It was the biggest story in college football in 2023, and a name known to very few people, Connor Stalions, became infamous nearly overnight.
The former Michigan football staffer who was responsible for stealing signs for the Wolverines was suddenly thrust into the limelight, accused of a scheme of sending people to games to videotape opposing teams’ signals.
And now, he tells his side of the story for the first time.
As part of its ‘Untold’ series, Netflix released ‘Sign Stealer’ on Tuesday, an 87-minute documentary on the saga that’s embattled Stalions and Michigan since Oct. 2023.
A synopsis of ‘Sign Stealer’ was provided by Netflix:
In an exclusive interview, Connor Stalions sits down to tell his side of the story for the first time since the alleged Michigan sign-stealing scandal rocked college football in October 2023. Stalions, who developed a database of thousands of signals, put his so-called “signal-deciphering” skills to use while working as an analyst for Michigan. As football fanatics and online sleuths noticed his constant presence on the sidelines as the Wolverines racked up win after win, a growing chorus called foul play — despite sign stealing being completely legal under NCAA rules. Though Stalions resigned from the team after they surged to an 8-0 start, the media scrutiny only intensified from there. Eventually the Big Ten Conference suspended then-head coach Jim Harbaugh for the final games of the season, Michigan fired a top athletic booster, and the NCAA opened an official investigation into the alleged scheme. Diving into this recent saga, UNTOLD: Sign Stealer drives home key questions: was Stalions simply the best to ever do it, or a cheater? Should the Wolverine’s 2024 National Championship have an asterisk next to it? And how trustworthy are the institutions that govern American collegiate sports?
If you want to check out the documentary, here is how you can watch it.
You’ll need a Netflix account in order to view ‘Sign Stealer,’ as it is streaming exclusively on the platform.
Once you have a Netflix account, you can watch ‘Sign Stealer’ here. It is available to stream via its website or on the Netflix app, on your mobile device or on your TV.
Michigan was issued the notice of allegations from the NCAA regarding Stalions’ alleged actions on Sunday and now has 90 days to respond. Stalions’ lawyers responded swiftly, calling the investigation an action meant to ‘besmirch’ former head coach Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions.