The 1950s and 60s was a golden age for professional football. It was perhaps the toughest and roughest era for the sport, before rules were created to better protect the players, but it was also a time when legends were born. To many football fans this era remains the Glory Years of the NFL, when the stars that roamed the gridiron included the likes of Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Jim Brown, and Raymond Berry. In Remembering the Stars of the NFL Glory Years: An Inside Look at the Golden Age of Football, Wayne Stewart tells the story of professional football in the ‘50s and ‘60s through the words of the players themselves. Chapters cover Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball, players who made a lasting impression on the game, and the toughest players on the gridiron. Stewart intertwines profiles of these iconic players with the athletes’ own memories, observations, and anecdotes, including their impressions of teammates and opponents. Two additional chapters consist of humorous quotes and the players’ thoughts on how the game has changed since their heyday. Featuring exclusive interviews with players from the 1950s and ‘60s, Remembering the Stars of the NFL Glory Years provides an inside look at this distinct time in professional football. With a wide range of topics and insights included throughout, this book will both entertain and inform football fans and historians alike.

The NFL in the 1950s and 1960s was full of iconic players and legendary coaches. Future Hall of Famers battled it out on the gridiron and roamed the sidelines, making for incredible games and memorable moments. In Remembering the Greatest Coaches and Games of the NFL Glory Years: An Inside Look at the Golden Age of Football, Wayne Stewart tells of the men and events that made this era unforgettable. Through dozens of interviews with players such as Tom Matte, Mike Ditka, Raymond Berry, Don Maynard, Chuck Mercein, and Rick Volk, Stewart shares the players’ unique perspectives on the Greatest Game Ever Played, the Ice Bowl, the Heidi Game, and Super Bowl III. The second part of the book features profiles of the Hall of Fame coaches who led their teams to victory—including George Halas, Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, and Don Shula—with the players reflecting on the impact these coaches had on and off the field. Remembering the Greatest Coaches and Games of the NFL Glory Years not only shares anecdotes that reveal the warm and humorous sides of the Hall of Fame coaches but also includes breakdowns of the key decisions they made during the featured games. With exclusive insight provided by the players, this book offers readers a deeper understanding of professional football during this era directly from those who lived it.

This accessible, informative, and beautifully illustrated book celebrates the 100th anniversary of the NFL and is the perfect keepsake for football fans of all ages. The National Football League is the most popular sports league in the United States. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is watched by millions of people every year. But it wasn’t always like this. In the last one hundred years, football has changed from a poorly organized, often overlooked sport to America’s favorite pastime. Here are the stories of that remarkable transformation. The stories of the greatest players, the most successful coaches, the most memorable games—and the amazing plays that made us gasp as we watched them in stadiums and on televisions all over America. Discover the league’s scrappy beginnings in an automobile showroom, and early players like Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost. Relive the very first championship game, played indoors after a circus had visited, and famous games like the Ice Bowl. See the NFL at war, and meet some of the remarkable athletes who helped desegregate the league. Learn how the draft came into existence, and about the teams that strove for that almost impossible goal—a perfect season. Veteran sportswriter Fred Bowen brings his in-depth knowledge and lively prose to these fascinating stories, and award-winning artist James E. Ransome has created stunning full-page illustrations that bring the sport of football to life like never before.

Why is a football field sometimes called a gridiron? Who are some of the best left-handed quarterbacks ever? Who was the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl? Why do players form a huddle when plays are called? When did quarterback sacks become an official statistic? What is the record for the most passes thrown by a quarterback in a game? This book provides a slew of questions and in-depth answers concerning the traditions, rules, records, and history of pro football (and more). From the early days of football to the hugely popular game seen today, Wayne Stewart answers questions even the most knowledgeable fan may have pondered. Whether the topic is quarterbacks or coaches, famous “firsts” or memorable moments, if a Who, What, When, Where, Why, or How? question is on your mind, this is the book for you.

How was basketball born? Why is the area in the paint and around the free throw circle known as the key? When did the NBA begin play? What team was arguably the worst NBA squad ever? Who was the highest drafted college player who never played a single game in the NBA? This book provides over 100 questions and detailed answers concerning the traditions, rules, and history of basketball. Organized by the sport’s three eras—its birth through 1945, the NBA from 1946 through 1999, and the game today—it answers questions about the sport at all levels, from college games to the Olympics. A bonus chapter provides a who, what, when, where, why, and how of basketball—the perfect resource to settle arguments or to answer challenging trivia questions.

A comprehensive trivia book that enables readers to compete as they answer questions! In The New Book of Baseball Trivia, experienced baseball author Wayne Stewart includes 500 fun and engaging questions and answers on everyone's favorite former and active players and coaches. Readers are awarded a single, double, triple, or homer based on the difficulty level of the question, with the goal to score as many runs as possible by the end of the book. They are kept on their toes by answers head-scratchers such as: Which team became the first one ever to have three of its players hit 40+ homers in a season? Who was the shortest man ever to appear in a big-league game? Which two brothers combined for more lifetime home runs than any other brother act? When Shane Bieber won the 2020 Cy Young Award, he became the fifth Cleveland Indian to capture that honor. Name three of the other four men to accomplish this. Which two men bashed more home runs while teammates than any other teammate combo? And many more! This book makes the perfect gift for the baseball-loving fan!

Part history, part biography, this study examines the Black athlete's search to unify what W.E.B. DuBois called the "two unreconciled strivings" of African Americans--the struggle to survive in black society while adapting to white society. Black athletes have served as vanguards of change, challenging the dominant culture, crossing social boundaries and raising political awareness. Champions like Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Wilma Rudolph, Roberto Clemente, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James make a difference, even as many in the Black community question the idea of athletes as role models. The author argues the importance of sports heroes in a panic-plagued era beset with class division and racial privilege.

This is the definitive reference work on the NFL's Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Part I is a season-by-season review, covering each game and player from every campaign. Part II includes a complete all-time roster of players and coaches, with biographical information, along with information on all draft picks, schedules, and individual awards and honors. Part III covers the characters, from executives to cheerleaders, who made the Raiders one of the most colorful organizations in professional sports, and details the franchise's historic stadiums and uniforms.

Recent years have been among the most challenging in NFL history, culminating in the 2020-21 coronavirus and social justice issues. Yet a complete understanding of where the NFL is today begins with a five-year period that was the most transformative for the league. From 1957 to 1962, the NFL saw: the advent of unionization, with a landmark Supreme Court decision; the legendary 1958 title game, the first to go into sudden death overtime; a challenge from the American Football League that would have important consequences for decades; the introduction of computerization and statistical analysis; the first steps towards globalization; and the hiring of legends Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry, who both contributed to the league's growing mythology. This book describes in detail the key events that helped shape the modern NFL, and why this period was so momentous to the league and its fans.