Remembering the Stars of the NFL Glory Years: An Inside Look at the Golden Age of Football

In this book, Stewart, a sports historian and the author of Stan the Man, puts a spotlight on the Hall of Famers who made the 1950s and a’60s the NFL’s glory years. The best of the offensive and defensive players from those decades are showcased here. As the author notes, more than half of the 260 players in the Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio, come from that era. Offensive stars of those years—among them such talents as fullback Jim Brown and quarterbacks Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle, and Johnny Unitas—get extensive coverage from Stewart. He doesn’t ignore the great defensive players of the era or the gritty types on both sides of the ball. In addition to these portraits, Stewart includes a laugh reel of quotations from key players and coaches. With a sharp eye for the game’s contradictions and contrasts, Stewart concludes that the sport has improved drastically in style and quality, but along the way has lost the rough-and-tumble element of the glory years. [em](July) [/em]