Looking for a quick true crime binge that stands out from the typical murder dramas?
The Watch With Us team has a recommendation for you. Prime Video released Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel, a three-episode docuseries about convicted drug trafficker Owen Hanson’s rise from USC college football champion to smuggling for one of the world’s most dangerous cartels.
Produced by Mark Wahlberg, this over-the-top docuseries unveils the way USC’s football benchwarmer was hiding a sinister secret in plain sight.
Find out why you need to watch Cocaine Quarterback right now.
It’s a Fascinating Intersection of Sports and True Crime
True crime and sports documentary fans don’t always overlap, but this show makes a strong case that they should. Hanson started with huge promise — he was the only member of the USC football team to walk on, rather than be recruited, in 2004. But he mostly ended up warming the bench at USC — and supplying drugs to teammates who needed to play through injuries.
After graduating, Hanson was recruited by the infamous Sinaloa cartel — and while Cocaine Quarterback follows Hanson’s drug dealing career well beyond the football field, it makes it clear how his time on the team, where he was known as a “hustler” and a “team player,” set him up for this life of crime after his hopes of becoming a real estate agent were crushed by the 2008 recession.
It’s a wild reminder that some of the most compelling sports stories don’t end with a championship ring.
Ten years ago, Sneaky Pete was one of the first Amazon Prime Video original series. Now, Sneaky Pete is streaming on Netflix, and new viewers are discovering the joys of watching Giovanni Ribisi in the title role. Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston cocreated this series about a con artist, Marius Josipović (Ribisi), who steals the identity […]
It’s a Real-Life ‘Breaking Bad’ Story
Promotional image of Owen Hanson from ‘Cocaine Quarterback’ Amazon Prime Video
For fans of Breaking Bad, Cocaine Quarterback hits some of the same tropes — a down-on-his-luck man with a dangerous ego ends up becoming a drug kingpin before falling from grace and landing in the crosshairs of the cartel. While this is a documentary instead of a scripted series, it echoes Walter White’s journey with shocking and ironic twists as well as larger-than-life characters.
If you love compelling crime drama but haven’t historically been a big documentary watcher, Cocaine Quarterback could be your perfect entry point.
It’s all quiet on the streaming front over at Prime Video, where the streamer’s most popular movies and TV shows from last week remain largely unchanged. The Terminal List: Dark Wolf and The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 still rule the roost, but there are two new entries this week that could challenge them. […]
The Characters Are Memorable and Larger Than Life
Owen Hanson in ‘Cocaine Quarterback’ Amazon Prime Video
From Hanson’s former teammates who recall his charm and recklessness, to law enforcement officers who still can’t believe the scale of his operation, the interviews are as colorful as any scripted series. The series leans into the absurdity of characters like Hanson and his rivals — people like Robert “Robin Hood 702” Cipriani, a professional gambler with whom Hanson shared a lengthy feud.
Hanson himself comes across as equal parts frat boy, criminal mastermind and tragic cautionary tale. Even the prosecutors, private investigators and cartel associates interviewed have moments of dark humor that keep the pacing sharp. (One Australian reporter who investigated a mess Hanson landed in overseas flatly called him a “stupid idiot.”)
In August 2025, Netflix has been a little light on premiering new true crime series — so that’s given the Watch With Us team the opportunity to travel back in time and highlight some of the best shows from recent years. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. […]
It’s the kind of documentary where the real people feel stranger — and more fascinating — than fiction.
For a wild ride of football, drugs and egos, check out Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel on Amazon Prime Video.
