Best Selling Books by Don Yaeger

Scott Drew, head basketball coach of the NCAA National Championship-winning Baylor Bears, rebuilt a program mired in scandal by instilling a culture of putting Jesus first. The Road to J.O.Y. is packed with leadership and coaching lessons that can equip any leader to make their team a championship team. When Drew accepted the head coaching position at Baylor in 2003, the job was arguably the worst in all of college sports. The men’s basketball team had been disgraced by scandal: one player murdered a teammate, and the head coach who lied about the details tried to conceal illegal cash payments to his players, including a false allegation that the murdered player had been dealing drugs. It was an unprecedented story and a national embarrassment. Still, Coach Drew had a confident vision of what the program could be, even in the face of such adversity, and he guided his team to the pinnacle of success—Baylor’s first National Championship—while leading with, and living out, his faith. The Road to J.O.Y. shares: Biblical principles that have helped Coach Scott Drew lead well through challenging times An insider’s look at the others-first culture that spurred Baylor’s rebound Coach’s wisdom for investing in others and creating a successful organization The leadership lessons Drew has learned from growing up in a famous basketball family and years of coaching How faith is the foundation for everything Drew does With equal parts inspirational memoir and personal and professional growth, The Road to J.O.Y. is perfect for anyone who is looking to better live out their faith, lead a team, achieve a goal, or mentor others.

The UCLA Bruins coach pays tribute to the individuals who helped foster the values that shaped his career, and shares interviews with people he mentored throughout the years, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.

The youngest living Medal of Honor recipient delivers an unforgettable memoir that "will inspire every reader” (Jim Mattis) NATIONAL BESTSELLER | A Marine Commandant''s Reading List selection On November 21, 2010, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter was posted atop a building in violent Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when an enemy grenade skittered toward Kyle and fellow Marine Nick Eufrazio. Without hesitation, Kyle chose a path of selfless heroism that few can imagine. He jumped on the grenade, saving Nick but sacrificing his own body. Kyle Carpenter’s heart flatlined three times while being evacuated off the battlefield in Afghanistan. Yet his spirit was unbroken. Severely wounded from head to toe, Kyle lost his right eye as well as most of his jaw. It would take dozens of surgeries and almost three years in and out of the hospital to reconstruct his body. From there, he began the process of rebuilding his life. What he has accomplished in the last nine years is extraordinary: he’s come back a stronger, better, wiser person. In 2014, Kyle was awarded the nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his “singular act of courage” on that rooftop in Afghanistan, an action which had been reviewed exhaustively by the military. Kyle became the youngest living recipient of the award–and only the second living Marine so honored since Vietnam. Kyle’s remarkable memoir reveals a central truth that will inspire every reader: Life is worth everything we’ve got. It is the story of how one man became a so-called hero who willingly laid down his life for his brother-in-arms—and equally, it is a story of rebirth, of how Kyle battled back from the gravest challenge to forge a life of joyful purpose. You Are Worth It is a memoir about the war in Afghanistan and Kyle’s heroics, and it is also a manual for living. Organized around the credos that have guided Kyle’s life (from “Don’t Hide Your Scars” to “Call Your Mom”), the book encourages us to become our best selves in the time we’ve been given on earth. Above all, it’s about finding purpose, regardless of the hurdles that may block our way. Moving and unforgettable, You Are Worth It is an astonishing memoir from one of our most extraordinary young leaders.

The NFL champion whose life inspired the hit movie The Blind Side is back with an inspiring and motivating book on overcoming any obstacle, no matter how tough the odds Millions of people became part of Michael Oher’s story when they watched a version of him on the big screen; read his memoir, I Beat the Odds; or cheered him on from the stands. After speaking to so many of them over the years, Oher knows that more than anything, people want to believe great things can happen, even when the situation looks bleak. His story of overcoming the toughest of odds serves as their hope. Oher’s life has had a lot of unexpected highs: a college degree; four beautiful, healthy children and a happy marriage; drafted in the first round; a Super Bowl victory; and a second chance to play in the “big game.” He’s also run up against quite a few walls: poverty, hunger, homelessness, struggles in school, bullying, job loss, brain injury, anxiety, and depression. What he knows now is that your wall can be your opportunity. In When Your Back’s Against the Wall, he offers encouragement and shows readers how to get back up—again, and again, and again.

Business lessons from one of the greatest Olympic teams of all time It''s been called the greatest upset of all time, the most memorable Olympic moment ever, the "Miracle on Ice." No matter which superlative is used, no one can deny that the U.S. men''s hockey team''s defeat of the Soviet Union in the medal round of the Lake Placid Olympic Games was a defining moment for Cold War America. The U.S. team''s goalie was a Boston University student named Jim Craig, who is now a leadership expert and keynote speaker to business audiences. Gold Medal Strategies gives you Craig''s unique lessons from the "Miracle" team on team dynamics, leadership, motivation, and other important management topics. With his unparalleled perspective, Craig dissects and analyzes the elements of a successful team, how to assemble one, and what philosophies will keep the team''s shared goal a reality. This book outlines the necessary skills and details the specific techniques you need to maximize your business readiness, hone competitive cooperation, gather your strategies, and attack your challengers.

“Those kids are my heroes and by actively deciding to help them continue their fight with a little more hope, you’re one of my heroes, too.”—Michael Jordan, from the Introduction Poignant stories from this nation’s best loved athletes include Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, John Cena, Bethany Hamilton, Danica Patrick, Tony Hawk, the New England Patriots, and many more. Imagine a seriously ill child who gets to make one wish . . . and that wish is to meet you. How would you measure up? Wish Granted shows how twenty-five of the most celebrated professional athletes of all time answered this question by sharing what it is like to transform the lives of Make-A-Wish kids. You will find out that these wishes are game changers, not just for the kids . . . for the athletes themselves. Some, like record-breaking gold medalist Michael Phelps, discover the tremendous impact wish kids have had on wish granters’ perspectives, on their understanding of real strength, and on how we all want to live our lives. Sports fans will be thrilled to get an insider’s look into the deeply personal moments of their favorite superstars, and every reader will find inspiration in the amazing gift of human connection.

"Never die easy. Why run out of bounds and die easy? Make that linebacker pay. It carries into all facets of your life. It''s okay to lose, to die, but don''t die without trying, without giving it your best." His legacy is towering. Walter Payton—the man they called Sweetness, for the way he ran—remains the most prolific running back in the history of the National Football League, the star of the Chicago Bears'' only Super Bowl Championship, eleven times voted the most popular sports figure in Chicago''s history. Off the field, he was a devoted father whose charitable foundation benefited tens of thousands of children each year, and who—faced with terminal liver disease—refused to use his celebrity to gain a preferential position for organ donation. Walter Payton was not just a football hero; he was America''s hero. Never Die Easy is Walter Payton''s autobiography, told from the heart. Growing up poor in Mississippi, he took up football to get girls'' attention, and went on to become a Black College All-American at tiny Jackson State (during which time he was also a finalist in a Soul Train dance contest). Drafted by the Bears in 1975, he predicted that he would last only five years but went on to play thirteen extraordinary seasons, a career earning him regular acknowledgment as one of the greatest players in the history of professional football. And when his playing days were over, he approached business and charity endeavors with the same determination and success he had brought to the football field, always putting first his devotion to friends and family. His ultimate battle with illness truly proved him the champion he always had been and prompted a staggering outpouring of love and support from hundreds of thousands of friends and admirers. Written with veteran journalist and author Don Yaeger in the last weeks of Walter Payton''s life, Never Die Easy presents Walter''s singular voice—warm, plainspoken, funny, self-aware—along with the voices of the friends, family, teammates, and business associates who knew him best at all stages of his life, including his wife, Connie, and their children, Brittney and Jarrett; his teammate and friend Matt Suhey; former Bears head coach Mike Ditka; and many, many others. Walter made Don Yaeger promise that his book would be "inspirational and leave people with some kind of lesson . . . and make sure you spell all the words right." Never Die Easy keeps all those promises.

John Smoltz was one of the greatest Major League pitchers of the late twentieth / early twenty-first century—one of only two in baseball history ever to achieve twenty wins and fifty saves in single seasons—and now he shares the candid, no-holds-barred story of his life, his career, and the game he loves in Starting and Closing. A Cy Young Award-winner, future Baseball Hall of Famer, and currently a broadcaster for his former team, the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz delivers a powerful memoir with the kind of fascinating insight into game that made Moneyball a runaway bestseller, plus a heartfelt and truly inspiring faith and religious conviction, similar to what illuminates each page of Tim Tebow’s smash hit memoir, Through My Eyes.

USA Today Bestseller Jack Nicklaus II shares stories, insights, and lessons he’s learned from his father, the “Golden Bear,” that will delight golf fans of all ages, encourage fathers, and inspire readers to focus on what’s most important in life: family. Best Seat in the House, written with New York Times bestselling author Don Yaeger, gives us eighteen valuable lessons that Jack Nicklaus II learned from his father, PGA champion Jack Nicklaus. Although the “Golden Bear,” as he is known by fans, is widely regarded as the best golfer of all time, with a record number of PGA major championships, his life and values show that true legacy lives on through your children, grandchildren, and others we are blessed to call family and friends. For the first time, the public is given the opportunity to see what made Jack Nicklaus an off-course success, including how he and his wife, Barbara, fashioned fifty-plus years of marriage, understanding that they both had to give of themselves “at least 95 percent of the time” the importance of having boundaries and limits that everyone in the family agrees on how Nicklaus taught his son Jack, who worked as his caddie for several years, to value his competitors and treat them as he would hope to be treated the need to be connected to what we’ll leave behind: our legacies One June day, Jack Nicklaus II had just completed his second round in a Palm Beach County Junior Golf Association tournament and was sitting at the scorer’s table, signing his scorecard, when somebody told him his dad was on the telephone. He was a little frustrated because he didn’t want to be bothered on such an important day, but his dad wanted to know how he had played, so Jack II spent the next twenty minutes detailing every hole and every shot. Afterward, his father said, “Jackie, would you like to know how your dad did today?” Of course he wanted to know, and he felt a little guilty for not asking. “Well, I just won the US Open.” It was Father’s Day 1980, and on that day Jack II learned a valuable lesson that he carried with him into adulthood: family is more important than anything in the world.

There is nothing more magical than watching a team come together, to manage adversity as a group, selflessly give to others, to find common purpose. Inspiring that to happen year-in and year-out is what keeps us in leadership. Don Yaeger has studied the best of the best. Now it is our turn to study this book.--Mike Krzyzewski, five-time NCAA Tournament Champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winning Basketball coach, Duke University Men''s Basketball What makes a team great? Not just good. Not just functional. But great? Over the last six years, long-time Sports Illustrated associate editor Don Yaeger has been invited by some of the greatest companies in the world to speak about the habits of high-performing individuals. Delivering an average of 80 keynote speeches per year, Don was approached by his most consistent client, Microsoft, to develop a talk on what allowed some teams to play at a championship level year after year. From Microsoft and Starbucks to the New England Patriots and San Antonio Spurs, what do some organizations do seemingly better than most all of their opponents? Don took the challenge. He began building into his travel schedule opportunities to interview our generation''s greatest team builders from the sports and business worlds. During this process, he has conducted more than 100 interviews with some of the most successful teams and organizations in the country. From those interviews, Don has identified 16 habits that drive these high-performing teams. Building on the stories, examples, and first-hand accounts, each chapter in Great Teams comes with applicable examples on how to apply these characteristics in any organization. Great Teams is the ultimate intersection of the sports and business worlds and a powerful companion for thought leaders, teams, managers, and organizations that seek to perform similarly. The insight shared in this book is sure to enhance any team in its pursuit of excellence. Great Teams Understand the "Why" Great Teams Allow Culture to Shape Who They Recruit Great Teams Run Successful Huddles Great Teams Manage Dysfunction, Friction, and Strong Personalities Great Teams See Value Others Miss Great Teams Know How to Win in Critical Situations Great Teams Embrace Change Great Teams Build a Mentoring Culture Great Teams Have a Rallying Cry It takes a special formula to construct championship quality teams and in this book by Don Yaeger you will be able to see how great teams are formulated. Don Yaeger is Awesome, baby, with a capital "A" -Dick Vitale, Hall of Fame broadcaster, ESPN Everyone wants to work on or play on a Great Team. The differentiator I''ve noticed is that the best teams pay close attention to and protect their culture and their people. Don Yaeger shows in this book that the same lessons are true on the sporting fields. There''s much to be learned within these pages and I know you''ll enjoy. -Gary Kelly, CEO and Chairman of Southwest Airlines There are so many parallels between building a great sports team and building a corporate one, not the least of which that great culture makes amazing things possible. Great Teams by Don Yaeger provides a roadmap for all of us...in either of those worlds.--GJ Hart, CEO, California Pizza Kitchen

"A gripping, narrative history of the classic American story of Clarence Darrow and the Scopes Monkey Trial, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Russia Hoax"--

Mike Pressler walked into the bottomfloor meeting room of the Murray Building and, as he had done hundreds of times over a sixteen-year career at Duke University, prepared to address his men''s lacrosse team. Forty-six players sat in theater-style chairs, all eyes riveted forward. It was 4:35 P.M. on Wednesday, April 5, 2006. The program''s darkest hour had arrived in an unexpected and explosive announcement. Pressler, a three-time ACC Coach of the Year, informed his team that its season was canceled and he had "resigned," effective immediately. While his words reverberated off the walls, hysteria erupted. Players cried, confused over a course of events that had spun wildly out of control. What began as an off-campus team party with two hired strippers had accelerated into a rape investigation -- one that exposed prosecutorial misconduct, shoddy police work, an administration''s rush to judgment, and the media''s disregard for the facts -- dividing both a prestigious university and the city of Durham. Wiping away tears, Pressler demonstrated the steely resolve that helped him win more than two hundred games. For the next thirty minutes, Pressler put his personal situation aside and encouraged his players to stick together. He also made a bold promise: "One day, we will get a chance to tell the world the truth. One day." This is that day. Pressler, who has not done an interview since the saga began, has handed his private diary from those three weeks to New York Times bestselling author Don Yaeger, exposing vivid details, including the day Pressler was fired, when the coach asked Athletic Director Joe Alleva why the school "wasn''t willing to wait for the truth" to come out. "It''s not about the truth anymore," Alleva said to the coach in a signature moment that said it all. In addition to Pressler, Yaeger interviewed more than seventy-five key figures intimately involved in the case. The result is a tale that defies logic. "It is tough to be one of fifty people who believed a story when fifty million people believed something else," Pressler said. "This wasn''t about the truth to many of the others involved. My story is all about the truth."

GREATNESS is a motivational book whose target audience is found in business and self-help. It is a life book, aimed at inspiring others to achieve their personal and professional best. Opening with an in-depth discussion of the nature of Greatness-what it is, what it is not, and why it is worth pursing-each subsequent chapter of the book consists of a detailed story illustrating one aspect of Greatness with examples from the sports greats that Don has interviewed over the years. This will be followed by a discussion and other related examples. There are also practical tips and plans for assisting the reader in implementing new habits, routines, practices, and philosophies of Greatness into his or her daily life. As each characteristic is outlined, the reader is challenged to look for areas in his or her professional and personal lives that can be improved by embracing these lessons. As Don often says during his speeches, "Though these characteristics are culled from some of the greatest winners in sports, not a single one requires you to be able to touch your toes! These iconic figures in sports have provided a classroom for us to learn about their pursuit of Greatness. You don''t have to be good at sports - heck, you don''t even have to like sports - to benefit from their lessons." It is the strong belief of those who Don has talked to over the years that greatness is available to all of us. Not in the same way or on the same field, mind you. But we all have the capacity to achieve greatness if we''ll give the same dedication to these characteristics as do the winners presented and interviewed in GREATNESS.

John Smoltz was one of the greatest Major League pitchers of the late twentieth / early twenty-first century—one of only two in baseball history ever to achieve twenty wins and fifty saves in single seasons—and now he shares the candid, no-holds-barred story of his life, his career, and the game he loves in Starting and Closing. A Cy Young Award-winner, future Baseball Hall of Famer, and currently a broadcaster for his former team, the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz delivers a powerful memoir with the kind of fascinating insight into game that made Moneyball a runaway bestseller, plus a heartfelt and truly inspiring faith and religious conviction, similar to what illuminates each page of Tim Tebow’s smash hit memoir, Through My Eyes.

Learn how to capture—and keep—the awesome power of momentum! Most leaders believe in momentum—a phenomenon that''s easy to perceive but difficult to define. Which is why so few have been able to explain how to spark it, sustain it, or steer it to unbridled success. Until now. In this groundbreaking book, bestselling author Don Yaeger and leadership expert Bernie Banks uncover what it takes to turn a single moment into unstoppable momentum. Drawing from eight years of research, over 250 interviews, and thousands of survey responses, they reveal a proven model for building momentum across sports, business, politics, and the military. You''ll learn how to: Recognize the early spark of momentum and act on it. Build a culture that sustains momentum over time. Apply a research-backed model used by top leaders. Reignite momentum when it begins to fade. Whether you''re leading a team or an entire organization, this book will help you harness momentum in every aspect of an enterprise—from team building to recruitment to communications—and make it last.

In 1963, Dick Portillo built a 6'' x 12'' trailer with no running water or bathroom and opened a simple hot dog stand in Villa Park, Illinois. He called it "The Dog House." More than 50 years and 50 locations later, his namesake Portillo''s restaurants are a Windy City institution, famous for perfect, Chicago-style dogs. In Out of the Dog House, Portillo tells the incredible story of his life, sharing the ingenuity and hard-earned wisdom that went into building a beloved restaurant chain. From a modest childhood as the son of Greek and Mexican immigrants, to the core principles that became essential in growing a national business, this is a singular, at times surprising, tale of how one man crafted his own American dream, one hot dog at a time.

When George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. Instead, Washington rallied—thanks in large part to a little-known, top-secret group called the Culper Spy Ring. He realized that he couldn’t defeat the British with military might, so he recruited a sophisticated and deeply secretive intelligence network to infiltrate New York. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger have offered fascinating portraits of these spies: a reserved Quaker merchant, a tavern keeper, a brash young longshoreman, a curmudgeonly Long Island bachelor, a coffeehouse owner, and a mysterious woman. Long unrecognized, the secret six are finally receiving their due among the pantheon of American heroes.

An NFL star running back recounts his struggles with depression in the aftermath of his mother''s sudden death, an event that placed him at the head of his large family, inspired his athletic career, and prompted his taboo pursuit of counseling.

Originally published in hardcover by Scribner in 2013.

Another history pageturner from the authors of the #1 bestsellers George Washington''s Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates. The War of 1812 saw America threatened on every side. Encouraged by the British, Indian tribes attacked settlers in the West, while the Royal Navy terrorized the coasts. By mid-1814, President James Madison’s generals had lost control of the war in the North, losing battles in Canada. Then British troops set the White House ablaze, and a feeling of hopelessness spread across the country. Into this dire situation stepped Major General Andrew Jackson. A native of Tennessee who had witnessed the horrors of the Revolutionary War and Indian attacks, he was glad America had finally decided to confront repeated British aggression. But he feared that President Madison’s men were overlooking the most important target of all: New Orleans. If the British conquered New Orleans, they would control the mouth of the Mississippi River, cutting Americans off from that essential trade route and threatening the previous decade’s Louisiana Purchase. The new nation’s dreams of western expansion would be crushed before they really got off the ground. So Jackson had to convince President Madison and his War Department to take him seriously, even though he wasn’t one of the Virginians and New Englanders who dominated the government. He had to assemble a coalition of frontier militiamen, French-speaking Louisianans,Cherokee and Choctaw Indians, freed slaves, and even some pirates. And he had to defeat the most powerful military force in the world—in the confusing terrain of the Louisiana bayous. In short, Jackson needed a miracle. The local Ursuline nuns set to work praying for his outnumbered troops. And so the Americans, driven by patriotism and protected by prayer, began the battle that would shape our young nation’s destiny. As they did in their two previous bestsellers, Kilmeade and Yaeger make history come alive with a riveting true story that will keep you turning the pages. You’ll finish with a new understanding of one of our greatest generals and a renewed appreciation for the brave men who fought so that America could one day stretch “from sea to shining sea.”

Based on 300 hours of interviews with coaches, athletic directors, student-athletes, and NCAA officials, Undue Process examines the NCAA''s system of "justice" -- the organization''s history and its growth in power over the years, the lack of due process for its accused, its guilty-until-proven-innocent attitude, and its 100 percent conviction rate.

The mass market edition of the New York Times Bestseller. This is the little-known story of how a newly independent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America''s third president decided to stand up to intimidation. When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute far beyond what the new country could afford. Jefferson found it impossible to negotiate with the leaders of the Barbary states, who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy, so President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy''s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli--launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America''s journey toward future superpower status. As they did in George Washington''s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many suspenseful episodes: · Lieutenant Andrew Sterett''s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli. · Lieutenant Stephen Decatur''s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates'' hands. · General William Eaton''s 500-mile march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time.

A page-turning middle-grade adaptation of the New York Times bestseller about George Washington''s top-secret spy ring that helped defeat the British. The American Revolution is well under way in 1776, but things are looking bleak for General George Washington and his Continental Army. With Washington''s hasty retreat from New York City in August, many think the war might soon be over. After all: how on earth is this ragtag group going to defeat its enemy, the well-trained and well-funded military of the largest empire in history? But Washington soon realizes he can''t win with military might. Instead, he must outsmart the British, so he creates a sophisticated intelligence network: the top-secret Culper Spy Ring. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger tell the fascinating stories of these long unrecognized spies: a reserved merchant, a tavern keeper, a brash young longshoreman, a curmudgeonly Long Island bachelor, a coffeehouse owner, and a mysterious woman. This vivid and accessible young readers adaptation of the New York Times bestseller features an exclusive new introduction, extensive back matter, and eye-catching art throughout. Chronicling a crucial moment in American history, this historical thriller will excite and inspire the next generation of patriots.

Explosive and controversial, this expos uncovers the exploitation of college, high school, and even junior high basketball players by the billion-dollar atheltic shoe companies competing for national endorsements. photo insert.

"In order that there will be no misunderstanding regarding the eligibility of a candidate, the recipient of the award must be a bona fide student of an accredited university. The recipient must be in compliance with the bylaws defining an NCAA student." -- From the ballot for the Heisman Trophy December 10, 2005: Amid a roaring ovation and media crush, with his family standing proudly by his side, Reginald Alfred Bush is named the year''s Heisman Trophy winner. With his honest demeanor, effervescent smile and, of course, stunning talent displayed on the fields of the University of Southern California, Reggie Bush is, on that celebratory night, the portrait of a great American sportsman, and the pinnacle of everything the NCAA espouses in its athletes. What America didn''t know about the acclaimed college star was that, in direct violation of NCAA policies, Bush and his family had allegedly taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts long before he ever laid his hands on the Heisman. The rumors first surfaced one week before the 2006 NFL draft: allegations of improper benefits that transformed Bush''s final year at USC into a financial windfall. The resulting scandal from such charges could mark one of the darkest chapters in college football history. Now, drawn together for the first time in Tarnished Heisman, the facts are laid bare. Don Yaeger, a former Sports Illustrated investigative reporter who documented the Duke University lacrosse case in the shattering New York Times bestseller It''s Not About the Truth, reveals the heated controversy behind Bush''s high-flying rise before turning pro for the New Orleans Saints, going back to his first taste of fame, when Bush landed in the pages of Sports Illustrated and all eyes were watching to see what was next for the USC sophomore. What few eyes saw, however, were the ties between Bush and two San Diego men, cofounders of a fledgling sports agency, who claim to have paid Bush and his family in cash and gifts to ensure his endorsement -- benefits including a vintage car, lavish trips, and an upscale home where Bush''s family lived rent-free. Don Yaeger exposes the NCAA-prohibited activity in which Bush allegedly engaged, and also shows how USC and its coaching staff appeared to have turned a blind eye to the increasingly luxurious lifestyle of their star athlete and his family. With the explosive information revealed in Tarnished Heisman, Bush stands to be ruled ineligible -- a decision that could cost his alma mater the 2004 national championship title, force the forfeit of every game Bush played in after losing his eligibility, and potentially strip Reggie Bush of the shining prize of his college career: the Heisman Trophy.

Tug McGraw''s "Ya Gotta Believe!" was the rallying cry of the 1973 New York Mets. But it was also the rallying cry of the boisterous left-handed relief pitcher who made millions of fans believe in the impossible, especially when-as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies-he struck out Kansas City''s Willie Wilson to win the 1980 World Series. And when he was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2003, it was the son he denied fathering for seventeen years who came to his rescue-country music star Tim McGraw. Tug was a man who would rise to fame, fall from grace, and become a champion not just in baseball, but in life. From Casey Stengel, Tom Terrific and the Amazin'' Mets; to Lefty, Schmitty, and Pete Rose from the championship Phillies; to his return to baseball; to brain surgery and chemotherapy; Tug McGraw writes openly of his on-field triumphs and off-field antics, of family tragedy and financial problems, and what happens to a professional athlete when the cheering stops. Above all, he turns his no-holds-barred style on his cancer recovery and his ever-evolving relationship with Tim. It wasn''t until his own American Dream threw him a curve that Tug began to understand that "Ya Gotta Believe."

A funny and trilling behind the scences look at the hard cash, big egos, and extreme partying that makes the NFL a multibillion-dollar spectacle.

Look back at the early coaching career of Hall of Famer George Karl, former head coach of the Seattle Supersonics, and one of the most outspoken men in professional basketball. Opinionated and always passionate about the sport, Karl cuts loose with controversial views on the NBA, the players, the media, sports agents, and the many other elements that make the game great--and sometimes screw it up... in This Game''s the Best! So Why Don''t They Quit Screwing With It?

Beating Goliath is a memoir about overcoming loss and keeping faith by the innovative former head coach of the top ranked Baylor Bears college football team. Growing up in Rule, Texas, Art Briles learned at a young age the importance of hard work and faith from his parents. Soon that faith would be tested. On their way to see him play in a college football game, Briles'' parents and aunt died in a car crash. This event shaped Briles into the man he is today. His father, Dennis, left him with a series of lessons. He taught his son that the world doesn''t just hand you things, you have to earn them. And he taught him the influence that faith could have in his life. Briles put these lessons to work as a football coach, where he established his reputation for turning struggling teams into winners, from high school to the staff at Texas Tech to head coach at the University of Houston. Hired to coach Baylor in 2007, he was faced with a familiar task. Within three years, Briles led the Bears to their first bowl game in 15 years. Today, he instills those same lessons into his young players, helping them find a reason to excel. There are plenty of excuses for failure but Briles surrounds himself with people who are fearless when it comes to chasing success. That is one of the many lessons he imparts to his readers, with chapters that include: * God and the Teaching of Dennis Briles * Finding Your Passion * You Can Change Attitude, Not Talent * Passing in the Land of Earl Campbell * Everybody is a Captain Filled with dramatic football stories and lessons learned, this book will inspire and entertain.

This is not your everyday restaurant story. In 2006—before food trucks were cool—Mike Rypka had a used trailer, a red vespa, and a resolute dream of opening a taco joint. Zipping around Austin, Texas, making deliveries and spreading the word, he staked his reputation on a menu of experimental tacos coined by customers as "Damn good!" Over 100 brick-and-mortar locations later, a lot has changed at Torchy''s Tacos, but the dedication to honesty and originality remains—alongside Rypka''s memories of the steppingstones and wild chances that brought him here. In The Devil Is in the Details, bestselling author Don Yaeger takes readers on a madcap journey of redemption, risk and ultimately reward, chronicling the pivotal choices and hard-earned wisdom that went into building a restaurant chain from the ground up. This thrilling story touches all corners of the restaurant industry, from Rypka''s rock-bottom teenage years working his first job as a fry cook, to country clubs and corporate kitchens, to the recent, unprecedented challenge of expanding his business during the coronavirus pandemic. Part love story, part biography, part manifesto. What is depicted in these pages is not just the history of a taco restaurant, but an account of the people behind a beloved brand, its quirky culture and its big heart.

New York Times bestselling author Yaeger tells the electrifying story of the game that broke down the last racial division in college football.