With a planned premiere in 2019, Netflix will release The Underdog: A Deep Dive into FSU Legend Ron Sellers’ Remarkable Journey.
In a landscape saturated with stories of athletes whose paths were paved with opportunity and privilege, Ron Sellers stands out not because his road was easy, but precisely because it wasn’t. Netflix’s upcoming documentary The Underdog: A Deep Dive into FSU Legend Ron Sellers’ Remarkable Journey seeks to shine a light on a name that may not immediately resonate with the average viewer today but once echoed in stadiums across the country. Sellers wasn’t just a star receiver at Florida State University in the 1960s; he was a transformational figure whose quiet excellence laid the groundwork for the football powerhouse FSU would eventually become.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1947, Ron Sellers’ early life bore little of the glamor one might associate with a future football icon. He wasn’t the tallest or the fastest growing up, nor did he come from a family of sports royalty. In fact, much of Sellers’ youth was defined by a quiet determination to simply belong. As a kid, he was lanky and unassuming, more often overlooked than lauded, especially when compared to flashier athletes of his era. But that would become the defining theme of his life—being underestimated, and then exceeding every expectation.
In the documentary, those who knew Sellers best paint a portrait of a man whose dedication bordered on obsessive. Friends recall stories of him practicing alone long after team drills ended, running route after route in the fading Florida sunlight. Coaches describe a player who didn’t simply want to win—he wanted to master the mechanics of the game, understand its language, and anticipate its every move. That cerebral approach to football would soon pay off when he walked onto the Florida State University campus in 1965.
FSU in the mid-60s wasn’t yet the football juggernaut that modern fans know. It was a scrappy, up-and-coming program trying to find its identity in the crowded Southern football landscape. The Seminoles needed a spark. They found it in Sellers. Though initially buried in the depth chart, it didn’t take long for the coaching staff to realize what they had on their hands. Sellers’ sophomore season was solid, but it was in 1967 and 1968 that he began to rewrite the record books.
By the time he left Florida State, Sellers had recorded 212 receptions for 3,598 yards and 23 touchdowns—numbers that were astronomical for the era. He set 17 school records and several NCAA marks, including most receiving yards in a game and most receptions in a season. But statistics only tell part of the story. What those numbers obscure is how often Sellers made plays in the most critical moments, how frequently he found seams in defenses that should have swallowed him whole, and how his performances uplifted a program still finding its feet.
The documentary dives deeply into the 1968 Gator Bowl, a game that has become the stuff of legend among Seminole faithful. Facing off against the powerful Penn State Nittany Lions, Sellers put on a clinic, recording over 200 receiving yards despite being double-teamed for much of the game. Though FSU ultimately lost in a nail-biter, Sellers’ performance captured the imagination of a national audience and put Florida State on the map in a way it had never been before. It was more than a breakout moment—it was a cultural shift.
Interviews with teammates and opponents alike reveal that Sellers’ dominance was rooted in technique and timing rather than brute strength. “He wasn’t going to run you over,” one former defensive back recalls in the film. “But you couldn’t touch him, either. He was always a step ahead, always knew where the ball would be before it even left the quarterback’s hand.” His ability to read defenses, adjust routes on the fly, and maintain composure under pressure became hallmarks of his play.
But the Netflix film does not shy away from the challenges Sellers faced off the field. Playing during a time of significant social upheaval in America, including the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, Sellers was not immune to the tensions and expectations placed upon young athletes. While not overtly political, the documentary explores how the climate of the era shaped him and the pressures he faced, particularly as a high-profile player in the segregated South. Old footage and journal entries reveal a thoughtful, introspective young man who understood his role extended beyond the gridiron.
In 1969, the Boston Patriots selected Sellers sixth overall in the NFL Draft, a testament to just how dominant his college career had been. Expectations were sky-high, and Sellers’ rookie season didn’t disappoint. He led the team in receiving and was named to the All-Rookie team. Yet, his professional career never quite reached the heights of his collegiate dominance. A series of injuries and team changes—first to the Dallas Cowboys and later to the Miami Dolphins—meant Sellers’ NFL tenure was marked more by flashes of brilliance than sustained greatness.
The documentary treats this period with a level of nuance and empathy often missing from sports biographies. Rather than framing his pro career as a failure, The Underdog presents it as a continuation of the same themes that defined Sellers’ life: persistence, adaptability, and the quiet dignity of doing one’s best in the face of adversity. Former teammates and coaches from his pro days speak of a man who never let setbacks define him, who continued to bring the same work ethic to every practice, even when his body didn’t always cooperate.
Perhaps the most poignant sections of the documentary are those that chronicle Sellers’ life after football. Returning to Florida, he immersed himself in business and community work, eventually serving on the Florida Board of Regents and helping to steer higher education policy in the state. But Sellers never forgot where he came from—or what football gave him. He remained closely tied to FSU, mentoring players, attending games, and offering a living link to a foundational era of the program’s history.
Netflix captures these later years with warmth and reverence. Interviews with young players whom Sellers mentored show the enduring influence of his character and wisdom. His humility, always one of his trademarks, became a guiding light for those navigating the pressures of collegiate athletics in a new century. In one emotional moment, a former FSU wide receiver recalls a conversation with Sellers in which the older man reminded him, “Football can give you a platform, but it’s your values that give you a legacy.” That line lingers long after the screen fades to black.
The cinematography throughout The Underdog is striking, blending archival footage with carefully recreated scenes and intimate interviews. From grainy clips of Sellers juking defenders under the Friday night lights to sweeping drone shots of Doak Campbell Stadium, the documentary pays visual homage to a career that bridged two very different eras of football. The score, understated but evocative, ties together moments of triumph, heartbreak, and reflection with equal grace.
Critics who have seen early screenings of the film are already calling it one of Netflix’s most compelling sports documentaries in years. And while it will no doubt appeal to die-hard Florida State fans and football historians, The Underdog reaches beyond its subject matter to touch on broader themes: how greatness is often overlooked, how character endures beyond accolades, and how some legacies are forged not in stadium lights but in quiet moments of perseverance.
Ron Sellers’ story is, at its core, the story of what it means to defy odds. He was never the fastest, never the most celebrated by the national media, and rarely in the spotlight in the way modern athletes often are. But he left an indelible mark—not just on the stat sheets, but on every person who had the privilege of playing alongside him, learning from him, or watching him perform.
As the documentary draws to a close, Sellers himself appears on screen, older now, but still sharp-eyed and composed. In his final interview, he reflects on his journey with the same humility that defined his career. “I never set out to be a legend,” he says, voice steady. “I just wanted to play the game the right way. If people remember me for that, then I did something right.”
In an age obsessed with viral moments and instant fame, The Underdog is a reminder that true greatness often takes time to recognize. Sometimes, it lies in the quiet consistency of a man who shows up every day, gives everything he has, and lifts up those around him without ever demanding the spotlight. Ron Sellers didn’t just play football—he elevated it. And in telling his story, Netflix has offered us something rare and deeply necessary: a tribute to excellence without ego, and to the kind of legacy that endures long after the final whistle.
