Every Week a Season: A Journey Inside Big-Time College FootballRandom House Publishing Group, 2007 M12 18 - 320 pages “Brian Curtis tells the stories behind the stories. He brings the meetings, practice sessions, recruiting calls and game day experience to light like never before. Fans who want to know what goes on behind the scenes will find out in this book.” –RON ZOOK, head football coach, the University of Florida In Every Week a Season, acclaimed sports reporter and author Brian Curtis takes readers on an unprecedented whirlwind tour of NCAA Division I football. It’s a world that breeds great drama, a world that millions watch but few understand. It is a multibillion-dollar business. It is an obsession. To get to the beating heart of college football, Curtis embarked on a breakneck itinerary that took him where all red-blooded college football fans long to be: behind the scenes at nine big-time programs. In nine weeks, Curtis visited Colorado State University, the University of Georgia, Boston College, the University of Tennessee, the University of Maryland, the University of Wisconsin, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, and Arizona State University. He braved the rain to watch Wisconsin pull off the upset of the year; he was at Neyland Stadium to see Tennessee manage a thrilling overtime victory; he was in Tallahassee to witness Florida State’s dramatic double overtime battle for the ACC title. As added bonuses, he was with Georgia when the team fought for the SEC Championship, and on the LSU sideline when the boys from Baton Rouge defeated Oklahoma to capture the BCS National Championship. At each stop, he brings us inside the game’s inner sanctum: in team meetings and scouting sessions; on the field and on the sidelines, during scrimmages, practices, and games; at pre-game traditions, meals, and religious services; in the locker room before the game and at half-time. Virtually nothing and no one was off-limits. Along with the players, Curtis got to know the coaches–from the young guns to the legends–spending time with them in their offices and on the road. We see firsthand the challenges of running a major college football program–when called on, coaches must serve as CEOs, PR gurus, lawyers, politicians, and policemen. We also learn of the sacrifices made by wives and children that enable coaches to keep the numerous young athletes under their supervision focused, secure, and happy. Brian Curtis gives a no-holds-barred insider’s account that will rank as one of the most honest and accurate books on big-time sports in America. Short of strapping on a helmet, you’ll never get closer to the game. |
Contents
3 | |
11 | |
Faith in the GameThe University of Georgia | 38 |
Guard on the WatchtowerBoston College | 61 |
Tennessee Inc The University of Tennessee | 82 |
Breakfast with the Fridge The University of Maryland | 109 |
Im In Im OnThe University of Wisconsin | 132 |
Focused on the FutureLouisiana State University | 158 |
Other editions - View all
Every Week a Season: A Journey Inside Big-Time College Football Brian Curtis No preview available - 2005 |
Every Week a Season: A Journey Inside Big-time College Football Brian Curtis No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
Alvarez Arizona Athletic Director Auburn ball Barry Alvarez Bobby Bowden Boston College Bowden bowl games calls Clemson college football Colorado conference crowd defensive staff Dirk Koetter dressed drills end zone fans field goal Florida Friday Friedgen Fulmer game film game plan Georgia guys head coach hits Jimbo Fisher kick kickoff Koetter locker room look Lubick Mark Richt Maryland Matt Mauck Mauck meeting room Miami minutes Monday morning national championship national title Nick Saban night O'Brien offensive coordinator offensive line Oklahoma pass Pelt Phillip Fulmer play players and coaches punt quarterback Ralph Friedgen recruiting Richt running back Saturday says score scout team season Seminole sideline sits South Carolina special teams stadium takes talk tape teams meeting tells Tennessee things Tigers tight end title game touchdown Tuesday walks watching film week Wisconsin yards