From Publishers Weekly
Second chances rarely come in professional sports, especially for athletes out of the game for some time. But former NFL player Brian Kinchen defied those odds, as Marx shows. Having played pro football for 12 years (including with the Dolphins and Panthers), Kinchen hung up his cleats and turned to teaching. Yet more than two years after his final play in football, Kinchen received a call from the New England Patriots to become the team's long-snapper—a player who excels at snapping the ball for field goals and punts. What followed was a seven-week journey that would challenge him both physically and spiritually. From a miscue at his first tryout to his subsequent flubs at Patriots practice, Kinchen became increasingly uneasy about playing on football's biggest stage. And as New England's hopes of winning the sport's greatest prize became more realistic, the mere thought of messing up in the Super Bowl, of maybe even becoming the unforgettable goat of the game, simply horrified him. But just as the pressure of failure becomes too crushing, Kinchen uses his Christian faith and the confidence others had in him to capture a missing piece from his football career. Marx is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist, and it shows in his vivid recreation of events long after the fact. That, in tandem with his ability to connect with Kinchen on a very human level, allows him to show a side of professional athletes rarely seen on Sunday broadcasts. It's an inspiring read for anyone who has ever wanted one last shot at their utmost dreams.
(Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“A compelling read.” (Houston Chronicle )
“The book is a lesson about achieving your dreams, and realizing that what you’ve sought all along was right in front of you the whole time.” (Fellowship of Christian Athletes )
“A real-life inspirational story of a young man .... Kinchen’s unexpected opportunity was wonderful on its own but more so because it clarified what was truly valuable in his life: marriage, family, and teaching. Nicely done, with plenty of insider football action.” (Booklist )
“Jeffrey Marx tells Kinchen’s story with wit and grace, spotlighting a position often lost in the NFL trenches.” (Sports Illustrated )
“A page-turner that succinctly captures the true-life story of football player Brian Kinchen.” (Chicago Tribune )
“A moving-right-along recounting of one of those odysseys that screams to be made into a movie. It is much, much more than your conventional “sports book.”” (Philadelphia Inquirer )
“Jeffrey Marx captures a remarkable story, and reveals a very human athlete with faith, doubt, and an underappreciated skill. The Long Snapper would be marvelous fiction; that this account is the ultimate truth is its great joy.” (Bob Ley, ESPN )
“Jeffrey Marx has done it again, only better than ever. The improbable story of Brian Kinchen blooms in Marx’s gifted hands. Thoughtful and inspiring, The Long Snapper is a quite simply a joy to behold.” (Rick Telander, Chicago Sun Times )
“A great story.” (Vinny Testaverde )
“Don’t we all long for one last chance? Don’t we all dream to do it over again? Anybody who has ever had those pangs will love Jeffrey Marx’s beautiful and uplifting story about a guy who had opportunity dropped into his lap.” (Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated )
“The Long Snapper is an inspirational and compelling tale of New England Patriot Brian Kinchen’s journey from seventh grade Bible studies teacher to Super Bowl champion.” (New Orleans Times Picayune )
“You’ll find yourself asking some core questions about what matters and what doesn’t...Marx tells the tale with simple eloquence.” (Cincinnati Enquirer )
