WHAT WINNERS WON'T TELL YOU

Thoughtful memoir by a football great.

The 14th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Ohio State, Jenkins started his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, and he refused the team’s first contract offer until finally signing for a then-impressive $19 million for five years: “This was my first business decision: start training camp on time and accept whatever deal they offered or hold out until I was paid my worth.” Never shy of speaking his mind, he played for 13 seasons for the Saints, the Philadelphia Eagles, and then the Saints again, attracting controversy late in his career raising his fist in a Black Power salute during the national anthem. On the field, Jenkins proved to be one of the best defensive backs in the NFL, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl winner. The best parts of his memoir are his play-by-play memories of important games, as well as an insider’s account of the unexpectedly complex work required in training, especially for a rookie (“a player must learn to play at a high enough rate of speed to challenge their limits with the sobriety of mind to keep from putting their teammates in compromising situations”). Though he started off slow at his rookie camp, Jenkins survived the first roster cut, unlike a couple of the showoffs who thought they knew better than the veterans and coaching staff—a valuable lesson for any player, from Pop Warner kids to would-be NFL stars. Other lessons come fast and furious: “Having a corner that can take out the opposition’s top wideout is a premium for any defense”; “When you get a takeaway in the red zone, they essentially count for double.” Jenkins closes with his decision to retire in 2020, satisfied that “I had given that last chapter of my life everything I had.”

Fans of Jenkins on and off the field will take much pleasure in this action-packed account of gridiron life.