One Dream: The NFL
by Woody Falgoux
List Price:
Our Price: $0.47
You Save: $24.48 (98%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Woody FalgouxEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-07-01
ISBN: 1585360325
Number of pages: 216
Publisher: Stockard James
Book Reviews of One Dream: The NFL
Book Review: Beatification on the Bayou
Summary: 5 Stars
In Roman Catholicism, the first step toward sainthood is Papal beatification. In football, the first step in being proclaimed a saint, a New Orleans Saint, is surviving the cutthroat, dog-eat-dog abyss that is NFL training camp. After reading Woody Falgoux's One Dream The NFL, one wonders which is the easier path to Canonization- the martyrdom and miracles demanded of the Catholic Church or the blood, sweat, determination, and physical prowess required of a training camp located smack-dab in the middle of the mosquito-ridden Dantesque inferno that is southern Louisiana. Upon conclusion of the book, one is unsure.In Dream, Falgoux chronicles the lives of 10 young men of varied backgrounds, each possessing a love for their sport and dreams of NFL riches and Hall of Fame glory, as they venture forth into the excruciatingly demanding world of New Orleans Saints training camp in Thibodaux, Louisiana. As unsigned rookies, the ten "heros" know that their chances of surviving training camp and making the final roster are slim to none. Yet, their all-consuming desire to be among the elite few who have played in the NFL outweighs the physical and emotional trauma required to become professional football players. It is this highly personal passion for the game and unrelenting drive to succeed that Dream captures so remarkably. Written in a laid-back, journalist style, Dream intertwines the stories of these ten men into a single, powerful, and gripping tale that allows the reader to live his own NFL dream vicariously through these ten men. Indeed, the reader is swept into the story as if he too were on the practice field, seeking to prove himself to coaches who have the power to alter his destiny, more often than not on a whim. In sum, this is a masterfully written book that begs a sequel.
Summary of One Dream: The NFL
This is the dream that is born in the hearts and minds of every boy that throws his first pass or scores his first touchdown. The New Orleans Saints have asked the dreamers to show them how deeply they love this game by competing against millionaire leviathans with every ounce of will they can muster. If they leave everything they have on the field, the dream might continue. If not, the dream will be gone.In One Dream: The NFL, Woody Falgoux follows 10 unsigned rookies through New Orleans Saints training camp as they battle heavy odds to make the team. For those who were not drafted, practicing with the pros in the sweltering Louisiana heat provides an opportunity to show you can hit, run, or do whatever else needed to stand out. Everyone knows a number of players will be axed throughout the grueling process (only 8 percent of unsigned rookies get contracts), so every drill and scrimmage matters, and each precious down played in a preseason game offers a fresh chance to be noticed by the staff. Some get plenty of chances; others seem outcast from the beginning.
Falgoux has a gift for storytelling, and the book unfolds with style and grace. In describing the frustration of one of the collegiate-stars-but-unsigned- nobodies at a scrimmage shortly before the first preseason game, he writes:
He's a young man staring at Goliath, a man who's a little frustrated because he can't really whack people out here, even though he's just whacked [a running back]. He knows tomorrow he'll have the chance to whack 'em all. Finally, he'll really do, whether one calls it violence or vindication or victory, what he does best.
The coaching staff must make its choices, whether random, planned, fair, or bizarre. One Dream offers a memorable look at a pro team's camp and the perspiration and aspirations of 10 young players trying to make the choices easier. Strongly recommended. --Michael Ferch
Biographies Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Biographies Books
Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Storyby John Feinstein
Back Bay Books; Published: 2005-05-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.62
Price in other shops:
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillmanby Jon Krakauer
Anchor; Published: 2010-07-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops:
The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)by Lawrence S. Ritter
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2010-04-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.12
Price in other shops:
A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguezby Selena Roberts
Harper Perennial; Published: 2010-02-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.40
Price in other shops:
The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the Worldby Jere Longman
Harper Perennial; Published: 2001-04-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.30
Price in other shops:
Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide To Winning In Soccer And Lifeby Mia Hamm, Aaron Heifetz
It Books; Published: 2000-07-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops:
This Voice in My Heart: A Runner's Memoir of Genocide, Faith, and Forgivenessby Gilbert Tuhabonye, Gary Brozek
Amistad; Published: 2007-05-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.81
Price in other shops:
Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Bigby Jose Canseco
It Books; Published: 2006-02-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.50
Price in other shops:
The Last Seasonby Eric Blehm
Harper; Published: 2006-04-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.97
Price in other shops:
Hawk : Occupation Skateboarderby Tony; Mortimer, Sean Hawk
Regan Books; Published: 2000; Hardcover; Book