In this sixth book of New York Times bestselling author Tim Green’s gripping Football Genius series, Troy must fight hard to win big. Perfect for fans of Mike Lupica. Troy's dreams of the big time have backfired. Sure, he's moved to New Jersey to start his new job as "genius" for the New York Jets, but his dad has taken his entire salary, leaving Troy and his mom broke. Instead of going to the private school of his dreams and playing for a football powerhouse, he's going to be part of a team with an unbroken losing streak. But Troy isn’t giving up without a fight. As soon as he convinces Seth to coach his public school team, Troy feels ready for a perfect season. But when his knack for calling plays slips and his abilities as a quarterback are threatened, he has to dig deep to prove all the naysayers wrong. And it will take all of Troy's football genius to get this team to a perfect season.

“[Freeman is] an excellent storyteller.” —Sports Illustrated The 1972 Miami Dolphins, under the expert leadership of legendary coach Don Shula, remain to this day the only team in the National Football League ever to enjoy a perfect season with no defeats and no ties. Now, 40 years after sports history was made, acclaimed sports writer Mike Freeman celebrates the Dolphins’ singular achievement in Undefeated. A riveting story filled with heartbreaking injuries, miraculous finishes, and tested relationships—featuring a roster of gridiron greats, including Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Mercury Morris, Nick Buoniconti and others—Undefeated follows a underdog team on its remarkable run: 14 regular season victories, 2 postseason wins, and a Super Bowl championship. It is a book no football fan will want to miss.

An inspiring portrait of the extraordinary high-school football team whose quest for perfection sustains its hometown in the heartland The football team in Smith Center, Kansas, has won sixty-seven games in a row, the nation's longest high-school winning streak. They have done so by embracing a philosophy of life taught by their legendary coach, Roger Barta: "Respect each other, then learn to love each other and together we are champions." But as they embarked on a quest for a fifth consecutive title in the fall of 2008, they faced a potentially destabilizing transition: the greatest senior class in school history had graduated, and Barta was contemplating retirement after three decades on the sidelines. In Smith Center--population: 1,931--this changing of the guard was seismic. Hours removed from the nearest city, the town revolves around "our boys" in a way that goes to the heart of what America's heartland is today. Joe Drape, a Kansas City native and an award-winning sportswriter for The New York Times, moved his family to Smith Center to discover what makes the team and the town an inspiration even to those who live hundreds of miles away. His stories of the coaches, players, and parents reveal a community fighting to hold on to a way of life that is rich in value, even as its economic fortunes decline. Drape's moving portrait of Coach Barta and the impressive young men of Smith Center is sure to take its place among the more memorable American sports stories of recent years.

Publishing on the 50th anniversary of that magic season, the definitive chronicle of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only undefeated team in NFL history—from an award-winning literary sportswriter The 1972 Miami Dolphins had something to prove. Losers in the previous Super Bowl, a ragtag bunch of overlooked, underappreciated, or just plain old players, they were led by Don Shula, a genius young coach obsessed with obliterating the reputation that he couldn’t win the big game. And as the Dolphins headed into only their seventh season, all eyes were on Miami. For the last time, a city was hosting both national political conventions, and the backdrop to this season of redemption would be turbulent: the culture wars, the Nixon reelection campaign, the strange, unfolding saga of Watergate, and the war in Vietnam. Generational and cultural divides abounded on the team as well. There were long-haired, bell-bottomed party animals such as Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich, as well as the stylish Marv Fleming and Curtis Johnson, with his supernova afro, playing alongside conservative, straight-laced men like the quarterbacks: Bob Griese and the crew-cut savior, 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall. Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, nicknamed “Butch and Sundance,” had to make way for a third running back, the outspoken and flamboyant Mercury Morris. But unlike the fractious society around them, this racially and culturally diverse group found a way to meld seamlessly into a team. The perfect team. Marshall Jon Fisher’s Seventeen and Oh is a compelling, fast-paced account of a season unlike any other.

The 1987 NCAA championship football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the University of Miami Hurricanes is often considered the most memorable championship game in all of college football history. Both teams were undefeated going into the game, but the Hurricanes were heavily favored, as they had demolished each of their opponents during the regular season. Penn State pulled off of the most surprising upsets on January 2, 1987, by handing the University of Miami team its only loss of the season. The Perfect Season, with help from the Penn State players involved, Missanelli retells the story not just of this championship game but also of Penn States entire season. Beginning with its Orange Bowl loss in 1985, Missanelli recounts the glorious 1986 season through the eyes of those Penn State athletes. The book also focuses on the medias buildup of the national championship, explaining why the University of Miami team was considered the villain in this battle.

In 1964, the Evansville College Purple Aces raced undefeated through the Indiana Collegiate Conference, posting a perfect 24–0 regular-season record and winning the College Division NCAA championship. The skeleton of this season exists in newspaper archives and in books that capture the on-court action, but the flesh and blood has never been written—until now. This is the story of Russell Grieger, a starting guard, and his observations, feelings, reactions, and struggles of that season. It provides a game-by-game look into the team, showcasing Grieger's teammates, Coach Arad McCutchan, and Evansville's love for the Aces. The Perfect Season is an insider's inspiring story of a team whose motto—"If you're going to go, go big time or don't go at all"—inspired them to achieve their dream.

For a limited time, the "New York Times" bestselling "Football Genius" by former NFL star player Tim Green is available for FREE. This special promo ebook includes an excerpt of "Deep Zone," the companion to "Football Genius, " as well as excerpts of "Football Hero, Football Champ, " and "The Big Time" as well as each of the Baseball Great novels ("Baseball Great, Rivals," and" Best of the Best"). In addition, Tim has written a piece exclusively for the promo ebook about his first game in the NFL; it's not to be missed! Troy White can predict any football play before it happens. And when his single mom gets a job with the Atlanta Falcons, Troy knows it's his big chance to help them out of their slump--and finally prove his football genius. But unless Troy can convince star linebacker Seth Halloway that he's telling the truth, the Falcons' championship--and Troy's mom's job--are in serious jeopardy.

Kiley and Mansfield have co-authored this new book, which has been heralded variously as “an inspirational story of how faith, persistence, desire and brotherhood can make great things happen,” “recollections that the contributors all agree molded their lives while at the same time adding a valued quality of life for each of them,” “The story of young men coming of age in the sixties and how they continued the relationships throughout their lifetimes” and “those heady days of 1961...brought back to life from the unique perspective of the men on the field. I found it hard to put down and was left wanting more when I was finished.” Fontbonne University President emeritus Dr. Dennis C. Golden has written, “In 1961...legendary head football coach Mr. Joe Thomas, his staff and players committed themselves to actualizing their once-in-a-lifetime core value of becoming the first untied and undefeated team in Chaminade history.”

The 1987 NCAA championship football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the University of Miami Hurricanes is often considered the most memorable championship game in all of college football history. Both teams were undefeated going into the game, but the Hurricanes were heavily favored, as they had demolished each of their opponents during the regular season. Penn State pulled off of the most surprising upsets on January 2, 1987, by handing the University of Miami team its only loss of the season. The Perfect Season, with help from the Penn State players involved, Missanelli retells the story not just of this championship game but also of Penn States entire season. Beginning with its Orange Bowl loss in 1985, Missanelli recounts the glorious 1986 season through the eyes of those Penn State athletes. The book also focuses on the medias buildup of the national championship, explaining why the University of Miami team was considered the villain in this battle.

The San Francisco 49ers entered the 1984 season determined to erase the memory of their three point loss to the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game the year before. Nineteen games later, they had not only won the Super Bowl, they had redefined NFL history by becoming the first team to win 18 games in a single season. Led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh and future Hall of Fame players Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Fred Dean, the 1984 San Francisco 49ers finished the season with just one defeat. A Nearly Perfect Season: The Inside Story of the 1984San Francisco 49ers chronicles the story of one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Through in-depth research and extensive interviews, Chris Willis details every aspect of this memorable season, from the preseason training camp through Super Bowl XIX. Inside stories from the 49ers are brought to life in colorful detail, including Joe Montana’s penchant for stealing teammates’ bikes during camp, the players’ pre-game superstitions, and what went on in the 49ers’ locker room before Super Bowl XIX. In addition, Chris Willis had complete access to Bill Walsh’s game plans and meeting tapes, revealing the intense preparation the coach and his staff went through to give their team the greatest chance for success on the field. Featuring original interviews with more than 30 players from the team—including Dwaine Board, Roger Craig, Fred Dean, Keith Fahnhorst, Riki Ellison, Guy McIntyre, and Keena Turner—and interviews with the coaches and the general manager, this book provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of a season to remember.