UBC News

Cocaine Quarterback: How Owen Hanson Went From USC Footballer To Cartel Kingpin

Episode Summary

Ever wondered what happens when ambition turns criminal? "Cocaine Quarterback: Signal Caller for the Cartel" follows USC football player Owen Hanson as he rises from athlete to cartel kingpin—only to watch his empire collapse under federal investigation. Learn more: https://owen-hanson.com/cocaine-quarterback

Episode Notes

Let's talk about one of the wildest true crime stories hitting screens this year.

Owen Hanson. Redondo Beach kid. Walk-on football player at USC. On paper? Just another guy chasing a shot at the big leagues. But off the field? He was building something else entirely. A multimillion-dollar gambling and drug empire that would eventually stretch across borders, pull in athletes and celebrities, and catch the attention of federal investigators.

That's the story behind "Cocaine Quarterback: Signal Caller for the Cartel." It drops September 25, exclusively on Prime Video, streaming in over 240 countries and territories.

This isn't your typical crime documentary. You're not just watching mugshots and headlines stitched together. You're getting rare FBI evidence, exclusive interviews, and firsthand accounts that show exactly how discipline on the field morphed into strategy in the underworld.

And what makes it different? The producers — Mark Wahlberg's Unrealistic Ideas — didn't just set out to tell a crime story. They wanted to show the human cost of ambition when it spins out of control. No glorification, no cheap drama. Just the adrenaline, the choices, and the fallout.

Each of the three episodes takes you through a different chapter. The first: Hanson as the promising athlete. The second: his transformation into "O-Dog," the architect of an underground empire. And the third: his collision course with federal agents that brought it all down.

Early reactions are already rolling in. One reviewer said, "I thought I was just putting something on in the background. Thirty seconds in, I was locked. This isn't some glamorized kingpin story. It's disturbing, smart, brutal, and somehow still human."

And that's the point. It's not just about the rise and fall — it's about what happens after. Today, Hanson is focused on redemption: running the "No Excuses Course & Community," launching "California Ice Protein," and writing his memoir, "The California Kid."

So if you're into true crime, cautionary tales, or stories that show how far someone can fall — and how they try to climb back — this is one you don't want to miss.

"Cocaine Quarterback: Signal Caller for the Cartel" premieres September 25 on Prime Video. Mark your calendars, and if you want to dig deeper right now, just click on the link in the description. Owen Hanson City: Los Angeles Address: 11845 W Olympic Blvd Website: https://owen-hanson.com