Happy Tuesday, y’all! This week, Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl has given us a genre freebie. Usually, I use these kinds of freebies to share my favorite reads of the past year. But this time I wanted to do something different. I wanted to share some nonfiction books that discuss one of my passions: American football. Football season is almost upon us. It is currently the preseason, and the excitement is building. I am calling these my American football reads: ten books to prepare for football season.
As a child, I read every book my school library had about football. Several, I read multiple times. I remember the school librarian being surprised that a girl was so interested in reading about football. Then again, this was in the early 80s; why would a girl be interested in sports, let alone football? It’s not like anyone in my family pushed me to read those books; they are what I was interested in reading. I still enjoy reading and learning more about something I’m passionate about.
These books are a mix of ones I’ve read, and think more people should read, and ones I hope to read soon. All titles will lead to Goodreads.
Now let’s check out my American football reads!
We Are the Troopers by Stephen Guinan
- Genre: Nonfiction, Women’s History
- Release Date: August 2022
- Before the WNBA, there was the NWFL. The National Women’s Football League existed in the 1970s and was a professional women’s football league. The Troopers are statistically the winningest team in pro football history.
The Forgotten First by Keyshawn Johnson & Bob Glauber
- Genre: Nonfiction, Black History
- Release Date: September 2021
- Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the MLB, Kenny Washington broke the color barrier in the NFL. Washington was quickly followed by Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis. All four men are in the Hall of Fame and are credited with the way several players still play now.
Red Zone by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
- Release Date: October 2022
- Duvernay-Tardif chased two seemingly impossible goals at the same time: playing professional football and becoming a medical doctor. At the beginning of the pandemic, he had to make a difficult decision: leave one dream to answer the call of another.
A Big Mess in Texas by David Fleming
- Genre: Nonfiction, Sports History
- Release Date: October 2025
- If you can name it, it probably happened to the 1952 Dallas Texans.
The Boys of Riverside by Thomas Fuller
- Genre: Nonfiction, Sports History
- Release Date: August 2024
- A high school team with the proverbial deck stacked against them works together against all odds to become an undefeated team.
Walking Miracle by Ryan Shazier & Larry Platt
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
- Release Date: November 2021
- After a devastating injury, Shazier fights to return to the football field.
Sanctioned Savagery by Michael Oriard
- Genre: Nonfiction
- Release Date: September 2025
- Football is a violent sport. While it has improved, it still takes a toll on the players’ bodies, particularly their brains. But is the violence still desired by the players and fans?
Madden & Summerall by Rich Podolsky
- Genre: Nonfiction, TV History
- Release Date: September 2025
- Anyone familiar with American football is likely familiar with the name John Madden. And to a lesser extent, his longtime broadcast partner Pat Summerall.
Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin
- Genre: Nonfiction, Indigenous
- Release Date: January 2017
- A look at the US government’s persecution of Indigenous culture, and a group of young men who overcame significant obstacles to prove themselves on the football field.
Football Is a Number Game by Matthew Coller
- Genre: Nonfiction, Business
- Release Date: October 2023
- An NFL fan from an unlikely background starts compiling stats using his system. Over time, he recruits like-minded friends, and they create one of the most prolific sources for football stats used by every team and most broadcasters.
And that’s my football reads! Have you read any of these books? What is something you were passionate about as a child and still enjoy?
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my other bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
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Loved Boys of Riverside!
Oh, this is fun!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Fab list!
A few other people picked football or sports in general this week, too. I hope you all find each other’s posts. 😂
Fun take on this! I’m more of a baseball reader, but found some of these titles intriguing.
I enjoy baseball too, actually I enjoy most sports, but football is my first love.
My mom loved football, too. The TV always used to be on Sunday afternoons and I was always bored by it. 😉 She hasn’t been watching it now for a few years but I think sometimes, for whatever reasons, we kind of fall away from some of our former hobbies. Thanks so much for visiting my list today!
When I’m not working in the fall, the TV is on during football season. There are a couple of announcers I do not like listening too, and as such may not watch that particular game.
LOL! I remember what a big deal it was when we had powder puff football one year. Yep, one year. That stuff really didn’t fly so well in the ‘80s, did it? I hope you have a great football season.
I am not into football myself, but great you’ve stuck with this hobby through life. Interesting, how you first picked it up as a child, if your family didn’t affect you.
I hope you enjoy your books. They look like good ones. I never got into football. I’m more a baseball fan. Enjoy!
That’s a lot of football books! I haven’t read any of them, but then again I’ve never been much of a sports fan (and when I was, it was baseball). Football does make me think of fall, though, and I’m READY FOR AUTUMN for sure.
A couple of these are more about people and their lives outside of football. Red Zone was an interesting read, seeing how he stepped away from the game for a year to do what he felt was right during the pandemic.
Okay, so they’re football and football adjacent books, then. 😉 There’s still more of them than I realized.
What a fun list, Pam! I need to share it with my husband. Thanks for sharing.
https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-things.html
I know very little about sports in general, and I know even less about American football! I only know about them from American movies and tv shows, but that’s about it. I do enjoy sports stories though! I may check out some of these.
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
There are a couple on the list that are more about the person’s life outside of football, or maybe how football influenced their lives outside of sports.
What a fun post!! Don’t forget Paper Lion by George Plimpton! Alan Alada was in the movie! It and this are my faves: McMahon!: The Bare Truth About Chicago’s Brashest Bear
by Jim McMahon and Bob Verdi
It is fun to learn this about you! I like watching football (in person), but I have never read a nonfiction book about it.
These are all totally new to me ones! Not really a sports fan myself so not sure these would hold my attention as much. Lol.
Thanks for visiting my TTT!
Such a range of different non-fiction genres covered here!
I admit, I don’t read a lot of sport-related books myself, but I keep contemplating trying some rugby-related ones… maybe I’ll even learn some of the more esoteric rugby laws properly that way… 😆 Wales just got one of our players back from American football, Louis Rees-Zammit; really hope your lot haven’t ruined him, he was our best winger! 😝
I bought my husband The Boys of Riverside. He’s a big American football fan, might have to look at some of these other ones for him.
These do look perfect for football season. Thanks for sharing!
Our football season, which is for Aussie Rules, is just coming towards the finals! I am pretty happy this year as my team is currently at the top of the table.
I’ve started watching AFL this year, and loving it! I’m still getting a grip on the rules, but so far I have no complaints.
Clever topic! I’m not really a sports/sports books person, but I’m impressed with how many specific ones you’ve found!
This is a fantastic list! “We Are the Troopers” and “The Forgotten First” sound especially interesting. I love how you’ve included books with such diverse perspectives. Thanks for sharing these great recommendations to get ready for the season!
Despite watching a lot of football over the years, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about football. These are actually really great suggestions for the football fans in our lives. Thank you for sharing!
Fun take on the topic! I have to admit that the only football related books I’ve read have been sports romances. But American football is als not the type of footie that’s popular in Indonesia either, heh.
My two (much) older brothers played football, but injuries ended their playing days before I can even remember them. My nephews played, and it wasn’t until they started playing that I learned just the basics about strategy. I’m ambivalent about it, but I had no idea that there were so many different types of nonfiction about the sport. Sanctioned Savagery sounds like a fascinating read.
I love watching college football, but I don’t understand it at all. LOL. My husband and son’s have tried to explain it to me numerous times, but I guess I need to read Football for Dummies or something. 🤣 Have a great week!
I find it fascinating that you loved to read about football. The one book about football I’ve really wanted to read is Friday Night Lights. I grew up in Texas, lol.
Football is a religion in Texas, right?
I was like, oh footbal but then I realized it was american footbal and not soccer haha. Why did they ever have to be so confusing with naming these things, really? I haven’t read any of these. American Football isn’t really a thing here but I can see it lives in the same way as soccer does here.