Not for Long

The Life and Career of the NFL Athlete

Nonfiction, Sports, Football, Reference, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, African-American Studies
Cover of the book Not for Long by Robert W. Turner II, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robert W. Turner II ISBN: 9780190872854
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: July 6, 2018
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Robert W. Turner II
ISBN: 9780190872854
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: July 6, 2018
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The NFL is the most popular professional sports league in the United States. Its athletes receive multimillion-dollar contracts and almost endless media attention. The league's most important game, the Super Bowl, is practically a national holiday. Making it to the NFL, however, is not about the promised land of fame and fortune. Robert W. Turner II draws on his personal experience as a former professional football player as well as interviews with more than 140 current and former NFL players to reveal what it means to be an athlete in the NFL and explain why so many players struggle with life after football. Without guaranteed contracts, the majority of players are forced out of the league after a few seasons. Over three-quarters of retirees experience bankruptcy or financial ruin, two-thirds live with chronic pain, and too many find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Robert W. Turner II argues that the fall from grace of so many players is no accident. The NFL, he contends, powerfully determines their experiences in and out of the league. The labor agreement provides little job security and few health and retirement benefits, and the owners refuse to share power with the players, making change difficult. And the process of becoming an elite football player--from high school to college and through the pros--leaves athletes with few marketable skills and little preparation for their first Sunday off the field. With compassion and objectivity, Not for Long reveals the life and mind of high school, college, and NFL athletes, shedding light on what might best help players transition successfully out of the sport.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The NFL is the most popular professional sports league in the United States. Its athletes receive multimillion-dollar contracts and almost endless media attention. The league's most important game, the Super Bowl, is practically a national holiday. Making it to the NFL, however, is not about the promised land of fame and fortune. Robert W. Turner II draws on his personal experience as a former professional football player as well as interviews with more than 140 current and former NFL players to reveal what it means to be an athlete in the NFL and explain why so many players struggle with life after football. Without guaranteed contracts, the majority of players are forced out of the league after a few seasons. Over three-quarters of retirees experience bankruptcy or financial ruin, two-thirds live with chronic pain, and too many find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Robert W. Turner II argues that the fall from grace of so many players is no accident. The NFL, he contends, powerfully determines their experiences in and out of the league. The labor agreement provides little job security and few health and retirement benefits, and the owners refuse to share power with the players, making change difficult. And the process of becoming an elite football player--from high school to college and through the pros--leaves athletes with few marketable skills and little preparation for their first Sunday off the field. With compassion and objectivity, Not for Long reveals the life and mind of high school, college, and NFL athletes, shedding light on what might best help players transition successfully out of the sport.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book When Bad Policy Makes Good Politics by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Alla Osipenko by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Baptists in America by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Policing Public Opinion in the French Revolution by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Perception, Hallucination, and Illusion by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book The Strategy for Korea's Economic Success by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book A Thousand Darknesses by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Reconstructing the Cold War by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Time in the Blues by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book The Hip Hop & Obama Reader by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book The Philippine Economy by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book A Merciful End by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Ethnicity and Beyond by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book Risk Management in Turbulent Times by Robert W. Turner II
Cover of the book American History:A Very Short Introduction by Robert W. Turner II
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy