Ten Men You Meet in a Huddle Lessons from a Football Life Bill Curry (Mercer University Press) I never dreamed that I would be so taken aback by a sports book. I mean, I like football, but mostly what I read are music bi- ographies, horror and sci- fi. I guess I was just
drawn to this book because it tugged at my boy- hood memories. I remember watching baseball games on the old black and white console with my Grandpa Sorrells, and I can easily remember my first ever football game. My Dad and I watched it, the first super bowl. The Green Bay Packers, lead by Coach Vince Lombardi and Quarterback Bart Starr beat the Chiefs. I was ten- years old. At the time, the Packers were my Dad’s favorite team, and therefore became mine as well. When Coach Lombardi died in 1970, I drew a car- toon of him entering the gates of Heaven while spewing colorful language, and it was published by the local newspaper, who paid me ten bucks. My writing career had begun. I remember so clearly my Dad telling me “now, don’t read the Coaches lips.” With good reason. Lombardi would be walking the sidelines and cussing like a sailor, but he was a great coach, and Bart Starr an excellent QB. Bill Curry recounts his childhood dream of
being a starting pitcher for the Yankees, and how fate took him off the diamond and placed him firmly upon the gridiron. His story is a true page turner of fairytale proportions. Curry was hired by the Packers where he played center, and the Bart Starr stories are amazing. Then, only two years in, he was drafted by the Colts and finds himself snapping the ball to the great Johnny Unitis.
The book is overflowing with great football
tales that carry the author through the middle of a veritable who’s who of the sport during the
1960’s and ‘70s, before ending up as a Coach at the University of Alabama. The book also goes into detail about Curry’s friendship and work with George Plimpton, the actor/everyman who once played pro football alongside Curry, as well as baseball and many other projects. If you don’t remember Plimpton from the 60’s and 70’s, Google him. He was one of a kind. So is Curry, and so is Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle, a true joy, sports fans.
BOOKS -Michael Buffalo Smith
Forever and Ever, Amen Randy Travis With Ken Abraham (Nelson/Harper Collins) I liked Randy Travis the first
time I laid eyes and ears on him back in the 1980’s. There was something very special about this performer. During a time when all of the “young
country” singers were mixing their country with southern rock influences, Travis was straight up country. Randy didn’t wear the standard uniform. He didn’t wear a big cowboy hat. He dressed nice and neat, clean cut, and kept his music the same way. During a time when radio was pushing tra- ditional country like Haggard and Jones out the back door, Randy Travis came along to remind everyone of just how much we all love true coun- try music. I found it interesting in the book where he said that he was being criticized at the begin- ning for being “too country.” Of course, it wasn’t long before those critics had to eat their words, as Randy ushered in the era of the “new traditional- ists” and quickly became a superstar, winning all the awards and selling out huge venues world- wide.
The North Carolina boy’s life reads like a
southern novel. The term “page turner” is over used, but that’s exactly what this book is. I found myself changing plans for a few days as I spent more time on Randy’s book. I couldn’t help but compare the scenes in the book to what I was
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