Faith in the Game: Lessons on Football, Work, and Life (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Although difficult to define, character is a basic part of life..." (more)
Key Phrases: devotional period, kicking goals, bowl losses, Unity Council, Orange Bowl, Florida State (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Osborne coached football at the University of Nebraska for 37 years, the last 25 as head coach. Always a powerhouse team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers won an impressive number of national championships in that time, and Coach Osborne finished with an 84 percent winning record. Now retired, the devoutly Christian Osborne wrote this book to describe his recipe for success on the field and off. Not surprisingly, the values espoused are traditional ones: character, honesty, loyalty, sacrifice, hard work, unity, perseverance, and teamwork. These are illustrated by anecdotes and examples from the coach's vast experience. In his later years of coaching, several Cornhuskers had well-publicized troubles with the law. It is interesting to read Osborne's version of these incidents and how he dealt with them in light of his values. Worthwhile to libraries with interests in college football or Nebraska.AJohn M. Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Osborne was the head football coach at the University of Nebraska for 25 years, winning three national championships during that time. He applied the teachings of Christianity to his coaching technique, and now, as a motivational speaker and as the author of this memoir, he uses examples from his football career to illustrate Christian principles. Writing without a coauthor or ghostwriter, Osborne comes through loud and clear, but unfortunately, his prose is as stiff and monotonous as his football teams, whether he is describing offensive style or defending the university's handling of a series of controversies involving misbehaving players. Despite Osborne's success, he never cultivated a national profile with his low-key, self-effacing personality. This memoir probably won't change that, but just as opposing teams could never ignore Nebraska in the Osborne era, so college football fans shouldn't ignore the life story of one of the game's best coaches. As sports memoirs go, though, it's the football equivalent of a 6^-5 season with no trip to a bowl game. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; Reprint edition (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767904230
• ISBN-13: 978-0767904230
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,080 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Faith in the Game - East Coast Review, December 3, 1999

By	Bob Johnson (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faith in the Game: Lessons on Football, Work, and Life (Hardcover)

I am not an avid reader. I read this book at a pace of 1-2 chapters per evening. I could not put it down. Very interesting perspective on coaching and college football. In spite of not having the most attractive location (Nebraska), not having the highest ranked freshman class recruits, and following the rules (as opposed to some other college football programs), Tom Osborne and Nebraska have been a major success story. They have managed a consistently winning record with a number of national championships in the highly competitive arena of division I college football.

Dr. Osborne has captured many practical insights that extend to areas far beyond coaching and football. The book is interspersed with interesting anecdotes and many references to his faith in Jesus Christ.

If the book has a weakness, it is in the style of writing. At times I felt I was reading the same material over again. Overall a four star rating.

I plan to buy a number of copies to give as Christmas gifts!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, December 5, 1999

By	John D. Hallgren - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faith in the Game: Lessons on Football, Work, and Life (Hardcover)

Dr. Osborne managed to combine his memoirs as a coach for the Cornhuskers and a sociology of college football (mainly the Cornhuskers) in a concise book. It will interest any enthusiast of college football and will be particularly engrossing for fans of Nebraska and Tom Osborne.

There were two strengths of the book: A style which enabled Dr. Osborne to meld his memories of coaching and an analysis of applying sound moral and Christian principles to coaching a team to elite levels of competition; a willingness to keep the book short, sweet, and to-the-point, without bogging down in minutiae which would detract from the message. The book touches on subjects ranging from goal-setting with the players to how the coaching staff kept the players' best interests at the fore even in the most trying circumstances. My only criticism of the book would be that the style was more fullback-up-the-middle than wingback-reverse, but I guess you dance with the one who brung ya.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Successful Person with Strong Values., October 25, 1999

By	Husker Parrothead (Derbyshire, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faith in the Game: Lessons on Football, Work, and Life (Hardcover)

Faith In The Game: Lessons on Football, Work, and Life, by Tom Osborne, (New York: Broadway Books, 1999

I must start this book review with an unqualified confession. Growing up I had a strong case of hero worship of Tom Osborne and as I have grown older this hero worship has grown into a feeling of deep respect for the man and a feeling of gratitude for what he has done for the state of Nebraska. So my reading the book objectively proved to be somewhat difficult.

Having said that Faith in the Game is not Osborne's best literary work, but it does prove that he is a man that has his foundations in an American past that we should all aspire to achieve. If one reads this book with out experiencing first hand the impact the Coach has had on the young people that make up the Nebraska Football team, the author leaves you with a state of disbelief that real people still have values that this book propels.

But for a coach, or a leader of any kind, this book should be a must read! I doubt if any person in the country has taken on a task like Tom Osborne's and been as successful over the last 30 years.