Prison or Passion is a collection of vulnerable and eloquent poems from R.K. Russell, who has started and played in the NFL since 2015, for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With bare honesty, walloping punchlines, and endearing flare, Prison or Passion captures the struggles of being a young boy without a father, and the strength that comes from building your own definition of manhood. There is a glimpse into the duality of abandonment and finding one's self. The book also encompasses grand moments in life: falling in love, healing through transparency, football triumphs, the simple pleasure of waking up next to the one you love. R.K. Russell recaptures the subtle cries of a young boy and the creation into the man that would have protected him, ensuring that his words will become your personal creed--and will call you to protect the young and innocent.

Prison or Passion

Russell, R.K.

Biographies & Memoirs

Jack Wild

A groundbreaking memoir from professional NFL player, writer, and advocate R.K. Russell, who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual. In 2019, R.K. Russell broke the mold when he came out as bisexual in an essay for ESPN that ignited the sports world. Now, in his powerful memoir, THE YARDS BETWEEN US, he shares his story and explores his love of football, men and women, walking the devastating tightrope of keeping his sexuality secret, the tension between his private and public lives, and the importance of crashing through barriers. One part inspirational journey and one part coming of age as an athlete struggling to break a mold, THE YARDS BETWEEN US follows in the footsteps of moving, impactful sports memoirs like Agassi's OPEN, Misty Copeland's LIFE IN MOTION, and Megan Rapinoe's ONE LIFE. Told through the people and moments that have shaped him, Russell traces the highs and lows of his life in and out of football, from his early life as a shy kid struggling with the expectations on a Black boy and the pull between his quiet nature and his athletic ability, to being drafted by his hometown team the Dallas Cowboys, and then on to seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. And as his time in the sport comes into full bloom, Russell realizes that keeping his secret in the NFL is easier than in college when life and football are so much more connected to social worlds. Through being cut, injured, and frustrating setbacks, Russell's confidence lags as the secret of his sexuality weighs heavier and heavier. And when that frustration is combined with the devastating loss of his best friend and sole confidant, the darkness that follows also brings a deep understanding that perhaps it's time to make a change. In Los Angeles, against the backdrop of the swaying palm trees and warm sands of Malibu, Russell falls in love and it's the final push he needs to stand up for every part of himself-a professional athlete, a writer, a son, a friend, a lover, a bisexual Black man. In THE YARDS BETWEEN US, R.K. Russell shows us the life-changing power of embracing who you are and fighting to make space so others can do the same.

The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Football

Andscape Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Russell, R.K.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Russell, R.K.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Russell, R.K.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Prison or Passion

The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Football