Is ‘All American’ Based on a True Story?

If you haven’t caught up on All American  yet, now’s the time to hunker down and start a Netflix marathon, because The CW‘s teen sports drama is finally back with new episodes. The hit series, which follows high school football star Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) and his transition to Beverly Hills High, returned for Season 3 on Monday, and we’re already eagerly waiting for next week’s episode.

Ever since it first premiered in 2018, All American has been winning over viewers with its captivating story and engrossing drama, not to mention Ezra’s star turn as Spencer James, who’s praised by Decider’s Joel Keller as “one of the more fully-realized lead characters we’ve seen in any high school-sports-related series.”

But is the high school sports tale we see on the screen the real deal? Here’s what you need to know about the characters and the story behind All American.

IS ALL AMERICAN BASED ON A TRUE STORY?

The story of All American‘s Spencer James is partially based on the real life of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, according to ESPN. “The drama series uses fictional names and takes some creative liberties, but it stands as a direct snapshot to the juxtaposition of Paysinger’s adolescence — a star athlete from a rough neighborhood in South Central L.A. who played high school football in the affluence of Beverly Hills and didn’t seem to fit in either place,” ESPN explains.

The real Spencer Paysinger went on to play for teams like the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants, but before he was a big NFL star, Paysinger was a student at Beverly Hills High School. According to Men’s Health, All American‘s story of Spencer’s recruitment by Coach Baker (Taye Diggs) to Beverly Hills isn’t so true to life. While Spencer had to move in with his coach to attend the school on All American, in reality, Paysinger had plenty of family connections to his high school, and the weight room is even named after his family.

Still, All American makes an effort to stay true to Paysinger’s story. The athlete even brought Ezra and Diggs around his neighborhood so they could get a more authentic feel for his life growing up and better inform their All American characters.

“I wanted to tell the story of, ‘We’re a lot more similar on these different sides of the track than you guys think,'” Paysinger told ESPN. “Being from South Central, and knowing how South Central is portrayed in Hollywood as this desolate area with gang violence, drugs, everything — they have to realize that the sun shines there as long as it shines in Beverly Hills. The one thing I want the viewers to see is South Central is also a beautiful place. It’s a wonderful place. It’s a place that I call home to this day. I think we’ve been able to do that.”

WHERE IS SPENCER PAYSINGER NOW?

While Paysinger’s NFL days are over, he’s still keeping busy. The former pro athlete is currently a consulting producer on All American, but also owns a coffee shop he opened in his neighborhood, Hilltop Café, and helps run Afterball LLC, an investment fund that helps retired football players plan their next steps in life after leaving their sports careers. But according to ESPN, Pasinger has always had a deep love for screenwriting, and hopes to continue working in the industry. “I don’t want this to be one shot,” Paysinger told ESPN. “I don’t want this to be, ‘Hey, you’re the guy who had that one show. What are you doing now?’ I want it to be a career.”

HOW TO WATCH ALL AMERICAN SEASON 3:

All American returned for Season 3 earlier this week, but if you didn’t catch the premiere live, you’ve still got plenty of time to watch before next Monday’s episode. All American is now streaming on The CW App and CW.com, with new episodes available to watch for free the morning after they first air on TV. You can also watch All American when it lands on Netflix, or find it through platforms like Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV, and more. For more info, check our our guide on where to watch All American.

Where to watch All American