Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow are last years rookie quarterback phenoms in the NFL. That isn’t the only thing they have in common though: they share the same faith in Jesus Christ as their saviors. This book sheds light on how these three friends came to have that faith and how they grew up and ultimately became the NFL stars that they are.
Playing with Purpose
Inside the Lives and Faith of the NFL's Top New Quarterbacks
by Mike Yorkey
Barbour Books
Sept 2010
Each of the sections in the book are dedicated to one of the players and delves into their childhood, their careers in high school and college, how they came to faith and how their faith informs their playing. Each section is filled with information that NFL and NCAA fans would find interesting but the book shines when it comes to the players' faith and how it impacts them on and off the field.
Since there are no first hand interviews in this book, the author relies on previous interviews, quoted liberally, and news clippings. Yorkey does a good job piecing together the biographical information on each of the three quarterbacks for the reader. This is however the biggest failing of the book: this information isn't new; if Mike Yorkey can find the info we can too.
Another problem that I had with the book was that it seems at times to be so uncritical as to be almost a puff piece on the players. Almost a Saturday Morning special of sappy, happiness.
That said, this book does a very good job at what it says it will do and doesn't go any further. An introduction to three of the rising stars in the NFL and their common faith. As such, Yorkey delivers an easy to read, entertaining account of the players that I enjoyed.
