NFL Books

TheHeadhunter

Any good NFL/American Football related books worth a read?

ReacherCreature

It's hard to come by them so I usually have a look through amazon for them.

Charles Pierce's 'Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the pursuit of everything' was very good. It's his life from birth up to the 2006 season. Still have a couple of chapters to read. It's a little outdated but brilliant read (I'm biased of course as he's my favourite player!) but you'd have to like the team and him. If not, still worth a read.

Link here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moving-Chains-Brady-Pursuit-Everything/dp/0374214441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261702477&sr=1-1

Lawrence Taylor's book was excellent imo. It goes into his career and his frightning use and battle with drugs. He was ferocious and determined as a player but the drugs side of it killed him off the field.

Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/LT-Tackling-Quarterbacks-Beyond-Football/dp/0061031496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261702741&sr=1-1

Blindside was pretty good too. All about Michael Oher, now Baltimore Tackle. His life is intersped with history of the game re: left tackles and the west coast offense for example. Recommended.

Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blind-Side-Evolution-Game/dp/0393330478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261702839&sr=1-1

Might have read one or two others but going hunting for some in the new year!

themont85

I thought the 'Best Game Ever' by Mark Bowden about the Giants-Colts 58 championship was a good read and intertwined this event with the huge surge in NFL popularity. The descriptions of the game were great and cool stories about the numerous Hall of Famers coaching and playing, Raymond Berry was the most interesting character for me out of it.

Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side are very well known and great reads too.

Sea Devils

"America's Game" by Michael McCambridge is an excellent read. It shows how the NFL became the biggest Sports League in America with the development of the League Office, Commissioners and Franchises. Well reccomended.

Also enjoyed "Next Man up" by John Feinstein which follows the Baltimore Ravens for a year and goes behind the scenes in the organisation. Some stuff was very interesting especially the draft stuff and the concidence of Deoin returning.

Keep meaning to try "Never Die Easy" which is Walter Paytons autobiography. It's suppossed to be an amazing read.

Royal Seahawk

Boys Will Be Boys. A behind the scenes look at the Cowboys during the ninties. All the drugs, alcohol and women. Decent book. That Best Game Ever book is brilliant too.
Friday Night Lights is a classic read but it has to be said that its not strictly a football book.

mikemac

More then a game by Brian Billick
Great book and goes into the business side of the NFL which many books don't do. I was a big fan of Billick as a coach and on the NFL Network and this book doesn't disappoint.
+1 for Next Man UP and The Blind Side mentioned above

For college football Civil War; Army vs Navy is good

Wasn't a fan of LT's book but maybe that's just me

The Genius: Bill Walsh

Hynzie

Two good college football books by ESPN writer Bruce Feldman.

Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting

http://www.amazon.com/Meat-Market-Smash-Mouth-Football-Recruiting/dp/1933060395

Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment

http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Mutiny-Hurricanes-Overturned-Establishment/dp/0451215265/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4

Chucky the tree

The front cover says it all. Still havent got round to reading it, but I really must. The guy is a legend.

The Sparrow

themont85 wrote: »

I thought the 'Best Game Ever' by Mark Bowden about the Giants-Colts 58 championship was a good read and intertwined this event with the huge surge in NFL popularity. The descriptions of the game were great and cool stories about the numerous Hall of Famers coaching and playing, Raymond Berry was the most interesting character for me out of it.

I'm reading this at the moment and it is great so far. It's really interesting to see how a sport grows and how the foundations were put in for the NFL to be the juggernaut that it is. I'm about 80 pages in and so far and Raymond Berry and Johnny Unitas are great characters.

themont85 wrote: »

Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side are very well known and great reads too.

I loved Friday Night Lights too. One of my favourite books. Must check out The Blind Side.

Sea Devils wrote: »

"America's Game" by Michael McCambridge is an excellent read. It shows how the NFL became the biggest Sports League in America with the development of the League Office, Commissioners and Franchises. Well reccomended.

I really liked this book too. I read it as I was becoming a fan of American Football and it gave a great grounding of how the game developed and some of the characters involved. Very well written and researched.

My recommendation is Total Access by Rich Eisen.

http://www.amazon.com/Total-Access-Journey-Center-Universe/dp/0312369786

It's a fun book with loads of anecdotes from Rich Eisen's time as the NFL Network's main host. If you like Total Access, this is the book for you. Loads of great story and an insight into the media business and the NFL. I won't ruin it, but my favourite story was about Marchall Faulk trying to find Rich's room number at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii so that he could charge everything to Rich Eisen.

Dodge

They've made "The Blind Side" into a film. Not sure how it'll relate to the excellent book but the ad I saw placed far too much emphasis on Sandra Bullock

LuckyLloyd

Two good pieces of literature that approach American Football from different angles:





These are not "sports books", but excellent and challenging novels of which American Football plays a significant part in the lives of the chief protagonists, and scenes describing elements of American Football are at their core. Would recommend them if you're looking for something to sink your teeth into. Though if you haven't as of yet read "Friday Night Lights" or "The Blind Side" you can't really go wrong.

Gisty

Paper Lion is brilliant too. Its about a journo who actually went to the Lions training camp in the 60's and took part as a QB. Its mad to think they even let him in the door.

also, +1 to The Blind Side. Cracking book

Crapjob Sean

I thought this was a good read
Conrad Dobler - They Call me Dirty
http://www.amazon.com/They-Call-Me-Dirty-Dobler/dp/0399133992

Sea Devils

Gisty wrote: »

Paper Lion is brilliant too. Its about a journo who actually went to the Lions training camp in the 60's and took part as a QB. Its mad to think they even let him in the door.

There was actually a book with a similiar storyline to that except it was a Journalist trying out to be a Kicker with the Broncos. It's suppossed to be a good read as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Few-Seconds-Panic-43-Year-Old-Sportswriter/dp/1594201781

geeky

Gisty wrote: »

Paper Lion is brilliant too. Its about a journo who actually went to the Lions training camp in the 60's and took part as a QB. Its mad to think they even let him in the door.

+1 to Paper Lion. Plimpton rock(ed).