Everybody's All-American (Signet) [Paperback]

Frank Deford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 1982 | Series: Signet

Gavin Grey is everyone's All-American. A star running back at the University of North Carolina in the late 1950s, he graces the covers of Time and LIFE magazines and appears on the "Ed Sullivan Show." Everyone wants a piece of him or to be around him to bask in his glory, including his nephew Donny, who narrates the story and is Gavin's only real confidant.After college, Gavin goes on to the NFL where he has a solid career. As his playing days wind down and the cheering stops, however, he finds the adjustment to life as an ex-athlete difficult to accept. His wife "Babs" goes off to work, becomes the primary breadwinner for the family while Gavin continues to trade on his memories of old times, when he was everybody's All-American.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Frank Deford is a Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated, is heard every Wednesday on NPR's "Morning Edition," and is a regular correspondent on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." He is the author of fourteen books, two of which have been made into movies, including Everybody's All-American with Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange. He has been voted U.S. Sportswriter of the Year six times, and GQ magazine has called him, simply, "the world's greatest sportswriter." He has also won both an Emmy and a George Foster Peabody Award. He lives in Westport, Connecticut.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Signet (August 2, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451160908
• ISBN-13: 978-0451160904
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,592,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A study of the superstar athlete, January 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Everybody's All-American: 2 (Hardcover)

If you read this book, you'll better understand why athletes are revered in our culture. You'll better understand why some hang on to their careers well past their prime, and why some can never accomplish anything that matches their on-field glory.

The book's funny, too, as well as touching and poignant. It's a really good read. One of my favorites--and one I think of every time I see an athlete that can't leave the game.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best novel ever written about college football., August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Everybody's All-American (Signet) (Paperback)

This is a novel that I read every other year or so just before the start of the college football season. It is a story of a mythical player at North Carolina in the late 50's that is "everybody's all-american" and the impact that the game has on his life as well as those around him. It is written with wit and style from the perspective of a character that is our hero's adoring nephew. There are some great comparisons drawn between our hero and another young hero of an earlier time, J.E.B. Stewart, and the impact that their greatness had on their lives. The author also shows a social conscience in his treatment of the subject of race relations in the 50's American South. Deford is a superb writer and if you love college football this is a must read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the movie., January 17, 2012

By 

Enlighten Me (Kansas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Everybody's All-american (Kindle Edition)

I first read this book as a teen and really liked it. When I saw the movie (also years ago) it became a favorite and rekindled my interest in the book. I thought it would be fun to re-read and enjoy from an adult's perspective. The book did not disappoint. It is a great look into relationships, hero worship, coming of age, discrimination, and life in general.