Marcus: The Autobiography of Marcus Allen - Hardcover

Allen, Marcus; Stowers, Carlton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312169248 ISBN 13: 9780312169244

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 1997

Synopsis

Now, in his eloquent words, hear mega-football superstar Marcus Allen---Heisman trophy winner, Superbowl MVP, and record-breaking running back--tell his inspiring and unforgettable story, rom his triumphant rise to athletic stardom, to his rocky 11-year relationship with Los Angeles Raiders coach Al Davis, to his controversial friendship with O.J. Simpson, and all the high and low points in between.

Marcus on Al Davis:
"I could neither understand nor determine why Al Davis had declared war against me. But for all the motives suggested, none involved the possibility that the issue might be racial. Al Davis was many things that I didn't admire, but he was no bigot."

Marcus on O.J. Simpson:
"I am and forever will be forever be tortured by the loss of two people who were my friends; one murdered, one now forced to live a lifetime being blamed for tragedy."

Marcus on Football
"It teaches hard lessons about success and failure, joy and disappointment. And when played well, it has a poetry all its own."

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Now, in his own eloquent words, hear mega-football superstar Marcus Allen-Heisman trophy winner, Superbowl MVP, and record-breaking running back-tell his inspiring and unforgettable story. From his triumphant rise to athletic stardom, to his rocky 11-year relationship with Los Angeles Raiders coach Al Davis, to his controversial friendship with O.J. Simpson, and all the high and low points in between, here is an amazing story of a remarkable man.

MARCUS ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH RAIDERS COACH AL DAVIS:

"I could neither understand nor determine why Al Davis had declared war against me. It made no sense. But for all the motives suggested, none involved the possibility that the issue might be racial. Al Davis was many things that I didn't admire, but he was no bigot."

MARCUS ON HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH O.J. SIMPSON:

"I'd long since made up my mind that I would refuse to judge. And to this day there is but one certainty I can share: I am and forever will be tortured by the loss of two people who were my friends; one murdered, one now forced to live a lifetime being blamed for tragedy."

MARCUS ON FOOTBALL:

"I've always admired the sheer beauty of football. That may sound like a strange way to describe a sport that is built on the principle that the guy who knocks the other down the most is probably going to win. But the game is so much more if you just stop and look at it. It takes grace and style, as well as speed and strength. It teaches hard lessons about success and failure, joy and disappointment. And when played well, it has a poetry all its own."

From Library Journal:

In 1997 Allen will start his last season in the National Football League. With the help of Stowers (Sins of the Son, LJ 3/1/95), he has written an account of his life, covering a childhood in San Diego, the four years at University of Southern California that culminated in his winning the Heisman Trophy, his acrimonious relationship with Al Davis during the 11 years Allen was with the Los Angeles Raiders, and the four years with the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen and his coauthor skip lightly over such major football controversies as drug abuse, artificial turf, steroids, racism, management-player conflict, and the lack of black coaches and team executives. The book's last section covers Allen's peripheral involvement with the O.J. Simpson case. Ultimately, the reader learns a lot of facts about Allen but gains few insights into his personal life. Not a necessary purchase.
-?Terry Jo Madden, Boise State Univ. Lib., Id.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0312169248
• ISBN 13: 9780312169244
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352