The Draft: A Year Inside the NFL's Search for Talent - Hardcover

Williams, Pete

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 031235438X ISBN 13: 9780312354381

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 2006

Synopsis

Furnishes behind-the-scenes tour of the 2004-05 NFL draft season, presented from the perspectives of three agents, Atlanta Falcons scouts, and hopefuls, in an account that shares the stories of such prospects as injured defensive end Chris Canty, beloved Virginia player Darryl Blackstock, and soft-spoken Florida State lineman Ray Willis. 30,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Authors

Pete Williams writes about the business of sports for such publications as USA Today and Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal. He is the author or coauthor of six books, including the business motivational book Fun Is Good (with Mike Veeck). Williams lives in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area with his family. Visit his Web site at www.petewilliams.net.

Pete Williams writes about the business of sports for such publications as USA Today and Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal. He is the author or coauthor of six books, including the business motivational book Fun Is Good (with Mike Veeck). Williams lives in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area with his family.

From the Inside Flap

An explosive look at the NFL Draft from the inside out that exposes the multilayered feeding frenzy that swarms around America s top college players.

The Draft follows a handful of NFL hopefuls through the ups and downs of the 2004 college football season and the predraft process, culminating with the 2005 draft. Among the prospects are Virginia defensive end Chris Canty, who overcomes a devastating early-season knee injury to reestablish himself as a top draft hopeful, only to suffer a detached retina in a nightclub skirmish; and Fred Gibson, a talented but rail-thin Georgia wide receiver who struggles to put on the weight needed to go over the middle in the NFL.
It s a complex environment, with college coaches attempting to protect their student-athletes from exploitation (while fully aware that they can only remain competitive if they attract NFL-caliber players to their schools), along with sports agents and NFL scouts trying to stay a step ahead of their competition.
These parties provide a multi-angled view of the world of emerging NFL talent. The reader follows the season through the eyes of a host of power players and scouts, from veteran agent Pat Dye Jr. to Jerry Maguire clone Jack Scharf, to the coaching divisions of Florida State University and the University of Virginia---headed by longtime Bill Parcells disciple Al Groh. Also central to the narrative are the Atlanta Falcons and executives Rich McKay and Tim Ruskell (now with Seattle), who use a character-based evaluation system to set their draft board. These parallel stories weave together, culminating in draft weekend, to create a gripping and fascinating look at a world few see from the inside.

Edition details

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 031235438X
• ISBN 13: 9780312354381
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 328