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THE QUARTERBACKS: The Uncensored Truth About the Men in the Pocket by Mickey Herskowitz

THE QUARTERBACKS: The Uncensored Truth About the Men in the Pocket

By

Pub Date: Oct. 22nd, 1990
Publisher: Morrow

First-rate sports book on the mighty and meek signal-callers in NFL history, what makes them tick, how they survived, and who are the best today. Houston sports-writer Herskowitz is the coauthor of Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels' Shirley and Marry (p. 984) and of Dan Rather's The Camera Never Blinks. Mixing anecdote, statistical acumen, psychological portraiture, and a lively style and wit, Herskowitz skillfully evaluates NFL QBs from Sammy Baugh to Joe Montana. Bobby Lane, ""pro football's original Macho Man,"" breathes fire on the page as a win-at-any-cost leader comparable in style to Jim McMahon, ""football's first punk rock quarterback."" The subtle skills of Johnny Unitas are counterpointed with playboy Dan Pastorini's flamboyant daredeviltry. Herskowitz also humanizes his subjects. A long, sensitive sketch of Doug Williams merges with a fascinating discussion of Cleveland's Dr. Frank Ryan, the QB with a Ph.D. Raucous Ken Stabler and savvy Terry Bradshaw come through as colorful gunslingers destined to control the fate of every big game. Of the current QBs, Herskowitz is most admiring of Joe Montana, to whom he devotes a long, adulatory chapter. The book ends with valuable statistical information on the top 20 passers of all time that backs up Herskowitz's choice of the 29 discussed here. An essential book for pro football fans and perhaps the best study yet of the quaterback position and its men.