as “O-Dog” during his prime, Hanson once staged Super Bowl parties in Las Vegas where celebrity wagers and excessive indulgence defined the scene. He later recounted those moments in his memoir "The California Kid."
Today, his lifestyle is a stark contrast. At its core, the series explores how a one time USC quarterback with humble beginnings spiraled into a world of power, excess, and ultimate downfall.
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