BLACK AND HONOLULU BLUE: In the Trenches of the NFL

Dorney was a solid, dependable offensive lineman first for Penn State and then for the Detroit Lions, outfitted in "Honolulu blue," in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and this book is a solid look at his daily life as a professional football player, which will be enjoyable for the average fan. This is not by any means an exposé; Dorney admits that what inspired him to write were his positive memories about "striving to play the best game possible with the same fierce intensity each and every week." Along the way, he details the brutality of the typical NFL summer camp; the gruesome nature of the dozen or so orthopedic operations he endured during his career; and the pleasure of searching for the "perfect hit" with which to clobber his opponents. He also provides looks at some of the characters he's crossed paths with over the years, most notably legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno. Two sections separate this title from a typically good but run-of-the-mill sports book and show Dorney's ability to move beyond clichés when he wants to. The first is a look at one of his typical football games written from the point-of-view of his wife in the stands. The second is an unabashedly sentimental account of a postretirement visit to the Lions locker room, which shows how much the game has changed even in the past 10 years. (Sept.)