In the 1970s, James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, a 23-year-old
intellectually disabled man, lives alone with his mother, who, as a nurse, spends much of the day at work. Radio spends much of his day roaming the town and pushing a
shopping cart, which he uses to collect anything interesting he finds. Radio often pauses to observe the local high school football team, led by Coach Harold Jones, in its training sessions. During one such session, the football falls out of bounds, which allows Radio to collect it and haul it away in his cart. A group of players retaliate the following day by tying Radio's hands and feet, locking him in the gear shed, and throwing footballs at the door to scare him. Jones frees Radio and punishes the wrongdoers by making them run extra wind sprints after practice. Jones takes it upon himself to assist in Radio's care and gives him his nickname because of his penchant for listening to the radio. Radio begins assisting Coach Jones on the football team and inspires the team before each game as a mascot-type figure. Radio's increased attention from Jones is faced with resistance from the football team's parents, who see Radio as a distraction from their own sons' successes. Upon the end of the football season, Jones involves Radio with several activities within the high school and winds up neglecting his daughter, Mary Helen, who is a member of the high school's cheerleading squad. At a
Christmas Mass, Radio receives several gifts from the townspeople. Mary Helen confides to her father that while she does not blame him for neglecting her, she cannot understand the reason for his interest in Radio. The following day, Radio distributes the gifts around town. He soon encounters a suspicious police officer, and his impaired ability to communicate leads to his arrest on the charge of possessing stolen property. However, the other officers recognize Radio, who is released. To make up for the
wrongful arrest, the arresting officer is forced to ferry Radio around town to finish delivering the gifts. After the holidays, Radio begins taking classes in the high school to complete his formal education while also helping Jones's assistant Coach Honeycutt with the basketball team. Star athlete Johnny, one of the football players who had tormented him, tricks Radio into entering the girls' locker room after a practice. Radio is reluctant to tell Coach Jones who set him up, but Jones interviews other players and discovers him. Jones punishes Johnny by benching him for a decisive basketball game, although he soon after apologizes and starts treating Radio better. Radio's mother suddenly dies of a
heart attack, and Radio finds himself living alone until his absent older brother, Walter, finally returns to take care of him. The same evening, Jones reveals to Mary Helen that his attachment to Radio and need to assist him stem from a childhood incident in which Jones, as a child making a living off delivering newspapers, did not help a mentally-disabled boy his own age, who was crying behind barbed wire. Following the death of Radio's mother, pressure from the school board to have Radio put in a specialized institution strengthens. The association between Radio and Jones is blamed also for the team's inability to win. In a meeting with the townspeople, Jones speaks of Radio being a blessing for the community by showing how people should treat one another, and he announces his resignation as head coach so that he can spend more time with his family. At Radio's high school graduation, he receives an
honorary diploma and a
letterman jacket. The film ends with clips being shown of the real-life Radio and Coach Jones leading the football team. ==Cast==