Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves [Hardcover]

Alan Natali (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995

When Alan Natali-ex-athlete, professor, writer-set out to record conversations with some of the greatest players in Ohio State University's storied football history, he didn't anticipate that the liveliest, most quotable, and most dominant Buckeye would be a man who had been dead for nearly a decade-OSU's legendary coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes. What began as a book of interviews ended as a striking, insider's picture of bigtime college football. Woody's Boys, artfully shaped, is a collection of first person stories, as though the fan could meet Archie Griffin or Rex Kern at a neighborhood bar, and just talk. It spans the entire Hayes era, and it includes Hayes making quarterback Tom Matte return from the east coast to finish his college degree, and it continues through the Gator Bowl incident-told from a dozen different perspectives-that led to Hayes' retirement. The voices of these men-Jim Parker, Champ Henson, Tom Cousineau, Cornelius Greene, Archie Griffin, Rex Kern, Ken Kuhn, to name a few-reflecting upon their years around a central and all-consuming event-OSU football-become across time powerful echoes of great deeds, valor, dedication, and loyalty-echoes of greatness. Illustrated by artist Greg Storer who played tight end for Woody Hayes on the Rose Bowl team of 1976, the Orange Bowl team of 1977, and the Sugar Bowl team of 1978. 528 pages. Hardcover.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Orange Frazer Press; 1ST edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882203046
• ISBN-13: 978-1882203048
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A firsthand look at the Old Man, November 21, 2000

By 

Mark Borchers (The Woodlands, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves (Hardcover)

Any football fan, no matter what his favorite team, will wear this book out. Seen through the eyes of a generation of players during practices, games, and off the field, a remarkably consistent picture of Woody emerges. He was clearly not the tyrant that he was sometimes described to be, but rather an old-school coach, tough, honest to a fault, intensely competitive, and highly entertaining. Natali's book captures the atmosphere inside a collegiate team's locker room walls that fans always wish they could see. If you want to immerse yourself vicariously in the world of big time college football, don't miss this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, awsome artwork!, August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves (Hardcover)

Woody's boys is an excellend read with a lot of behind the scenes stories that define Woody Hayes from the players perspective. The artwork is awsome!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read for Ohio State fans., July 21, 2000

By 

Alexander C. Meske - See all my reviews

This review is from: Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves (Hardcover)

This book is a series of narratives on the subject of one Coach Woody Hayes. These narratives are culled from interviews with famous names from Ohio State's football program, mostly those of some of the great players to have donned the scarlet and gray. This collection of anecdotal accounts is assembled in chronological order of the time of the person's appearance at Ohio State, so it was easy to see through the different eyes that viewed the coach as time went on.

The writing itself has a conversational tone, making for a smooth, quick read. Each person's story has its own distinctive voice, giving the reader the impression of listening to each of these people go around in a circle and tell their particular part of the tale. Some loved him, some hated him, but all had their opinion about the coach that went so far in defining Ohio State football.

Since I am an Ohio State fan, a college football fan and someone fascinated by the history of both, I found this to be a fantastic read. Anybody who shares at least one of those interests and wants to read a very honest account of Woody Hayes would be well advised to pick up this book.