Have you ever thought, if I only had a second chance? In Autumn Soul Danny O'Donnell pursues a secret quest to reverse his greatest regret and reunite with the son he abandoned twenty years before. Call it The Natural meets Field of Dreams.

The only child of Jack O'Donnell, a widower and tough working class Irishman, Danny and his father are tight, sharing an inseparable bond cemented by a mutual love of football and Irish poetry. At a party celebrating Danny's football scholarship to Ohio State University, Jack is killed in a bar room brawl and Danny retaliates, accidentally killing Jack's murderer. While in jail Danny learns his sixteen year old girlfriend is pregnant and when he's wrongfully convicted of second degree murder, he has to give up his infant son, Jason, for adoption. Danny must agree never to try to contact Jason. In short order Danny loses his father, his son, his future and his freedom.

Twenty years later the iron gates swing open. Danny walks free, debt paid. He burns to find his son. With the help of Anthony (his childhood friend and Jason's uncle) Danny locates Jason living a sheltered life on a middle Tennessee horse farm. Danny hires on as a part time stable hand working for Amelia, Jason's divorced adoptive mother, and lives in hired hand quarters in the stables. Amelia is stunning, regal and engaged to Lair, a professor at the local college where she teaches.

Jason is handsome and talented. He is also egotistical, self absorbed and spoiled. Danny knows Jason is heading for a life of trouble and is compelled to become involved in Jason's life. Hence his dilemma, how to become a father without Jason or Amelia knowing who he really is?

Danny enrolls in the local college and he takes classes from Amelia. Danny renews his sports career (he had stayed in shape playing for the warden's showcase prison football team). Danny chooses the one tool available to him, he competes against Jason to be the team's quarterback, a thirty-eight year old freshman quarterback.

Amelia falls for Danny, the mysterious drifter/poet. Twice before scorned in love, she demands Danny promise never to betray her. It's a promise his heart gleefully makes, even while his mind knows he breaks it the instant it is made. He has lied about who he is and can not now tell her the truth.

Jason is protective of his mother and bristles at Danny's invasion into Jason's domain. Jason and Danny repeatedly clash, both on and off the football field. Over time Jason comes to begrudgingly respect, then even admire, Danny.

Danny's dreams are dashed once again when Lair discovers Danny's true identity and blackmails him into leaving. Danny retreats without telling Jason or Amelia the truth. Jason is convinced his original suspicions have been proven true.

His life shattered for a second time, and after some soul-searching reflection, Danny decides to fight for the love of his son. With Anthony's help, Danny returns, leads the team to triumph in the championship game and battles for the love of both Jason and Amelia.