"Well, son, I guess we have to go the to bank." That's what Leon Hess told me the day the Jets drafted me as the number-one player in the NFL draft. But that first day, the day of the draft, was one of the happiest days in my life, because I knew I was ready to make things happen in the league and help turn things around for the sorry-ass Jets. But what a nightmare! Week after week, loss after loss. The Jets went in with a loser reputation, and they were earning it all over again. We had no emotion, no energy, no hunger. The media tried to cover it all. Rich Kotite tried to explain the disasters away. But nobody outside the team knew the real truth of what really went on. This book is going to change all that.

Just Give Me the Damn Ball!: The Fast Times and Hard Knocks of an NFL Rookie

Biographies & Memoirs

SMITH, Shelley

Johnson, Keyshawn

Community & Culture

Grand Central Publishing

Product Description 
The unknown story of the Black pioneers 
who collectively changed the face of the NFL 
in 1946.\nTHE FORGOTTEN FIRST chronicles the lives of four incredible men, the racism they experienced as Black players entering a segregated sport, the burden of expectation they carried, and their many achievements, which would go on to affect football for generations to come.\nMore than a year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, there was another seismic moment in pro sports history. On March 21,1946, former UCLA star running back Kenny Washington—a teammate of Robinson's in college—signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams. This ended one of the most shameful periods in NFL history, when African-American players were banned from league play.\nWashington would not be alone in serving as a pioneer for NFL integration. Just months after he joined the Rams, thanks to a concerted effort by influential Los Angeles political and civic leaders, the team signed Woody Strode, who played with both Washington and Robinson at UCLA in one of the most celebrated backfields in college sports history. And that same year, a little-known coach named Paul Brown of the fledgling Cleveland Browns signed running back Marion Motley and defensive lineman Bill Willis, thereby integrating a startup league that would eventually merge with the NFL.\nTHE FORGOTTEN FIRST tells the story of one of the most significant cultural shifts in pro football history, as four men opened the door to opportunity and changed the sport forever.\nReview 
"Absolutely remarkable and eye-opening. THE FORGOTTEN FIRST delivers the moving tale of the four men who broke the NFL’s color barrier, the trials they endured en route to their groundbreaking moment and beyond, and those who helped make their pursuit successful. The story of Jackie Robinson’s breaking of MLB’s color barrier is well-documented and celebrated, but amazingly, the saga of Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis’ quest for equality during this dark time in the history of pro football and the United States remains largely unknown, by even the most diehard NFL fans. Keyshawn Johnson and Bob Glauber’s documentation of this breakthrough moment is rich in detail and revelation and is a must-read for football fans and historians." ― 
Mike Jones, NFL columnist for USA Today\n“We’ve all heard of Jackie Robinson, but this deeply researched story of the overlooked players who reintegrated the NFL is a window into the roots of what would become the country’s most popular sport. Johnson and Glauber follow the heartbreaks and victories of the four men who transformed football and amplify the echoes of their careers in the race and diversity issues with which the NFL still grapples today.”― 
Judy Battista, NFL.com columnist and NFL Network reporter.\n“Marion Motley, Bill Willis, Kenny Washington, and Woody Strode played a role in the history of football that’s not known by most people. It’s as important as any element in football since the game’s inception. They helped give Black players an opportunity that was not previously available to them, and they paved the way for kids like me to live a different life. Thanks, Dad, for taking me to Browns games and giving me a chance to dream.”― 
Tom Jackson, Denver Broncos All Pro linebacker, Emmy award winning broadcaster for ESPN\n“The story of these four pioneers and those who helped them reach what was certainly an unreachable star is nothing short of eye-opening. Their courage and determination, while mostly unheralded, was comparable to the very attributes that made Jackie Robinson a true American hero. Readers will feel both inspired and embarrassed, uplifted and ashamed, but that’s OK. Thank you, Keyshawn and Bob, for shining a long overdue spotlight.”― 
Chris Berman, ESPN, National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame\n“Keyshawn Johnson and Bob Glauber have collaborated on a significant an

The Forgotten First: Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, Bill Willis, and the Breaking of the NFL Color Barrier

Glauber, Bob

History

Americas

Hachette Book Group

Fitness enthusiasts from weekend warriors to professional athletes will be inspired to improve their bodies and their lives with this comprehensive fitness training routine by Super Bowl champion Keyshawn Johnson. The rigorous program marries mental exercises with a pictorial guide to Keyshawn's own exercise routines in order to promote the commitment to winning and the paramount importance of an unflinching belief in one's dreams and inner values for increased athletic proficiency and a complete and successful life.

From First Down to Touchdown: Keyshawn's Keys to Winning in Life

Sports & Outdoors

Peligro, Kid

Strom, James

Football (American)

Invisible Cities Press LLC

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Books by Johnson, Keyshawn