Jason Fiorelli is having a great year as wingback on the Hudson City Hornets. Twenty-seven receptions, six touchdowns, and fifty points for the season! Now with only three games left, the league title is within reach, until -- disaster -- the Hornets' star quarterback has a season-ending injury. And Wade, the replacement quarterback doesn't have the talent to take charge. In a surprise move, Coach sends Jason in as emergency quarterback. It's an opportunity to save the season, but it also feeds the rivalry between Wade and Jason. With the championship game drawing near, can the Hornets pull it together in time to work as a team?
From legendary sportswriter and #1 New York Times bestselling author John Feinstein, a deep dive into the most coveted and hallowed position in the NFL. In the mighty National Football League, one player becomes the face of a franchise, one player receives all the accolades and all the blame, and one player's hand will guide the rise or fall of an entire team's season--and the dreams of millions of fans. There are thirty-two starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and their lives are built around pressure, stardom, and incredible talent. In his most insightful book yet, John Feinstein shows readers what it's really like to play the glory position and to live that life--mapping out a journey that runs from college stardom to the NFL draft to taking command of the huddle and marching a team down the field with a nation of fans cheering. Centering on five NFL starting quarterbacks--Alex Smith, Andrew Luck, Joe Flacco, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Doug Williams--Quarterback provides readers with incredible inside access to the locker room, huddle, and heat of battle. Through spectacular moments and embarrassing defeats, this is as close as most of us will ever come to experiencing life in the most glamorous position in America's greatest game.
Darius Livingston is the starting running back for the seventh-grade football team, but he dreams of playing quarterback. When the team is forced to forfeit the rest of its season, Darius and his teammates get the chance to play with the eighth graders. Darius is sure this is his chance to prove he can throw the ball and be a great quarterback. But can Darius show off his skills and still be a team player?
An acclaimed sports journalist and native Chicagoan tackles what many call the greatest team in NFL history. Da Bears! tells the full story of the ’85 legends—with all the controversy and excitement—on the field and off. It’s been 25 years since the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX with what Bill Parcells called “the best defensive team I’ve ever seen” and an offense surprisingly good for a franchise where offense was often a dirty word. Now, for the first time, an incredibly candid book takes you through all the games and behind the scenes—into the huddles, the locker rooms, the team meetings, and of course the bars—for an intimate account of that unforgettable season. Here’s how a team that got booed in its regular-season opener ended up winning its first world championship in 22 years, led by the most capable, colorful, and un-PC characters ever to strap on helmets—including Jim McMahon, the hard partyer and so-called punk rocker who became a star quarterback and an antihero; William “Refrigerator” Perry, the rookie giant who turned into a full-blown national sensation; Mike Ditka, the legendarily combative head coach called “Sybil” for his mercurial moods; his nemesis, defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan, who insulted and broke down his players, then built them back up again, military-style; Walter Payton, the hard-nosed running back and mischievous prankster; and middle linebacker Mike Singletary, known for his leadership and his jarring hits. From the inner workings of their innovative and attacking 46 defense to the inside story of their cocky “Super Bowl Shuffle” music video (shot, amazingly, right after their one loss of the season, to Miami), all the setbacks and triumphs, ferocious hits and foibles, of this once-in-a-lifetime team are recaptured brashly and boldly—the Chicago way.
"What It Means to be a Nittany Lion: Joe Paterno and Penn State's Greatest Players" explores what seems to be a simple question: What does it mean to be a Nittany Lion? One person or one phrase cannot answer that question because so many emotions encompass the true Nittany Lion spirit. The greatest Penn State players and coaches from the past eight decades were called upon to express why they are so proud to be a part of the storied tradition that is Nittany Lion football and give fans an inside look on their college careers at Happy Valley. "What It Means to be a Nittany Lion" brings together all of their stories, as told by the most outstanding voices of the Penn State program, guaranteed to enhance your passion for Nittany Lion football. It's not just one tradition, one season or one particular game--it's the stories coming from the players who experienced the magic over the decades that capture the true essence of the Nittany Lion way.
"Blazing Trails" chronicles John Mackey's life as a lightning rod for attention throughout the 1960s. Mackey refused to remain silent on any topic he felt strongly about--especially anything dealing with justice. As one of Baltimore's first famous African Americans, he fought for racial and battled for legal equality for pro football players of all color as the first president of the newly merged NFL and AFL National Football Players Associations. More than affecting the freedom of his football-playing brethren, Mackey was a major factor in using his sports fame to change the world around. What Muhammad Ali was to boxing, Arthur Ashe was to tennis, and Bill Russell was to basketball, John Mackey was to football: an African-American star who proved that the world, and not just sports, was going to become a better, more colorful place.
The 466 men who have held the increasingly demanding and prestigious position of Head Coach in the National Football League and the two leagues that merged into it (the All America Football Conference of the 1940s and the American Football League of the 1960s) form an exclusive club. This book essentially answers three questions about every professional head coach since 1920: Who was he? What were his coaching approach and style, in terms of both leadership and gridiron tactics? How successful was he? Every entry begins with standard background information, followed by each coach's yearly regular season and postseason coaching record, and then his statistical tendencies toward scoring, defense and play calling. The entry then addresses the three questions noted above.
The Jersey Effect takes a look into the hearts and minds of athletes who achieved Super Bowl success and examines the battles they faced. It presents the stories of champions who desired to reflect glory back to God by using their jersey and the platform God gave them to make a positive difference in the world. Even so, sometimes their great intentions were hijacked by pride, materialism, distractions, and deficiencies within their own character that were never truly understood until the ultimate success came their way. Intended for players, coaches, and parents who want to learn and in turn teach important lessons about how to properly align a love of sports with God's heart, The Jersey Effect demonstrates how to pursue the ultimate prize a goal that has little to do with winning a championship ring and everything to do with how we can have a positive effect on those around us through the sports we love."
Slimmed down and in great shape, Dunk is thrilled to make the school basketball team as a secondstring center. Jared, the starting center, is the best player on the team. But when Jared begins missing practice as well as the shots he used to make, Dunk is on the court more than he expected. He’s playing better than ever, but will that jeopardize his friendship with Jared?
