The experiences of the young "Peter Martin" struggling for success on the high school football team are largely those of Jack Kerouac (he returns to the subject again in his last work Vanity of Duluoz, published in 1968).
Den unge "Peter Martins" kamp for at opnå succes inden for universitetsfodbold svarer stort set til Jack Kerouacs egen – han vender senere tilbage til emnet i sit sidste værk, Vanity of Duluoz udgivet i 1968).