STAR QUARTERBACKS OF THE NFL by Bill Libby

Welcome to Page 19 of I Read That Book! On each Page, I’ll tell you a little about a book I read, often in a fun and informal manner, with the hope that you also may become interested enough to read it – or perhaps read it again if you’ve already enjoyed it once. The books I’ll be featuring come from a variety of genres at differing stages of my life, so whether you prefer history, literature, science fiction, or horror, there’s a good chance you’ll get some interesting ideas for your personal “To Be Read” list. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we flip through the pages of some of my favorite books. But before you start reading below, I invite you to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (coffee for me!) and find a comfortable place to sit, then turn to Page 19.

STAR QUARTERBACKS OF THE NFL by Bill Libby

Publication Date: 1970

Sometimes the best books on our library shelves are the ones we received as gifts when we were young. In 1971, on Christmas morning, I found this amongst my pile of toys under the Christmas tree. The reason I know the date is because I wrote it inside the cover…and while I’m not a fan of defacing books, in many ways this makes it a little more special. And I guess I got some stickers in my stocking that year, because I went a little crazy with them on STAR QUARTERBACKS OF THE NFL (which probably meant that I really liked the book).

I was nine years old at the time, and though I loved baseball best, I’d been watching NFL games for a few years and wanted to know more, especially as I was collecting football cards with all the dimes and nickels I could scrounge up. And after I opened the cover and turned past a couple blank pages, I see this:

And I knew there was no way I could go to bed that night without reading some of STAR QUARTERBACKS OF THE NFL.

Flipping to the next page, nine-year-old me learns that:

In this book Bill Libby tells the stories of ten quarterbacks who dominate the NFL—how they overcame difficulties, developed their talents and skills, and finally helped lead their teams to victory.

It goes on to tell us who we get to read about, all listed nicely here on the table of contents.

The book is part of Random House’s Punt, Pass, and Kick Library, and the back cover lists all the current titles and authors, perfect for future wish lists!

And apparently, I wasn’t finished with my Seventies sticker fun…along with a couple of feet stamps!

I remember how much enjoyment I got out of this as a kid, and it was a lot of fun to learn so much more about these quarterbacks. At the time, I had a great aunt who absolutely loved Joe Namath, so in memory of her, I’m including this paragraph from his chapter:

Broadway Joe and his Jets whooped and hollered. They danced into the dressing room. In the winners’ quarters, the happy sounds were not just those of another team title. They represented the sudden discovery of a league’s equality. “I guess we lived up to my boasts,” Joe said, laughing.

I have many pleasant memories of being a football fan when I was young, along with playing the game with my neighborhood pals. Taking this book off my shelf and flipping through it on this cold November day (the original publication date of this blog on Substack was November 5, 2021) leaves me feeling both a little melancholy and quite fortunate.

If you want to get those fabulous football feelings back from yesteryear, this video is a great way to start.

And don’t forget to join us here again when I flip to the next Page!

Note: The first 32 pages of I Read This Book! originally appeared on Substack.

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