Fifth Quarter: The Scrimmage of a Football Coach's Daughter [Paperback]

Jennifer Allen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 19, 2000

George Allen was a top-ranked NFL coach throughout the sixties and seventies, coaching in turn the Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Washington Redskins. Raised in a home dominated by her three football-obsessed older brothers and her father's relentless schedule, Jennifer Allen came of age in a cauldron of testosterone and win-at-all-costs mentality.

Buffeted by the coach's tumultuous firings and hirings, the Allen family was periodically propelled to new teams in new cities. And while her French-Tunisian mother attempted to teach Jennifer proper feminine etiquette, the author dreamed of being the first female quarterback in the NFL. But as she grew up, she yearned mostly to be someone her father would notice. In a macho world where only foot-ball mattered, what could she strive for? Who could she become?

Allen has written a poignant memoir of the father she tried so hard to know, about a family life that was willfully sacrificed to his endless fanatical pursuit of the Super Bowl. What emerges is a fascinating and singular behind-the-scenes look at professional football, and a memorable, bittersweet portrait of a father and his daughter, written in a fresh and perceptive voice.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Journalist Allen evocatively chronicles her unusual childhood in this memoir about being the only daughter of the legendary football coach George Allen. George was devoted to his teamsAthe Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. Jennifer and her three brothers knew to stay out of their father's way, especially if he had just lost a game or had had a run-in with one of the team owners. While George could bond more with his sons and take them along to training camps, the author stayed behind with her mother, a French woman who apparently spent most of her time building and remodeling homes while her husband lived and breathed football. Jennifer and her mother cherished their time togetherAeating in the bedroom, watching old moviesAyet the young girl was troubled by her father's devotion to the game and his players at the expense of his children. Her descriptions of dinner table conversation make it clear that the household was not easy to survive in; George tried to rule the family in military fashion, with strict rules and regulations; when it came to the TV, he would watch a video replay of a game over and over while his family looked on in silence. Jennifer recalls some perks, however, such as having a limo take her to school and meeting some famous people. In this touching and often unsentimental story, George Allen emerges as a self-centered man who chose to sacrifice a normal family life for the sake of his career. Agent, Bonnie Nadell/Fred Hill & Assoc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-To fans, football is a great way to pass a crisp, autumn afternoon. But for Jennifer Allen, it was the culture around which her life revolved. Her father, Coach George Allen, focused like a laser beam on the game. He never learned to spell his daughter's name correctly. He was never home for dinners or birthdays or Christmas. Jennifer recounts her life in short chapters as her father made the L.A. Rams a winning team and brought a championship to the Washington Redskins. The entire family kowtowed to his every wish and whim. Her brothers kept statistics on the sidelines; Jennifer's job was to turn the channels on the television so that her father could see all the sportscasts on the news. Her mother reveled in her public role as Mrs. George Allen, but mother and daughter relished the freedom they had when her father and brothers left for training camp. Jennifer's French mother, a chain-smoker who could swear a blue streak and find irony in every situation, provided the comic relief to her husband's intensity. In a loving look at life with a dominating, driven coach, Allen provides an inside look at football, life in the sports limelight, and the `70s as she grows from a child to a rebellious young woman struggling to find her place in the world.-Jane S. Drabkin, Potomac Community Library, Woodbridge, VA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Random House (September 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812992326
• ISBN-13: 978-0812992328
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,557,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jennifer Allen Scores an Emotional Touchdown ... November 15, 2000

By Kevin Quinley VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This is a terrific yet heartbreaking story, one that should be read by any work-obsessed and preoccupied parent. You see a tale of public success (football coach) blended with private failure (distracted father). What price public success? It is at once a funny yet pathetic portrayal of a man who sacrificed everything on the altar of football glory. I wonder if, in those final lucid moments before the veil descended, George Allen wondered if he should have spent yet more time on football or more time with family? No one has ever been quoted on their deathbed as saying, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office." Even if you never played football or watched it, this is a cautionary tale of one man's career obsession and the poignant struggle of a daughter trying to win Daddy's love in an ultra-macho culture

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Your dad would be proud January 17, 2001

By James J. Hagerty

Format:Hardcover

Yes, I'm an old Redskin fan and was mildly curious about the George Allen era. I was not prepared for this powerful story of George Allen the father and his arms length relationship with his daughter, Jennifer. Yes, the mother Etty and the sons, George, Bruce, and Gregory, are in here too, but Jennifer you finally have the starring role in the George Allen Story. This is a sometimes gripping and often humorous story of a daughter's search for self. My only criticism is of the title which suggests a sports book. It is not worthy of this well-told story about a daughter's search for meaning in her life and, coincidentally, her dad's struggle to make sense of his own life too.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Without Father November 1, 2000

By Julia Henderson

Format:Hardcover

A painful and poetic tribute to the late football coach George Allen, this book started me laughing on page 1 and left me crying on page 238. Wives, give this book to your football-loving husbands for Christmas. Daughters, give this book to your workaholic fathers for Father's Day (or sooner). If you think you remember George Allen and the Redskins, you need to revisit the glory days with this 5th grade daughter waiting after the game in an empty stadium and read what happened after the last touchdown. It's beautiful.