Get these books for your football-crazed fan

by Todd E. Jones of College Football Top Ten

These five books with a local football flavor all make great objects to throw at the TV if Romo throws an interception.

Books for the football-crazed fan

Friday is “black Friday,” and we are interested in helping you buy something for that football crazed fan in your life. I have put together a list of books about football with a Dallas-Fort Worth flavor, which should be in stock at your local book store or favorite online retailer.

1. Texas Stadium: America's Home Field by Mac Engel (ISBN 098171661X). Mac has compiled a list of some of the best memories of Texas Stadium. Most involve the Cowboys, but Mac has added a few non-Pro moments including some SMU games from the early 1980's as well as concerts. For a quick review of the book, check out the one done by Sports Illustrated’s Damon Hack. For the pre-teen in your life, I recommend Mac’s book Tony Romo: America’s Next Quarterback (ISBN 160078111X).

2. Twelve Mighty Orphans by Jim Dent (0312384874, paperback edition). This book retells the story of the orphans football team from the Fort Worth Masonic Home in the late 1920's through the early 1950's. Even though they were undersized and underprivileged they won district titles and regularly challenged for the state title. They were a dynasty in the North Texas area beating teams in the largest classification in Texas high school football. The book is now in paperback, so it is not as expensive. There is an attempt by a local film producer Jeffry Wooten to make a film based on the book.

3. Boys Will Be Boys by Jeff Pearlman (ISBN 0061256803). Have you ever wondered how much the 1990's Dallas Cowboys partied? Well, Pearlman has captured the story separating the truth from the legends. Here is a review of the book from the New York Post.

4. A Cowboy’s Life by Bob Lilly (ISBN 1600781012). Lilly is one of the most beloved Cowboys of all time growing up near by and playing football for the TCU Horned Frogs in college. Lilly continues to live in the area, and some of you have undoubtedly already been to a Lilly signing for the book. Lilly was the first ever draft choice by the Cowboys, and therefore, one of the faces of the early franchise. Former Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach provides the Forward.

5. TCU Football Vault by Dan Jenkins (ISBN 0794825680). Written by one of the most celebrated TCU alums and the most celebrated TCU writer, this treasure of TCU football history will take the Horned Frog fan on a journey from the 1930's when TCU won two national championships with guys like “Slingin' Sammy" Baugh and “Little Davey" O’Brien all the way to the present day Gary Patterson era. A must-have for the TCU football fan, but be prepared for the $49.95 price.

Extra

Rose Bowl Dreams by Adam Jones (ISBN 0312373694). This book does allude to the Texas vs. Oklahoma games in Dallas during Jones’ Longhorn football fan journey. Jones is a blogger, running the humorous site Jones Top Ten. The geography mentioned in this book is all over Texas from West Texas to Houston, to Austin to Dallas and almost every where in between. Adam has done a couple book signings in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so some of you have already met him. Check out my review of the book.