Paper Lion is a 1968 sports comedy film starring Alan Alda as writer George Plimpton, based on Plimpton's 1966 nonfiction book of the same name depicting his tryout with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. The film premiered in Detroit on October 2, 1968, and was released nationwide the week of October 14, 1968. Plot George Plimpton, a writer for Sports Illustrated, has been indulging in a variety of Walter Mitty-like whims and stunts, trying his hand at being a professional athlete (such as briefly pitching in an exhibition game against All-Star baseball players or boxing a round with Sugar Ray Robinson), then writing about the experience. During a game of touch football, his editor gets an idea that Plimpton should try going to a professional football team's training camp as a player. A number of teams say no, but the Detroit Lions agree. Plimpton attempts at first to disguise the fact that he's a total amateur, but soon Lions players can see the truth for themselves. He is unwelcome to some who resent the intrusion, but a star player, Alex Karras, intervenes on his behalf. In practice, Plimpton demonstrates his ineptitude and gets knocked around. But he's a good sport about it and never complains, which most of his new teammates seem to appreciate. At one point George scores a touchdown in practice and is pleased with himself, until catching the other Lions laughing because they had deliberately let him score. With a relatively meaningless pre-season exhibition game scheduled against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Lions' head coach, Joe Schmidt, decides to let George play quarterback for one series of downs. The players do their best but so do the opponents—George is sacked for losses, does very little right and even runs into a goal post, knocking himself cold. Film from the September 8, 1967 preseason game between the Lions and Cardinals is used. But at least he gets a good story out of it, which he goes back to New York City to write. Differences from book There are major differences between the book and the film, mostly attributable to the producers moving the time period up to 1967. Despite the late 1968 release, its filming features the 1967 Lions—and does not attempt to re-create the time period of the book, which is 1963. Joe Schmidt, still an active player in 1963, is the Lions' head