I'm Still Scrambling [Hardcover]

Randall Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1993

An outspoken autobiography by the Philadelphia Eagles' celebrated scrambling quarterback chronicles his rise from poverty, his experiences of bigotry, and his often provocative opinions about his experiences in the NFL.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As quarterback for professional football's Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham is renowned for his improvisational style. Here, he delivers a generally straightforward account of his rise to stardom. He focuses primarily on the field, reflecting on his development as a player and recounting major career milestones, including a highly publicized benching and the furor surrounding the firing of controversial head coach Buddy Ryan. Peppered throughout are pointed comments on teammates, opponents, coaches, the media, and his celebrity status. On the private side, he reveals a problematic childhood marked by sibling rivalries and the death of both parents. Recommended for popular sports collections.
- William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In a candid if once-over-lightly effort, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Cunningham tells his side of the story of the firing of coach Buddy Ryan, the controversy over Cunningham's replacement by Jim McMahon, Cunningham's volatile relationship with his teammates, and his record-setting performances on the field. Alternating passages with coauthor Wartenberg (Winning Is an Attitude, 1991), Cunningham describes growing up in a racially mixed Santa Barbara neighborhood as the youngest of four brothers, the oldest of whom was former NFL star Sam ``Bam'' Cunningham. A second-round draft pick in 1985, the author was starting games for the Eagles in just his second season; when Ron Jaworski was released in 1987, Cunningham was named the Eagles' top quarterback. His 1988 $4 million contract made him the highest paid player in the NFL and, in 1989, he was given a five-year extension worth $18- 22 million. Despite what the press reported in 1990 about Buddy Ryan's firing, Cunningham states that he in no way lobbied management to replace the coach with Rich Kotite--and that Ryan ``is the man who made me what I am today.'' That season saw the scrambling Cunningham (who prefers being tackled ``by a 190-pound cornerback'' to staying in the ``pocket where big, sloppy, nasty 300-pound guys hit you at full speed'') throw 30 touchdown passes and rush for 942 yards (``I amaze myself!''). He holds the all-time rushing record for quarterbacks, having managed in just seven seasons to break Fran Tarkenton's record. Cunningham sat out most of 1991 with a severe knee injury, and his comeback in 1992 was marked by extreme ups and downs including being benched in favor of the high-profile McMahon and catching some sharp criticism from his teammates regarding his ego. While Cunningham seemingly tries to respond to his critics here, not sidestepping the tough questions, his answers ring a little hollow and self-serving, even for a sports memoir. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 231 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385471424
• ISBN-13: 978-0385471428
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,967,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Player, Greater Person, March 25, 2002

By 

"president2004" (Duquesne, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Still Scrambling (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this book for anyone to get an understanding of one of the most maligned great athletes of all time. While much has happened in Randall Cunningham's career since the book was published in 1993; this book is still a very good read. Randall is by far the most talented quarterback to ever play in the NFL. He's done things in his career that were never done before. For example, he is the only NFL quarterback to LEAD his team in rushing in four consecutive seasons. He is the first NFL qb to rush for 4,000 yards in a career and needs only 78 to be the first to rush for 5,000, though missing half of his career due to injuries, benchings and politics. His touchdown/interception ratio 1.544 is fifth all-time behind only Steve Young 2.168, Joe Montana 1.964, Brett Favre 1.668 and Dan Marino 1.666. He is one of the greatest playmakers in NFL history, regardless of position. He has brought excitement and enjoyment to an increasingly regimented and boring game.

Contrary to "expert" and fan opinion, Randall Cunningham is also a winner. His career winning percentage as an NFL starting quarterback is .612 [Young .657, Favre .649, Marino .612, Elway .632, Kelly .632, Esiason .452, Aikman .569, Moon .505], comparable to great quarterbacks of his and any era. What's even more noteworthy is that during Randall's 11-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles, seven NFC East division teams won Super Bowl championships [NY Giants2, Washington Redskins 2 and Dallas Cowboys three. Had Randall's Eagles been in a far less competitive division in the AFC, who knows how many more wins and Super Bowl appearances Cunningham and his Eagles would have earned. Yet, he's always been maligned and vilified in the media.

Since leaving the Eagles, Cunningham has drifted to the Vikings, Cowboys and Ravens. Yet he has continued to maintain a high level of performance, even though he's had to put up with sitting behind inferior quarterbacks. This book is great for fans of Randall Cunningham. It will even give his detractors another viewpoint of this remarkably gifted athlete.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cunningham's first book is a winner, February 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I'm Still Scrambling (Hardcover)

I found Randall's book to be a captivating, thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. From his early years in Santa Barbara to his career at UNLV, Randall paints a picture of a tough but exciting upbringing. He uses colorful stories combined with retrospective wisdom to illustrate how events in his formative years shaped him as an individual. He also details his misunderstood and often criticized career with the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as his views on fellow team members and other influential figures in his life. Without a doubt, one of the most important aspects of the book is Randall's relationship with God. He talks about the many dimensions of his Faith, and there influence on him both as a player and as a person. It is genuinely refreshing for someone so well-known to acknowledge the value of his beliefs as an instrument in his success. This book is an excellent read not only for football fans, but for anyone who enjoys stories of faith and overcoming the odds.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, September 7, 2011

By 

Ms. Brenda J. Cammon - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I'm Still Scrambling (Hardcover)

The book started off great. He told of his early years and then to this years in the NFL. Then the book began to get boring. I love Randall. He was one of my favorite quarterbacks, but he could have left this book alone. He didn't have much to say around half way through the book. It was just football stuff.