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The Remarkable Rise of Carl Weathers from Bullied Kid to Football Star to Rocky

Filed Under: BlogFebruary 2, 2024

RIP to the legend, Carl Weathers. One of my favorites. And surprisingly, most people don’t know his amazing career trajectory: Before Apollo Creed & 40+ years of acting roles, Weathers was a sensitive, bullied kid. Then he found football… This is the story of the remarkable rise of Carl Weathers from bullied kid to football […]

Why Warrior is the most adrenaline-pumping, satisfying sports movie of the last 15 years.

Filed Under: Articles, BlogJanuary 30, 2024

I re-watched Warrior this weekend and it is the most adrenaline-pumping, satisfying sports move of the last 15 years. If you’ve seen it, you know. If not, you will. And it brings about a fundamental fighting question: Rage vs. Heart? What’s better? Here’s my breakdown: I 1st caught Warrior it in the theater back when […]

THE 15 MOST MEMORABLE BOOKS I READ IN 2023

Filed Under: BlogJanuary 19, 2024

Welcome to my annual reading list. Below are the 15 most memorable books I read in 2023. First, the question most new readers ask me: Why most memorable? Because “best” and “top” in my opinion aren’t helpful when it comes to book recommendations. Your best and my top will be completely different for different reasons: mood, taste, interests, etc… […]

Jon Finkel is the award-winning author of 1996: A Biography, Hoops Heist, The Life of Dad, Jocks In Chief, The Athlete, Heart Over Height, “Mean” Joe Greene and more. His books have been endorsed by everyone from Mark Cuban and Tony Dungy to Spike Lee, Kevin Durant and Chef Robert Irvine. He has written for GQ, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and has appeared on CBS: This Morning, Good Morning Texas, and hundreds of radio shows, podcasts and streams.

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Mean Joe Greene’s memoir is a master class in determination, domination and perseverance. For the first time ever, the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer gives readers an unflinching look at his rise from high school bully-victim and bench warmer to North Texas legend and Steelers icon.

Many years before he would anchor the most-feared, most-successful defense the NFL had ever seen, Joe Greene was just a big, timid kid from Temple, Texas struggling to find his confidence as a teenager being raised by a single mother.

In his compelling, eye-opening autobiography, Greene takes readers on an unprecedented tour of his life, exploring the people who influenced him and the events that shaped him: from humiliating high school embarrassments to the grit and guts that led to four Super Bowl titles.

Mean Joe Greene: Built By Football is the inside story of how a series of mentors, mindset changes and maybe some luck helped a young man turn a scholarship offer from a small college in Texas into a selection as an All-American, a first-round draft pick in the NFL and a life in football that would net him six Super Bowl rings, including two as a coach.

As the first book in the Football Matters’ ‘Built By Football’ series, Greene discusses how football helped shape his character, his leadership skills, taught him humility and integrity, and helped him learn the lessons he would use throughout his life as a player, husband, father, friend and coach.

“Because of his physical play he was known as “Mean” Joe Greene, but those of us who truly know Joe Greene know that he is a better person than he was a player and that’s saying a lot.” – Mel Blount, NFL Hall of Famer

“To view Joe as only a great football player is to miss the biggest part of a great man. I am glad he has agreed to do this book, as it comes at a time when real heroes are desperately needed.” – Jon Kolb, 4x Super Bowl Champion

“There is no question in my mind that “Mean” Joe Greene is the greatest Steeler of all time!” – Franco Harris, Pro Football Hall of Famer

“Joe Greene had many achievements, playing in Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, and all the best recognitions. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. However, he was not interested in the accolades. He was focused on being the best.” – Dan Rooney, Owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, former US Ambassador

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