How Wideouts Became the NFL's StandoutsFrom the time Cris Carter started his career as a supplemental draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987 to his retirement in 2002, the position of wide receiver exploded in the NFL. Receivers went from being quiet and classy to being known for their electric play, off-the-field antics, and -- in some cases -- over-the-top personalities.In Going Deep, Carter and ESPN journalist Jeffri Chadiha chronicle the...

In The First Star, acclaimed sports writer Lars Anderson recounts the thrilling story of Harold "Red" Grange, the Galloping Ghost of the gridiron, and the wild barnstorming tour that earned professional football a place in the American sporting firmament.Red Grange's on-field exploits at the University of Illinois, so vividly depicted in print by the likes of Grantland Rice and Damon Runyan, had already earned him a stature equal to that of Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey,...

It’s difficult to imagine today—when the Super Bowl has virtually become a national holiday and the National Football League is the country’s dominant sports entity—but pro football was once a ramshackle afterthought on the margins of the American sports landscape. In the span of a single generation in postwar America, the game charted an extraordinary rise in popularity, becoming a smartly managed, keenly marketed sports entertainment colossus whose action is ideally suited to television ...

How many great catches have there been in the history of the NFL? Hundreds? Thousands? Mention "The Catch,"though, and fans will think of only one: Joe Montana to Dwight Clark, the NFC Championship game, the Dallas Cowboys vs. the San Francisco 49ers, January 10, 1982. It changed the game and The Game. This is the story of the pieces that fell into place to allow it to happen and what it meant to the players, to the fans, and to the future of professional football.Drama like this c...

The definitive, must-have account of the all-time players, coaches, locker rooms and boardrooms that made the Dallas Cowboys "America's Team."Since 1960, the Cowboys have never been just about football. From their ego-driven owner and high-profile players to their state-of-the-art stadium and iconic cheerleaders, the Cowboys have become a staple of both football and American culture since the beginning. For over 50 years, wherever the Cowboys play, there are people ...

Close your eyes and picture theHeisman Trophy. The form is easyto conjure, a graceful, fluid posethat is football past and football presentin one dignified figure ...The story of the Heisman Trophyis an american epic.-- from the PrefaceNo sport in America can match the pageantry, raw emotion, and thrilling tradition of college football. It is a world in which a twenty-year-old kid can become a national sensation overnight, in which c...

A hard-hitting look at the Chicago Bears' legendary player and coach, composed of carefully curated archival Chicago Tribune columns and features.Mike Ditka was drafted by the Bears as a tight end in 1961 and went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors, multiple Pro Bowl selections, and a 1963 championship ring with Chicago during his playing career.Ditka retired in 1972 after stints with Philadelphia and Dallas (where he won Super Bowl VI), but he ret...

Soccer is undeniably the most popular sport in the world. While we know much about its high-profile players and their increasing wealth and global influence, we know little about referees and the ways in which refereeing has changed throughout the history of the sport.This book provides an in-depth exploration of the evolution of the match official. It presents a comparative analysis of elite Association football referees in England, Spain and Italy, as well as offering insights in...

Winner: North American Society for Sport History AwardNotable Title in American Intellectual History, Society for United States Intellectual HistoryAward of Superior Achievement, Illinois Historical SocietyThe quarterback sends his wide receiver deep. The crowd gasps as he launches the ball. And when he hits his man, the team’s fans roar with approval—especially those with the deep pockets. Make no mistake; college ...

This is a reference book; it contains a comprehensive listing of all the high school All-State football teams selected by The Oklahoman, the leading newspaper in Oklahoma, during the twentieth century. Today, numerous newspapers in Oklahoma select high school football teams, but it was The Oklahoman, published in Oklahoma City, that initiated the practice in the year 1913. That year, the newspaper published the first to be named Oklahoma high school All-State football team, designated the ...

He began with no athletic ability. His pass-catching skills were so bad that he was told he couldn't catch a cold if he were butt-naked. He fell flat on his facemask during a six-minute jog. He was tormented by referees, subjected to rookie initiation pranks, called Rudy by fans and intimidated by a 250-pound ex-NFL player.Welcome to Jeff Foley's adventure in the Arena Football League. A five-foot-six, 180-pound writer, Foley is every bit the average individual. But the AFL's Alban...

The Best 2017 NFL Draft Guide Out There!With 250 + prospects in this guide and 80,000 words written, I created just that. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the in-depth analysis, grades, and player fits on each and every single player in this year’s guide. I even includes all the up-to-date sizes and measurements from the combine for each player.But why should you buy THIS guide, and who exactly am I?Well I’m a normal guy just lik...