Autobiography of Johnny Sample (1937-2005), an American football player who played for the Baltimore Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Jets.
Excerpt from the front and back flaps of the dust wrapper: "Now, one year out of football, Johnny tells the full story of his career, sparing no one in as frank and revealing a view of the brutal, mercenary world of professional football as has ever been published. Starting with his high school and college days, Johnny shows what a black athlete's life is all about. He tells of his notorious feud with Otto Graham ..., of his differences with Buddy Parker, the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins. We are given expert, inside accounts of Johnny's championship seasons, of the secret boycott that resulted in his being blackballed from the National League, of the special recruiting methods that exploit black college players, of the mysterious death of his friend, the great Baltimore lineman Big Daddy Lipscomb, and appraisals of the outstanding players Johnny has played against and been teamed with, from Johnny Unitas to Joe Namath."
Sample's autobiography, released not very long after he retired from pro football, is a most direct accounting of his time in the game and life up to that point. Like pitcher Jim Bouton (who penned the controversial Ball Four around the same time) he was viewed as a fringe outsider in his profession, but in reality was among its most meticulous and sure-fire practitioners. He took advantage of every tool at his disposal, including a rating system for opposing players - especially the ones he believed he could easily intimidate. It's a little too quick of a read, though.
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