Five football books I'm reading right now:
1. "'Then Levy Said to Kelly...': The Best Buffalo Bills Stories Ever Told:" by Jim Gehman. Favorite part so far -- Andre Reed recalling his first training camp practice as a rookie after the Bills made him the 14th receiver chosen in the 1985 draft. "I remember catching a pass from Vince Ferragamo. It was a deep-in route, and I came across the middle and the ball was a little bit high, so I had to jump for it. The safety hit me right under my legs, and I kind of got flipped a little bit and landed on my back. I got up and went back to the huddle. I knew from there not only that I belonged, but that I could be an impact and play."
2. "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Philadelphia Eagles History:" by Steve Silverman. Favorite part so far -- Former coach Buddy Ryan, explaining why he cut 1,000-yard rusher Earnest Jackson during Ryan's first training camp with Philly: "Why did I cut him? I'll tell you why. He wasn't worth a damn. If we could have gotten something for him, we would have traded him. But he wasn't worth a bag of footballs or a cold six-pack."
3. Winning Youth Football: A Step by Step Plan" by Dave Cisar. Favorite part so far: Cisar on youth football coaches -- "I can't count the number of teams we have 'mercy' ruled that had a coaching staff with matching shirts running a mishmash of ridiculous schemes with players that couldn't block or tackle worth a darn."
4. "The 50 Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Steelers Football History" by Steve Hickoff. Favorite part so far -- Andy Russell on his lumbering, 93-yard fumble return for a touchdown against the Colts in the AFC Divisional playoff in 1975: "That play has been a source of embarrassment for me for years. There have been so many jokes. Ray Mansfield was the one that said NBC cut to a commercial during the return, and came back to catch me score the touchdown."
5. "How Football Explains America" by Sal Paolantonio. Favorite part so far -- Paolantinio's admission that he was on the press elevator at University of Phoenix Stadium, taking play-by-play descriptions from ESPN colleague Mar Schlereth, who was watching at home in Denver, when Giants receiver David Tyree made his memorable catch to set up the winning score in Super Bowl XLII.
-- John Dudley