Akron Public Library

"He was a college All-American who became the youngest player in the NFL and later a Super Bowl veteran. He was a star tight end on the league-dominant New England Patriots, who extended his contract for a record $40 million. Aaron Hernandez's every move as a professional athlete played out in the headlines, yet he led a secret life--one that ended in a maximum security prison ... Drawing on original and in-depth reporting, this is an explosive true...

Like the men whose epic stories Jon Krakauer has told in his previous bestsellers, Pat Tillman was an irrepressible individualist and iconoclast. In May 2002, Tillman walked away from his $3.6 million NFL contract to enlist in the United States Army. He was deeply troubled by 9/11, and he felt a strong moral obligation to join the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Two years later, he died on a desolate hillside in southeastern Afghanistan. Though...

When a potentially career-ending shoulder injury left quarterback Drew Brees without a team-and facing the daunting task of having to learn to throw a football all over again-coaches around the NFL wondered, Will he ever come back? After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, leaving more than 80 percent of the city underwater, many wondered, Will the city ever come back? And with their stadium transformed into a makeshift refugee camp, forcing...

"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...

"Gunslinger tells Brett Favre|s story for the first time, drawing on more than five hundred interviews, including many from the people closest to Favre. Jeff Pearlman charts an unparalleled journey from his rough rural childhood and lackluster high school football career to landing the last scholarship at Southern Mississippi to a car accident that nearly took his life. Favre clawed back, getting drafted into the NFL by the Atlanta Falcons, then finding...

The Denver Broncos quarterback, known for his come-from-behind victories, shares his triumphs and tribulations and offers advice on performing under pressure, winning and losing, and having a sense of humor.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is one of the most successful players in NFL history. Chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft, Peyton earned a reputation for being one of the league's smartest quarterbacks. He led the Colts to victory in the 2007 Super Bowl and was named Most Valuable Player of the NFL a record four times. After missing the 2011-2012 season due to an injury, Peyton left Indianapolis to...

"One man's odyssey into the brutal hive of the National Football League. This is not a celebrity tell-all of professional sports. Slow Getting Up is a survivor's real-time account of playing six seasons (twice as long as the average NFL career) for the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos. As an unsigned free agent who rose through the practice squad to the starting lineup, Nate Jackson is the talented embodiment of the everyday freak athlete...

Provides a brief introduction to the life and career of quarterback Tim Tebow.

The making of a legend.