Football Books

Good, even handed account of what life is like as a walk-on football player. One TV color announcer calls walk-ons "the finest pepople in the world" and you get a sense of that. Kennedy is a dedicated hard working guy by all accounts and he goes through the ups and downs. Interesting with the backdrop of the University of Wisconsin Badgers rise from doormat to contender to winner of the Big 10 title and under dog Rose Bowl victor.

Forgetting that I am a Badger Fan, this is a terrific sports book. Besides being well written and entertaining, the story is fascinating.A young man goes to college, walks on a Big Ten team, stays for four years, and basically never plays! Why? That is the crux of the story and why I reccommend this book.

I just finished reading "No bed of Roses" and found it thoroughly entertaining. As a fan, I attended many of the games in Mr. Kennedy's career during the rebirth of Badger Football and it was fun to relive that period from a totally different perspective. The authors dedication and perseverence to the program during that time need to be applauded. I think this should be required reading for incoming student athletes, walk-ons and scholorship athletes alike, regardless of the sport. If you could fill a team with Chris Kennedys, you may never lose a game.

"No Bed Of Roses: My Sideline View Of The Wisconsin Badgers' Return To Greatness" is the extraordinary memoir of Chris Kennedy, whose four years with the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team saw the evolution from mediocrity to Rose Bowl glory under the legendary college football coach Barry Alvarez. Kennedy candidly shares his behind-the-scenes accounts of his thrills and frustrations as a college athlete. A unique and fascinating perspective rarely available to Badger team fans, "No Bed Of Roses" is as informative as it is entertaining -- and very highly recommended for personal reading lists and every Wisconsin community library collection.

This book changed my entire opinion about a topic I thought I knew: the Rogers family. They had been the greatest family of athletes that I had ever seen. But they seemed to give it all away. I understand that, ultimately, they are responsible for their decisions, but what an amazing and complex story! I read this book in one setting. One. It was absolutely great.

One of the most compelling books I've ever read. I couldn't put it down.

Mark Pearlman San Ramon, CA

The life and times of the Rogers' family is a cautionary tale for anyone
who has had a lapse in judgement and lived to tell about it.
Mr. Harveys attention to detail, excellent research and a smooth-flowing
narrative gives you much to reflect upon.
"One Moment Changes Everything" was a very satisfying read.
Looking forward to the author's next book.

"One Moment Changes Everything" is one of those books you can't put down. Sean Harvey has written the story of the Rogers family in a way that touches everyone, sports fan or not. The decision Don Rogers made that evening before his wedding has proven that even the decisions we make in our seemingly private moments, can have far reaching effects beyond our own lives. Mr. Harvey, through obvious painstaking research, manages to paint the Rogers family in a good light. This even when anyone familiar with the family's tragic past and present might cast them in dark shadows. I feel for the family, and that is because of this book. "One Moment Changes Everything" pulled emotion out of me, the sign of an excellent book. Buy it and read it! You will be glad you did.

Paul Brown was a winner everywhere he coached - Massilon Washington High School, Ohio State, Great Lakes Naval Station, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals - and brought a professionalism to pro coaching that spawned a generation of successful head coaches from the ranks of former players and assistant coaches, including Bill Walsh, Chuck Noll, Weeb Ewbank and Ara Parseghian.

With co-author and Browns historian Jack Clary, Brown tackles his lifetime in the game like a fullback looking to dish out some punishment for a few extra yards; this is not the typical sports biography which runs away from controversy or becomes a bitter payback for perceived slights over the years.

Brown is as honest and forthright in print as he was in life. This is why the book - published in January 1979 - remains a fantastic read and should be a required text for coaches and players from the high-school level to the pros.

this book is the bible for all NFL Coaches, it's amazing that more people dont know how great of a legend coach Paul Brown was.
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL NFL PLAYERS,FANS,COACHES!!

Biographies, especially autobiographies, are not my cup of tea. Generally, they are filled with events through the subject's eyes, which are rarely accurate. That isn't the case with this book as much as you'd think it was. Brown gives the honest truth much of the time, probably because his ego outweighs his fear of repercussion.

Even the "when I was growing up" chapters are quite interesting, which is a rarity as well. Overall, this book is a pleasure to read (for an autobiography), and is filled with information that any Browns or Bengals fan needs to hold an intelligent conversation about the great coach.

PB could be easily be about a Victorian entrepreneur as a football coach...the moralising can be off putting. But war, that is to say football, has number of contradictions. Perhaps Paul Brown was dry, but his introversion yielded some amazing insights. Specifically, he learned, by critical self-examination, how to put himself in a position to build the best possible organization.

His success in High School, college, and then finally professional football in cleveland is without equal.

Any reader with some interest in football will be amazed by the genius of paul brown. His innovations, such as grading intelligence of players and the creation of the playbook playbook attracted legends like bill walsh, chuck knoll, and don shula to his staff.

PB is for any fan of the greatest sport, and anyone who wants to know how to win consistently.

AWESOME book. You have to read it. Fun- worth the price.

Big Ben: 27-4 as a starter (2004-2005 seasons)---only losses (3 of which were injury-related): Patriots, 2004 AFC Championship game (if Plax holds on to sure TD pass, we are only down 7 with about 7+ minutes to go in that game; Ben did some good things and was battling thumb and toe injuries) and also in 2005 (if Randle El doesn't get `cute' and lateral that pass to Ward, we probably win; again, Ben did some good things), as well as the Bengals in 2005 (Ben has beaten Carson Palmer's Bengals 3 times: twice in 2004 and big-time in the AFC Wild-Card game in 2005; Ben had 3 TD passes in this lone defeat and was battling a thumb injury) and Indy in 2005 (as we know, he got revenge in the AFC Divisional Playoff game; Ben threw a TD pass to Ward in this Monday night defeat and was coming off an injury-induced layoff).

Ben's FIRST NFL game: 2004 Pre-season at Ford Field vs. the Lions...last game of 2005 season: 2/5/06 at FORD FIELD, SUPER BOWL XL VICTORY!!!


So Ben didn't play a superb game in Super Bowl XL and there was some controversy...

--Super Bowl IX, 1/12/75: Steelers win 16-6 over the Vikings---Future Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw is only 9 for 14 for 96 yards...BEN WAS 9 FOR 21 FOR 123 YARDS...Bradshaw threw a lone TD...BEN RAN FOR A LONE TD... Future Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton's numbers were putrid: 11 for 26 for 102 yards, 3 interceptions, NO TD's! We were only winning 2-0 going into the third quarter (on a safety); a boring game. The Steelers wore their white shirts and Terry had a beard (the other 3 Super Bowls: black-and-gold shirts, Terry clean shaven)...WE WORE OUR WHITE SHIRTS IN XL AND BEN HAD A BEARD...the game turned on a VERY controversial "fumble-that-wasn't" by the Steelers Larry Brown: the Steelers left the field dejected, the Vikings were in prime territory...then the officials ruled Brown was down before the ball came loose (no way!!!!!)...and the rest is history;

--Super Bowl X, 1/18/76: Steelers win 21-17 over the Cowboys---Future Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach almost pulled out another miracle comeback...Swann's great falling-to-the-ground acrobatic catch led to no points (!);

--Super Bowl XIII, 1/21/79: Steelers win 35-31 over the Cowboys---the Cowboys' Jackie Smith drops a SURE TD pass that would have tied the game AND our go-ahead TD was aided by a very controversial tripping penalty that cost Dallas 33 yards: Lynn Swann fell over Benny Barnes's ankles and, as Bradshaw has admitted, it shouldn't have been a flag...we were ahead 35-17 at one point...Staubach almost brought them back (35-31);

--GAME BEFORE SUPERBOWL XIV: AFC Championship game vs. the Oilers, 1/6/80: Steelers win 27-13---late in the third quarter, officials ruled that Oilers receiver Mike Renfro did not have possession of what appeared to be a game-tying TD (WRONG!!!! He was in bounds; bad, bad call)...and the rest is history...

---Super Bowl XIV, 1/20/80: Steelers win 31-19 over the Rams---Bradshaw threw 3 INTERCEPTIONS and we were losing for most of the game...until Lambert saved our butts by intercepting QB Vince Ferragamo's pass...and the rest is history
(Steelers in the 1970's: regular season---99-44-1; playoffs: 14-4)

NON-STEELER SUPER BOWL "LUCK"---
Super Bowl XXV, 1/27/91: Giants defeat Bills BECAUSE SCOTT NORWOOD BARELY MISSES A RELATIVELY EASY FIELD GOAL, one of the biggest blown plays ever!;
All 3 of the Patriots victories were by exactly 3 points...and the Eagles really blew it with poor clock management (sound familiar?)!;
Super Bowl XXXIV, 1/30/00: Rams defeat Titans, 23-16--- The Rams' Mike Jones tackled Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line as time expired. Dyson would have tied the game; Super Bowl V, 1/17/71: Colts beat Cowboys, 16-13, via a field goal... Dallas' Chuck Howley, who picked off two passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a losing team to be named MVP.



The Steelers have been in the Super Bowl in the 1970's. 1980's, 1990's, and in the new millennium (2000's)---
IX (1975), X (1976), XIII (1979), XIV (played in 1980), XXX (played in 1996), XL (2006)

Big Ben---ONLY QB to ever go to Championship game his first two years; youngest to win the Super Bowl (Steelers: first 6th seed to go/ win; only team to beat #1, #2, and #3 seeds on the road and win; three-way tie for most Super Bowl victories: 5, along with Dallas and San Francisco; tied for second with most Super Bowl appearances: 6, along with Denver [who have `only' won 2])...comparison to other Hall-of-Fame and/or outstanding QBs---
Jim Kelly: 0 for 4; never won a Super Bowl;
Fran Tarkenton: 0 for 4; never won a Super Bowl;
Dan Marino: 0 for 1; never won a Super Bowl;
Kenny Anderson: 0 for 1; never won a Super Bowl
Len Dawson: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Johnny Unitas: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Joe Theismann: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Brett Favre: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Kurt Warner: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Ken Stabler: won one Super Bowl
Joe Namath: won one Super Bowl;
Phil Simms: won one Super Bowl;
Steve Young: won one Super Bowl;
Also: John Elway: after FIFTEEN YEARS IN THE LEAGUE, won two...after losing 3 very badly!

BEST run in sports history (as confirmed by a Congressional resolution!): won 8 in a row---
Bears (who had an 8-game winning streak), Vikings on the road (who had a 6 game winning streak...and Cowher NEVER won in a dome stadium before!), Browns on the road, and Detroit on 1/1/06 (where, unbeknownst to us at the time, we were headed for 2/5/06!); Bengals on the road (#3 seed, previously beat us), Colts on the road (#1 seed, league's best record, heavily favored, dome stadium, previously beat us; the Fumble, the Tackle, and the Miss), Broncos on the road (#2 seed, favored, 10-0 at home)...and the #1 NFC seeded Seahawks "on the road" in another dome, Detroit's Ford Field (where Big Ben started his NFL career vs. the Lions in the 2004 pre-season!!!)

YOU HAVE TO GET THE TWO-DVD SET "STEELERS: THE COMPLETE HISTORY" (2005; NFL Films), 1933-2004 (too bad they didn't wait a year haha!)---the main feature is 2 hours and 20 minutes long and covers 1933 up to and including Beg Ben's 2004 season; incredible. All the `lean years' (1930's-1960's; 1980's) are covered, NOT just the "glory seasons"---Kordell, Brister, Malone, Stoudt, Hanratty, etc. etc. etc. The bonus feautures are awesome, ESPECIALLY the 45-minute Jerome Bettis special-VERY IRONIC!! You will see Tommy Maddox with the Bus when they were both Rams in 1995...excellent miked-on-the-field comments, often funny, by Bus, Ward, and Cowher...Jan. 2005 AFC lowlights, Hines Ward crying, Jerome's reaction, and the tantalizing hint that Super Bowl XL wil be played in Jerome's hometown of Detroit...which makes what they did in 2005/2006 VERY story book! Also: the Bill Cowher, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Myron Cope, Dick Hoak, and Bill Saul segments/ specials are very entertaining, as is the Super Bowl XIII feature..get this...as well as the SUPER BOWL XL DVD---2005 season highlights included, as well as the 2006 playoffs!

This book is a blast for anyone who is a Steelers fan. It is not just for trivia buffs. I love the stories, the photos and the puzzles are a hoot. And it is cheap!!

This is a great book and is very easy to read. I recommend it to anyone who loves to learn those little tidbits about the best football team ever.

Ed Bouchette wrote a terrific book.

Pedro

This book is great!! At first it was a bit overwhelming for me to read at a younger age with all of the information being spat out at you but I quickly got used to it and started using the techniques it talked about in the book...I would definitely recommend it to any soccer players who are serious about their game.

I think this book will be a very good tool. I am going to make all my players buy it and read it. And then we will discuss it... Definately worth it. I would recommend all soccer players read this book.

Playing out of your really teaches you to do just that. If you follow what this book says it will prepare you for the big time. By reading this book i have improved myself as well as my soccer game. This book opened my eyes to the larger sceme of things. This book is great for strikers, defenders, goalkeepers, as well as other sports all you have to do is change over the soccer terms to what ever sport your appllying it to. I definantly reccomend this book to you.

Playing out of your really teaches you to do just that. If you follow what this book says it will prepare you for the big time. By reading this book i have improved myself as well as my soccer game. This book opened my eyes to the larger sceme of things. This book is great for strikers, defenders, goalkeepers, as well as other sports all you have to do is change over the soccer terms to what ever sport your appllying it to. I definantly reccomend this book to you.

Was captivated by the level of soccer knowledge from years of experience in playing and coaching by the author.

A well-written and insightful look into the game of soccer. If you're a fan of the game then you need to read this book. Author and Coach Michael Parker's knowledge of soccer explains why he is one of the winningest coaches in the collegiate game. A must read for the soccer enthusiast!

This is a wonderful book and extremely interesting. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in Soccer!!! I read it first and now my son is reading it. Great content and great tips that are helpful regardless of your age!!!!!!

This book not only is full ideas for a coach but also the athlete. Easy to follow directions and diagrams. Very helpful! Every soccer enthusiast would benefit from the information in this book, from nutrition to training and drills.

Perfect for the Aggie lover in your house. Awesome coffee table type book. Stunning pictures. Brings back memories.

The traditions at Texas A&M are unlike any other university in the nation. The Pride of Aggieland is a hardcover book, mixing excellent photograph and stories, taking you through the history and traditions of one of the most unique universities in the nation.

The book begins with with the changes in the mid-1960's that allowed Texas A&M to transform from a male-only military-based college to a full-fledged university . Previous to the mid-1960's, membership in the Aggie military corps was compulsory. The book makes it clear that this transition was controversial and opposed by many, then explains why the transition helped turn A&M into one of the top universities in the nation.

Football history is covered in the middle chapters of the book. A few things become clear here - Aggies love their football; they have had a good history, not a great one; and they love to beat the Longhorns more than anything on this earth. Aggie football greats are well-covered, from John David Crow, the Aggies only Heisman trophy winner to Dat Nguyen, the phenomenal linebacker in the 90's. The book doesn't pull punches when it comes to listing the failings regarding great coaches such such as Paul Bear Bryant and Jackie Sherrill. Both were involved in getting the Aggies placed on probation during their tenures at Texas A&M.

The history and tragedy of the 1999 Aggie bonfire in which 12 students were killed is covered in touching fashion as are the events at Texas A&M just after September 11, 2001. The book ends with an explanation of traditions which appear odd to outsiders, but are part of the biggest team-building exercise in the free world.

The Pride of Aggieland is a good coffee-table book for any Aggie alum who wants to reminisce, or have a 'show and tell' session. The layout of the book makes it easy to read, especially since there are many sidebar stories than can be read quickly.
The book does an excellent job of showing and explaining why the Aggies do what they do - good enough that they almost seem normal. (That's a joke, son - I've spent some time there myself.)

This is the book we Aggies deserve. It's got all the school's history, traditions and spirit. And lots of football. Tons of color photos. Lots of games and great seasons and stats. And bonfire, red white and blue out, and just about everything else. Written by an Aggie. It's fantastic!

Texas A&M is a school built on pride..from the freshman orientation to graduation school spirt is omnipresent. This a well written book on what makes the Aggies unique. The text is very interesting and the images are well executed. As a Texas Ex I always marveled at the sprit in Aggieland, I mean don't get me wrong I bleed burnt orange, but I do envey their spirit, we may own the overall football series, though in the last few decades it has been close to even, but we will never compete with Texas A&M's pride in their university and football program, they have spirit like no other.

for those people who want to know more about the 3-4 defense, this is a great place to start. this book does a good job at explaining everything from coverages to different position requirements.

From a personal note this book has a lot of fond memories as it was one of the first football books I bought when I was in high school. We don't run the 3-4 but many of the fundamentals we teach were heavily influenced by Coach McDaniels and this book. This book has plenty of endorsements including Lou Holtz and Lavell Edwards, I don't know of any other 3-4 books so this at worst a great starting point. Hard to see how you could do any better. Thanks Coach McDaniels!

Coach McDaniels "Rocks with this one!" I grew up with Mike and I can tell you... There is no other person that thinks,loves,and adds to the game the way he does. Mike loves football and he shows it everyday. He is always thinking about the "next play." Coach McDaniels can better anyone, I know because; He did that for me. The man is brilliant, the book is wonderful. Thanks Mike, Huff

This book shows how to implement almost every phase of the Pro 3-4 into your existing defense. Topics include: Strategic Adjustments; Defensive Stance, Alignment, Responsibilities, and Techniques for all defensive positions; Backfield Coverages; Blitz Packages; Defending Against Specific Offenses; and Developing a Defensive Game Plan. Lots of diagrams. Excellent book for coaches at any level.

This book is an excellent read, not only for the football history, but also for the context of the times. This paints a clear picture of what it was like in Stalinist Hungary after the war, and how even a man in a position of privilege could decide to leave. You don't need to be a football fan to appreciate this book, as it is an easy read, broken up into sections where other key figures are interviewed and offer their take on the same topics. Highly recommended.

This book depicts not only the life story of Ferenc Puskas who without any doubt should always be the member of the World Select, but the intrigues of the Communist system. I happen to personally know some of the participants named in the book, as I have lived In Hungary during the years of the Golden Squad! To have a team such as the Hungarian Select of the '50s may happen only once in a 100 years. The book, brings to life not only the achievements of the players but the intrigues of the totalitarian system that used such talents as Puskas & Co. to prove the superiority of the "Socialist Man".You don't need to be a "soccer" footbal fan to appreciate its true to life account of an era and its players gone by. The play-by-play reporting is outstanding. There was only one Puskas and this book immortalized him forever.It sure brought back the memories of the '52 Olympics, the "6:3" match in London and the thrill and the horrible end of the'54 World Cup... This book is a microcosm of man against the system and the system against the MAN...

This book depicts not only the life story of Ferenc Puskas who without any doubt should always be the member of the World Select, but the intrigues of the Communist system. I happen to personally know some of the participants named in the book, as I have lived In Hungary during the years of the Golden Squad! To have a team such as the Hungarian Select of the '50s may happen only once in a 100 years. The book, brings to life not only the achievements of the players but the intrigues of the totalitarian system that used such talents as Puskas & Co. to prove the superiority of the "Socialist Man".You don't need to be a "soccer" footbal fan to appreciate its true to life account of an era and its players gone by. The play-by-play reporting is outstanding. There was only one Puskas and this book immortalized him forever.It sure brought back the memories of the '52 Olympics, the "6:3" match in London and the thrill and the horrible end of the'54 World Cup... This book is a microcosm of man against the system and the system against the MAN...

This book is an excellent read, not only for the football history, but also for the context of the times. This paints a clear picture of what it was like in Stalinist Hungary after the war, and how even a man in a position of privilege could decide to leave. You don't need to be a football fan to appreciate this book, as it is an easy read, broken up into sections where other key figures are interviewed and offer their take on the same topics. Highly recommended.

This book mostly talked about his life off of the pitch and all the stress he went thourgh in the the World Cup.

This book is GREAT! It explains Ronaldo`s footballing life and his personal, and public life, and many secrets only a few on the earth know.

i got this book for my birth day a i read it. i thought that itall talk a bout soccer, but it didn't. i taked abot how he grow up inbrazil and how the enverment was so diffecult in there. how he escaped from all bad things like gaging and drug and alcholes. his father was not so lucky. he smoked and he had alot of alckholes and drug. he was very unkind to his wife and his son. there fore, his wife decided to built up her self and her son.

Ever since the final whistle of the World Cup final I have had a big unanswered question. Why did the world's best player in the world's best team play so badly in the one game, the most important game, of his life so far, giving one of the world's worst performances in front of the world's biggest ever event audience of 2 billion. Months before the world cup the papers were full of Ronaldo. How Ronaldo would score more goals than ever seen before. How this would be his world cup like Pele's 1970, Kempes' 1978, Rossi's 1982, Maradona's 1986, and Romario's 1994. TV Programmes showed endless clips of his sublime skills, his genius. Months after the tragedy that was France '98. No credible explanation has appeared until now!! Clarkson's book to answer the question of what happened on that fateful day in Paris.He gives a complete picture of what makes up the man - Ronaldo. Clarkson delves into Ronaldo's childhood, giving an account of the early flashes of brilliance, his love of the game, his disappointments, the influence of his family and even his lack of confidence with girls. Then he takes us through Ronaldo's early career in a lowly 2nd division Brazillian League team. Then the breakthrough and subsequent move to Europe followed by stardom and megabucks. Then we are told of the trials and tribulations of his life in Europe. The immense build up to the World cup and the account of what actually happened to Ronaldo's Brazil. I must confess I did not let the book go until i had read in from cover to cover. Clarkson has a lovely smooth flowingly style of writing which captures the essence of the story. After reading the book I felt i had understood one of the most intriguing mysteries of footballing history.