This is not a book about football. It's about the game. The game is the teacher. Football teaches not by words, but by discoveries.
Every coach has told me and my teammates that someday we "can use what the game has taught us" to make our lives better.
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But they never told us how to find or use what we learn. How do we figure it out? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? Next year? Decades from now? Will it be by accident?
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This book attempts to show just a few of the many lessons the game teaches even though it's taken me decades to discover some of them.
Beyond X's and O's
This book is a must read for coaches, players, fellow students, parents, and educators to fully understand the benefits of our great game. This book reinforced the things I have preached daily to our players for over 40 years of coaching: Leadership, resilience, teamwork, and my favorite - mental toughness. All are key life skills that transfer from the playing field to our daily lives. From the 17 state championships and 486 wins later, these lessons are as true today as the were 40 years ago. Congratulations Jerry on a great read!
Gary Rankin
Head Football Coach
2024 National High School Hall of Fame
2011 TSSAA Hall of Fame and Winningest High School Football Coach in Tennessee History
Boyd-Buchanan School
Chattanooga, Tennessee
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Through humor, great stories, and quotes, Jerry has created a book that helps me reflect on why I went into education and the coaching profession over 40 years ago. This book helps remind me of the great people in my life that helped develop my character, my passion to help others, my integrity to do the right thing all the time, and to continue to learn and grow throughout life.
Ken Potter
37 Years Head Football Coach
Oregon's All-Time Winningest High School Football Coach with Over 350 Wins
Four State Championships
Jesuit High School
Portland, Oregon
Outstanding book with tons of stuff related to learning, character development and doing things the right way. The benefits of sports and specifically football, like "Every game is a challenge of will, stress, belief, courage, decision-making, change, discipline, success, failure, disappointment, frustration - and hope." Doing things the right way has helped us win 14 state titles.
Jim Roth
40Years Head Coach
Pennsylvania's All-Time Winningest Football Coach
2022 Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
2020 Max-Preps Small School National Coach of the Year
2020 Max-Preps Small School National Champions
Southern Columbia High School
Catawissa, Pennsylvania
I have been a coach for 51 years. The legacy will not be how many games I have won, but that the players and coaches will be better people for being involved in the game. Everyone wants to win, but everyone doesn't want to do what it takes to win. I have never worked a day - hope you can say the same.
Terry Curtis
Athletic Director/Head Football Coach
Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame
2023 National High School Football Coach of the Year
Winningest High School Football Coach in Alabama History
Eight Times State Champions
UMS-Wright Preparatory School
Mobile, Alabama
A great read for any Coach, educator or parent to understand that Sports is more than a scholarship!
Gary Joseph
Athletic Coordinator/Head Coach
Texas High School Football Hall of Fame
Five Times 6A State Champions
2012 National Champions
2012 National High School Football Coach of the Year
Katy High School
Katy, Texas
Your book's stories and quotes should be read by every player (and their parents) who play the greatest team game in the world...football. Football teaches/demands what every Fortune 500 company in the world desires: Toughness. Team work. Loyalty. Competition. Family. Faith.
John Hart
Head Coach
IHSFCA Hall of Fame
Brownsburg High School
Brownsburg, Indiana
Football is much more than just a game! Instilling perseverance, accountability, work ethic, discipline & confidence are a few of the characteristics that players will carry with them long after their playing day are over. These are traits that we discuss daily.
Richard Barrett
Athletic Director/Head Coach
Kennedale High School
Kennedale, Texas
