Sports Biographies Football

This amazing memoir follows the story of Reggie Williams - ex-NFL linebacker, former Disney executive, renaissance man, and the epitome of determination in the face of extreme challenges.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, college football was at the height of its popularity. As the nation geared up for total war, one branch of the service dominated the aspirations of college football stars: the United States Marine Corps. Which is why, on Christmas Eve of 1944, when the 4th and 29th Marine regiments found themselves in the middle of the Pacific Ocean training for what would be the bloodiest battle of the war – the invasion of Okinawa—their ranks included one of the greatest pools of football talent ever assembled.

The full story of the man who brought unprecedented - and since unmatched - success to Liverpool FC. Bob Paisley was the quiet man in the flat cap who swept all domestic and European opposition aside and produced arguably the greatest club team that Britain has ever known. The man whose Liverpool team won trophies at a rate-per-season that dwarfs Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements at Manchester United and who remains the only Briton to lead a team to three European Cups.

Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodríguez, Diego Costa, David de Gea, José Mourinho... they all have one name in common: Jorge Mendes. The Portuguese soccer super agent, pulls the strings and manages the flow of millions of Euros in the global Fútbol (soccer) market.

As a child, Mallory Pugh would do anything she could to watch soccer, practice soccer, and play soccer. She was soccer obsessed! Discover more about Pugh's highlights on the field in this thrilling biography in the Stars of Sports series.

In Stoops's journey from player to struggling graduate assistant to legendary head coach, it becomes clear that his dedication to football is about far more than the sport itself. Big Game Bob, as he is known by adorning Sooners, made a name for himself not only by rebuilding the OU football program and leading the team to multiple conference championships but also by adhering to a strong set of principles at a time when corruption was rampant across the NCAA.

This classic sports book takes listeners inside the 1967 season of the Green Bay Packers, following that storied team from training camp to their dramatic victory in Super Bowl II. Candid and often amusing, Jerry Kramer describes from a player's perspective a bygone era of sports, filled with blood, grit, and tears. No game better exemplifies this period than the classic "Ice Bowl" conference championship game between the Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, which Kramer, who made the crucial block in the climactic play, describes in thrilling detail.

Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, and Bill Parcells dominated what may go down as the greatest decade in pro football history, leading their teams to a combined eight championships and developing some of the most gifted players of all time in the process. In interviews with more than 150 players, coaches, family members and friends, Guts and Genius digs into the careers of three men who overcame their own insecurities and doubts to build Hall of Fame legacies that transformed their generation and continue to impact today's NFL.

Zinédine Zidane est le Français le plus célèbre au monde, mais qui est-il vraiment ? Un être secret qui cultive la discrétion, un homme adulé qui se préserve et protège les siens, une star au destin exceptionnel qui reste un type normal. A travers dix-huit années d'échanges et de confessions exclusives avec le joueur devenu entraîneur.

Diego Armando Maradona was widely acclaimed as a genius. One of the greatest footballers of all time, he was also one of the most controversial. In an international career with Argentina he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals and played in four FIFA World Cups. His vision, passing, ball control and dribbling skills, and his presence and leadership on the field, often electrified his own team's overall performance.

Dave Zirin's book redefines an American icon, and not always in a flattering light. At 81 years old, Brown continues to speak out and look for fights. His recent public support of Donald Trump and criticism of Colin Kaepernick are just the latest examples of someone who seems restless if he is not in conflict. Jim Brown is a raw and thrilling account of Brown's remarkable life and a must-listen for sports fans and students of the Black freedom struggle.

In Against Football Steve Almond details why, after 40 years as a fan, he can no longer watch the game he still loves. Using a synthesis of memoir, reportage, and cultural critique, Almond asks a series of provocative questions: Does our addiction to football foster a tolerance for violence, greed, racism, and homophobia? What does it mean that our society has transmuted the intuitive physical joys of childhood--run, leap, throw, tackle--into a billion-dollar industry?

In the long annals of sports and crime, no story compares to the one that engulfed the Luckman family in 1935. As 18-year-old Sid Luckman made headlines across New York City for his high school football exploits at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, his father, Meyer Luckman, was making headlines in the same papers for a very different reason: the gangland murder of his own brother-in-law. Amazingly, the connection between sports celebrity son and mobster father was studiously ignored by the press and ultimately overlooked for eight decades.

In this New York Times best seller, College football’s most colorful, endearing, and successful pioneer, Steve Spurrier, shares his story of a life in football - from growing up in Tennessee to winning the Heisman Trophy to playing and coaching in the pros to leading the Florida Gators to six SEC Championships and a National Championship to elevating the South Carolina program to new heights - and coaching like nobody else.

For everyone in Britain, Motty, like Pele and Maradona, needs no other introduction. As the nation's best-known football commentator, he has had an unparalleled insight into sports broadcasting and the ups and downs of the game. With a career spanning over 40 years and 2,000 matches, including commentating on six World Cup Finals, Motson's time in the commentary box includes some unforgettable anecdotes.

Few people in the history of college sports have been more influential or had a bigger impact than Lou Holtz. Winner of the three national Coach of the Year honors, the only coach ever to lead six different schools to season-ending bowl games, and the ninth-winningest coach in college football history, Holtz is still teaching and coaching, although he is no longer on the gridiron.

Larger-than-life football personality Micah Richards delivers the most entertaining sports book of the year. From experiencing the Manchester City revolution first-hand and achieving success with the likes of Mario Balotelli, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero to becoming a popular TV pundit for Sky Sports, BBC Sport and Match of the Day, Micah Richards has seen it all–and laughed about most of it. In The Game, Micah reflects on how he got to where he is today and on the many wins and losses along the way.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996, Brian Dawkins fought to elevate not only his own game but that of his entire team. He sweat, bled, and dominated through sixteen seasons in the NFL, all the way into the Hall of Fame. Every step of the way, the Lord had his back. In the wake of his success, Dawkins comes forward to describe his journey to become one the best safeties in the NFL. Triumphs, pitfalls, love, and struggles—Dawkins shares them all, not for himself, but in gratitude to those who have helped him along the way.

Michael Oher is the young man at the center of the true story depicted in The Blind Side movie (and book) that swept up awards and accolades. Though the odds were heavily stacked against him, Michael had a burning desire deep within his soul to break out of the Memphis inner-city ghetto and into a world of opportunity. While many people are now familiar with Oher's amazing journey, this is the first time he has shared his account of his story in his own words.

In Brett Favre: The Inspiring Story of One of Football's Greatest Quarterbacks, you will learn the inspirational story of one of football's greatest quarterbacks, Brett Favre. To this day, Brett Favre remains one of the most popular NFL quarterbacks and with good reason: he left an incredible legacy on the game.