Is There Life After Football?

November 1, 2014
Three academics from Marquette University, one of whom (Koonce) is a former NFL player, apply some sociological techniques to analyzing the situations of ex-NFL players.Readers hoping for either excoriations or excuses will find both in the authors' reasoned and reasonable approach. "When a player leaves the league, everything changes," write the authors. But those changes are neither uniform nor particularly predictable. Some, of course, end up in dire financial straits; others (OJ Simpson, "Mercury" Morris, Lawrence Taylor) appear in criminal courts; still others (Jim McMahon, Earl Campbell) suffer serious, lingering physical and mental consequences of participation in their violent sport. But the authors-though they shine a harsh light on the cases of failure (including an entire chapter on injuries)-also highlight the success stories of many retired players, Koonce's included (he went back to school, earned a doctorate and served as the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee). Koonce's story remains a touchstone throughout. We hear about the cases of ex-players who earn advanced degrees, succeed in the business world and participate heavily in philanthropy. But we also learn some facts about standard NFL contracts (once players are released, their salary ends), health insurance, retirement benefits (which commence at 55) and the amazingly short careers of most players: The average is 3.5 years. The authors also expose the enormous peer pressure among active players to spend their money and live large. Few young men (especially since many of them come from modest, often poor backgrounds) can resist such temptations. The authors also look at the family lives of players (perhaps surprisingly: Most remain married)-and at the difficult experiences that players' wives have: They are responsible for just about everything quotidian during a player's active career. Although the prose can plod, the information and insights engage in a rousing race for the end zone.

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November 1, 2014
Since the average professional football career lasts only 3.5 years, one would hope that the answer to the question posed in the title is: yes, there is life after football. Unfortunately, whether due to financial problems, physical disability, or depression, many players, in fact, fare poorly in making the transition to a regular life. Today's NFL players live in a veritable bubble; their daily routine is regimented, and they lead a glamorous but isolated life away from family and friends for months at a time. Sociology professors Holstein and Richard S. Jones team up with former Green Bay Packer and college administrator George E. Koonce to examine the factors that lead to success or failure when a player retires from pro football. While this is a rigorous and scholarly study, the authors present their findings in a very accessible manner, weaving narratives from hundreds of interviews together with information gleaned from direct observation, previous research, and stories in the media. A timely exploration that will be of interest to football fans looking to better understand the complex culture of the NFL.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)