53rd Man

John Vampatella

doi:10.5771/9781538181508

53rd Man

Fighting to Make It in the NFL

Published 2023

No access

doi.org/10.5771/9781538181508
ISBN print: 978-1-5381-8149-2
ISBN online: 978-1-5381-8150-8
Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham

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Zusammenfassung

From Booklist's Starred Review: "This is a book that transcends sports and captures the spirit and will of athletes."

The rousing stories of the often-overlooked players who give their blood, sweat, and tears in the hopes of seeing their dreams of playing professional football come true

Football fans may know all about the superstars of the NFL, but very few know anything at all about the players at the bottom of the rosters—the men just fighting for a spot on the team. Yet the struggles of these players represent what thousands have experienced, from the agony of being dropped to the practice squad to the elation of earning a starting job after years of toiling in anonymity.

In 53rd Man: Fighting to Make It in the NFL, John Vampatella shares stories from across the league of those men whose NFL journeys have taken numerous twists and turns, all in an effort to play the game they love at the highest level. The experiences of three men in particular—Geremy Davis, Matthew Slater, and Austin Carr—reveal behind-the-scenes details of what life is really like in the NFL, working day in and day out in the shadows of the superstars. Their stories uncover the anxiety and excitement of the draft, the challenge to get through camp and make an NFL team, and what it takes to survive and thrive in the league.

53rd Man is about football, but it’s also about much more than that. It’s about what it takes to succeed, how to overcome obstacles, how to deal with disappointment, how faith can shine a light in the dark and difficult times, and how to make a difference in the lives of others along the way.

Schlagworte

NFL Reserve professional football National Football League football biography College football NFL draft active roster Austin Carr 53rd Man Geremy Davis underdog making the cut roster training camp professional athlete Matthew Slater life after football athlete high school football inspiring football story

Keywords

sports football

Chapter Expand | CollapsePage
i–x Preface i–x
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
1–8 Chapter 1 A Dream Come True 1–8
9–16 Chapter 2 Like Father, Like Son 9–16
17–26 Chapter 3 After Mr. Irrelevant 17–26
27–32 Chapter 4 NFL Draft Prospect 27–32
33–40 Chapter 5 Camp 33–40
41–48 Chapter 6 From #bleedblue to Big Blue 41–48
49–54 Chapter 7 The Patriot Way 49–54
55–64 Chapter 8 The Road to New Orleans 55–64
65–72 Chapter 9 The Playbook 65–72
73–80 Chapter 10 Opening Night 73–80
81–88 Chapter 11 First-Game Jitters 81–88
89–96 Chapter 12 Active! 89–96
97–102 Chapter 13 The Best Athlete You’ve Ever Known 97–102
103–110 Chapter 14 Injuries and Setbacks 103–110
111–116 Chapter 15 Hammies 111–116
117–124 Chapter 16 Learning the Ropes 117–124
125–132 Chapter 17 Minnesota Miracle 125–132
133–138 Chapter 18 Fifty-Third-Man Money 133–138
139–146 Chapter 19 Shaping the Fifty-Third Man 139–146
147–154 Chapter 20 Serving 147–154
155–164 Chapter 21 Captain 155–164
165–172 Chapter 22 Platform 165–172
173–180 Chapter 23 Victories 173–180
181–186 Chapter 24 Done 181–186
187–190 Chapter 25 Giving Back 187–190
191–194 Chapter 26 Do Justice 191–194
195–200 Chapter 27 A Helping Hand 195–200
201–214 Notes 201–214
215–216 About the Author 215–216

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