“Sweetness” and the top five most touching NFL biographies: A fan’s view

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, “Sweetness” is an incredible, thoughtful, deep and profound read. Jeff Pearlman spent three years and interviewed nearly 700 people to write the book, which is a thorough telling of the great Walter Payton’s life. Framed in its proper context – a painstaking 430 pages – the most tabloid of Walter Payton’s troubles don’t feel like a sucker punch to his memory. If anything, they are part of the honest and reasonable telling of a remarkable life that, for readers with a modicum of intelligence and perspective, should enhance the man rather than drag him down. Maybe it doesn’t work for every reader, but as the stories build and the fullness of the man comes into play (the vast majority of which is positive), his invariable missteps through life don’t bring him down but, in a way, lift him higher. Here is a guide to some of the most touching recent NFL biographies.

Colt McCoy

Colt and Brad McCoy delivered the heartfelt narrative “Growing Up Colt: A Father, a Son, a Life in Football”, in 2011. Growing Up Colt is basically a behind-the-scenes look at McCoy’s faith-based upbringing and the key values that he lives by. Colt talks about the temptations he faced as a star quarterback in college, including sex, drugs and taking the easy way out. McCoy offers some great life lessons and values, without coming across as preachy.

Brett Favre

Bill Gutman authored an excellent 1998 biography about Favre, which chronicles his struggles along the path of his NFL career before leading the Green Bay Packers to two straight Super Bowls in the 1990s. The 176 page paperback goes into specific details about Favre’s upbringing, college career, rise up through the pro ranks, and how playing football led him to an addiction to pain killers. Favre then details how he overcame adversity and his strong addictions to become one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Tony Dungy

Dungy teamed up with Nate Whitaker to author the compelling 2007 book “Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life.” In this inspiring memoir, Dungy tells the story of a life based on faith and religion. The book shows how Dungy won the respect of his players without yelling or using profanities. It also details how he led the Indianapolis Colts to a win in Super Bowl XLI, which was a first for an African-American coach. It is a tell-all book, but appropriate for the entire family. Dungy shows how he is able to consistently live a life of sacrifice and integrity.

Drew Brees

Brees, along with contributor Chris Fabry, authored the instant classic “Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity.” The book chronicles Brees’ struggles that followed after his career-threatening shoulder surgery. Brees had to learn to throw a football all over again, but overcame adversity to come back stronger than ever. Brees delivers an inspiring message of hope and determination that leaves the readers feeling that they can overcome any obstacle thrown in their path. Adversity hits almost every person, and Brees offers some great advice on how to get through it.

Sources
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AgxLpMzfSHkBwQ7MPrNoO2ZDubYF?slug=dw-wetzel_walter_payton_sweetness_review_100311, Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports

 

 

 

 


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