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Uncaged: My Life as a Champion MMA Fighter
by Charles Fleming Frank Shamrock Mickey RourkeBefore Frank Shamrock became known professionally as "The Legend"--winning almost every mixed martial arts title in existence--he endured a childhood marred with abuse, neglect, and molestation that led to an equally troubled young adulthood. This riveting book tells his whole story: his neglect as a child by his hippie mother and absentee father, his salvation under the foster father who took him in when no one else would, his desperate act of armed robbery and subsequent incarceration in state prison, and his eventual rebirth as a cage fighter who would go on to dominate the entire sport for the next two decades. Detailing his fights inside and outside of the ring, it discusses the people and events that enabled him to become a champion as well as his problems with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the reasons behind his retirement. With eye-opening depictions of the world of mixed martial arts fighters and refreshing candor, this thrilling story of sex, violence, crime, and redemption reveals the numerous pitfalls a famous fighter encountered in his life and how he successfully overcame them to become a champion in every sense of the word.
Uncertain Corridors
by Gideon HaighFor all the glamour and new-found wealth that has come to cricket thanks to the IPL, the sport has rarely faced such an uncertain future. The gold standard of cricket - Test matches - is being sidelined in some countries by the shorter forms of the game. While the sport is being transformed, administrators are struggling to keep pace with it all. Yet, despite all of this, the sport's essential elements remain in place: great games are played, new stars rise up and old stars step back and retire. In this new collection of writing, Gideon Haigh takes the pulse of the game today, and in particular looks at the decline of the sport in Australia, where the once all-conquering men in the 'baggy green' suddenly found themselves struggling to impose themselves on their opponents.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Shoots and Scores: Updated & Expanded Edition (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteUncle John's hard-hitting hockey book was such a success that we decided to send it back to the weight room to get beefed up for a new season. Now updated and expanded with 70 new pages, this collection of slap shots, penalty kills, and toothless grins offers hockey fans everything they love about this great game: its colorful history, legendary players, and enough trivia to satisfy even the most avid stat head. Read about...The true origin of the "Coolest Game on Earth"The greatest teams in hockey historyThe best (and worst) hockey movies of all timeThe incredible exploding ZamboniA rap sheet of hockey arrestsPatrick Roy's conversations with his goal postsAnd much, much more!
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Sports Spectacular (Uncle John's Bathroom Readers Ser.)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteHey, sports fans: Sports Spectacular is bigger and better than ever! The not-so-dumb jocks at the BRI have packed in all the best sports and games articles from the wildly successful Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series--and then bulked the whole thing up with more than 50 fan-tastic new pages. So place the ball on the tee, square up to the basket, and make sure your laces are laced tight, because it's time to throw the dice through the goalposts for a home run! You'll feel the thrill of victory and laugh at the agony of defeat as you read about . . .The origins of all the major sports (and a bunch of minor ones)Classic games, from poker and pinball to Monopoly and Donkey KongHow to play bathroom blackjackThe world's worst matadorThe Goodyear BlimpMascots gone wildOlympic scandalsNASCAR's illegal originsDodging the cow pies when you play pasture golfFinnish wife-carrying, gerbil racing, flagpole sitting, and other bizarre sports And much, much more!
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing at Baseball (Uncle John's Bathroom Readers Ser.)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteWhy is baseball such a great subject for a Bathroom Reader? Because it's steeped in history and tradition, it's rife with scandals and controversy, and most of the men that dedicate their life to it are just a little bit...weird. Uncle John's spirited take on the game takes you deep into that history to paint a detailed picture of where the game came from and where it may be going. You'll go behind the scenes at spring training, listen in on pitcher's mound conferences, and meet the players, coaches, fans, and broadcasters who make this the greatest game in the world! Swing for the fences as you read about...Minor league mishapsThe violent history of umpiringThe true story of Lou Gehrig's heroic rise and tragic fallThe man who pitched a no-hitter while tripping on LSDThe origins of gloves, baseballs, bats, uniforms, helmets, and moreBaseball's most famous call and how it was saved for posterityThe best and worst teams of all timeAnimals in the outfieldThe birth of Little LeagueThe Abner Doubleday mythAnd much, much more!
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Tees Off on Golf (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Ser.)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteA fascinatingly informative and humorous swing through the history, philosophy, courses, players, equipment, fashion, and hilarious flubs of the great game of golf. Whether you're a serious pro, a weekend duffer, or just a fan of the sport, you'll find this book as satisfying as a hole-in-one. Special feature: The seven best golf tips of all time.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Vroom!
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteUncle John has the need . . . for speed! (But he always uses his turn signal.) Hop on in and let the Bathroom Readers' Institute take you on the ultimate road trip. From the first motorized vehicles to the flying cars of tomorrow, you'll race around the world to learn about some great sets of wheels and the gear heads who make them go. And not just cars, this book has planes, trains, roller coasters, yachts, and massive machines that literally move mountains. So strap on your seatbelts--it's going to be a fun ride! Read about . . .Secrets of Hollywood car chasesThe original Cannonball RunTaking a ride in the hot-tub limoThe drag queenThe history of airshipsThe Black Beetle: a New York Central train outfitted with jet enginesThe yacht that cost more than some countries' GDPAround the world in 25 waysA car without a driverA look at how a jet engine worksGhost planes and haunted shipsPal Newman buys a BeetleThe origin of crash-test dummies And much, much more!
The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism
by John BarnesAn eloquent and thought-provoking book on racism and prejudice by the Liverpool and England football legend John Barnes.John Barnes spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent black player.Barnes is now an articulate and captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues, and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism he tackles head-on the issues surrounding prejudice with his trademark intelligence and authority.By vividly evoking his personal experiences, and holding a mirror to this country's past, present and future, Barnes provides a powerful and moving testimony. The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism will help to inform and advance the global conversation around society's ongoing battle with the awful stain of prejudice.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism
by John Barnes'brilliantly written ... a genuinely important book' Jonathan Ross, The Jonathan Ross Show'something we all need to be reading ... an absolutely brilliant book ... a great read for all of us' Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'an absolutely terrific book' Susanna Reid, Good Morning Britain'[John Barnes is] such a clear thinker ... well worth reading' Richard Madeley, Good Morning Britain'this book feels uncomfortable, but important, too ... Passionate, confrontational stuff' The ObserverAn eloquent and thought-provoking book on racism and prejudice by the Liverpool and England football legend John Barnes.John Barnes spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent black player.Barnes is now an articulate and captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues, and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism he tackles head-on the issues surrounding prejudice with his trademark intelligence and authority.By vividly evoking his personal experiences, and holding a mirror to this country's past, present and future, Barnes provides a powerful and moving testimony. The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism will help to inform and advance the global conversation around society's ongoing battle with the awful stain of prejudice.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism
by John BarnesAn eloquent and thought-provoking audiobook on racism and prejudice by the Liverpool and England football legend John Barnes.John Barnes spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent black player.Barnes is now an articulate and captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues, and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism he tackles head-on the issues surrounding prejudice with his trademark intelligence and authority.By vividly evoking his personal experiences, and holding a mirror to this country's past, present and future, Barnes provides a powerful and moving testimony. The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism will help to inform and advance the global conversation around society's ongoing battle with the awful stain of prejudice.(P) 2021 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Uncommon: Finding Your Path To Significance
by Tony Dungy Nathan WhitakerSuper Bowl-winning coach and #1 New York Times best selling author Tony Dungy has had an unusual opportunity to reflect on what it takes to achieve significance. He is looked to by many as the epitome of the success and significance that is highly valued in our culture. He also works every day with young men who are trying to achieve significance through football and all that goes with a professional athletic career-such as money, power, and celebrity. Coach Dungy has had all that, but he passionately believes that there is a different path to significance, a path characterized by attitudes, ambitions, and allegiances that are all too rare but uncommonly rewarding. Uncommon reveals lessons on achieving significance that the coach has learned from his remarkable parents, his athletic and coaching career, his mentors, and his journey with God. A particular focus of the book: what it means to be a man of significance in a culture that is offering young men few positive role models.
Uncommon Champions: Fifteen Athletes Who Battled Back
by Marty KaminskyThese fifteen motivating stories prove that integrity and honor are not entirely missing from the playing fields. Readers will share the excitement as blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer scales the heights of Mount McKinley; as sprinter Gail Devers returns from a life-threatening illness to defend her Olympic title . . . and more. Despite facing incredible adversity, each of these stars found the heart and stamina to persevere.
Unconscious Putting
by Stockton Dave Rudy Matthew"The Pro Tours' Hottest Coach" (Golf Digest) reveals the secrets that helped Phil Mickelson win the 2010 Masters and can utterly transform every player's game. When a resurgent Phil Mickelson won the Tour Championship in September 2009, he was quick to credit a series of simple putting lessons from veteran golf champion and instructor Dave Stockton. As a top coach, Stockton has taught a long list of pro players-including Annika Sorenstam, Yani Tseng (winner of four LPGA tournaments), Adam Scott (Texas Open champion), Hunter Mahan (Phoenix Open champion), and Morgan Pressel (World Ladies Championship of Japan winner)-the putting strategies that finessed their game. Stockton's breakthrough concept is that every player has their own Signature Stroke, which is unconscious. Good putting comes from the mind, Stockton says, not from a series of stiff mechanical positions. With visualization, the right frame of mind, an efficient pre-putt routine, and connection to the individual internal stroke signature, any player can make far more putts. Putting has always been taught as an offshoot to the full swing, when in reality it is far different- almost a different game. Unconscious Putting will help players get out of the rigid, mechanical, overthinking trap. In Unconscious Putting, Stockton shows how players at every handicap level-from pros to weekend golfers-can putt effortlessly and with confidence by integrating a new mental approach with a few simple physical routines that will keep them locked on target. Readers will also gain invaluable advice on reading greens and equipment. Illustrated throughout and filled with anecdotes about how Stockton's lessons have helped today's leading players, Unconscious Putting is a must-have golf book and a category classic-in-the-making. .
Unconscious Scoring
by Dave Stockton“The Pro Tours’s hottest coach” (Golf Digest) scores the perfect follow-up to his bestselling golf guide, Unconscious Putting. Dave Stockton is hotter than ever. The 2011 U. S. Open winner, Rory McIlroy, studied with the renowned instructor and two-time former PGA champion, and credits Stockton’s teachings as the reason behind his own putting success. In Unconscious Putting, Stockton introduced amateur players to the techniques, strategies, and mental processes he uses to help tour players find so much success on the green. Now, Unconscious Scoring completes Stockton’s short-game education by teaching readers how to make the most of shots around the green—the best place to achieve lower scores. Simplicity is the key to Stockton’s remarkable instruction success, and he breaks down the short game into two components—low shots and high shots—explaining both the technique and the context of how and when the shots should be used. Besides McIlroy, Stockton has worked with champions such as Phil Mickelson, Yani Tseng (the number-one ranked woman in the world), and Annika Sorenstam. In Unconscious Scoring, Stockton illustrates his principles with examples from his week-to-week sessions with these and many more of the game’s top players. Including black-and-white and color photos and instructional video tags, Unconscious Scoring reveals the simple processes and transformative insights that every player—whatever his or her handicap—yearns to master. .
Unconventional Love Box Set
by Naleighna KaiWAS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO? Tailan and Delvin complicated their lives by bringing another woman into the relationship to bear his children. Once the surrogate was two months along, she turned the tables by issuing a heartbreaking ultimatum. Now seven years later on a Midwest book tour, fate has given Delvin, now a wealthy actor and author, four days to right old wrongs. He’ll use everything in his power to win Tailan back. Unfortunately, Tailan is harboring a secret that she’s kept not only from him but from the entire world. OPEN DOOR MARRIAGEUSA TODAY Bestselling Author, Naleighna Kai, tells the dynamic love triangle of a chance encounter that lands wealthy NBA star, Dallas Avery, back in the arms of Alicia, the woman of his dreams. A woman he hasn’t seen in years. A woman he soon discovers is his fiancée’s long-lost aunt! But Tori, isn’t ready to give up all that she’s worked for in their relationship, so she makes him a shocking offer—go through with the wedding and she’ll still allow him to be with the one woman he now can’t seem to do without. Everyone will get a little of what they want. . . and maybe a whole lot of what they don’t. RICH WOMAN’S FETISHGina learns that one of her surrogate daughters has been forced into the illicit world of drugs and prostitution. When the police and FBI turn a blind eye, Gina risks the anger of her former sponsors and lovers to have their children search for the younger sister they know nothing about. One daughter turns to a criminal mastermind to help locate the teen; another puts her career in jeopardy when she seeks justice in her own deadly way. If exploring the darker underworld of the lengths couples will go to have a child, and the sensual journey that one woman takes to survive makes you even slightly curious, then you’ll love USA TODAY Bestselling Author Naleighna Kai’s Rich Woman’s Fetish.
The Uncrowned Champs: How the 1963 San Diego Chargers Would Have Won the Super Bowl
by Dave SteidelBefore the inception of the Super Bowl--football’s faceoff of the best teams to find out who is truly superior--the two leagues (AFL and NFL) would each have their own championship game. This bad blood stuck around until the merger of the leagues in 1966. Since beginning play in 1960, the American Football League had always taken a backseat to the National Football League. It was considered a secondary league; the best and most skilled players went to the more powerful NFL, which had been around for nearly fifty years. During the 1963 NFL season, the Chicago Bears reigned supreme, commanding every team that crossed their path. But were they the best team in football? If you asked the San Diego Chargers of the AFL, that answer would be a resounding no. The Uncrowned Champs follows the incredible season of the ’63 Chargers as they transformed their roster from a 4-10 finish in 1962 to a conquering force that ripped through the AFL. With a week-to-week breakdown, Dave Steidel chronicles the team’s innovative, high-scoring, juggernaut offense and top-rated defense that featured a fearsome, foursome front-line. Unfortunately for football fans, the Bears and Chargers never met on the field that year. But thanks to new technology, we are able to conduct a computer simulation of what would have been the first Super Bowl game and answer the fifty-year-old question of who was the best football team of ’63? Featuring a foreword by Chargers Hall of Fame wide-receiver Lance Alworth, The Uncrowned Champs is a terrific look into the pre-Super Bowl era, when two rival leagues fought for dominance in the public’s eye.
The Undefeated: The Oklahoma Sooners and the Greatest Winning Streak in College Football
by Jim DentJim Dent's The Undefeated details the winning and powerful history of the Oklahoma Sooners' run of glory.For three perfect seasons (1954-1956), the Oklahoma Sooners won every football game they played--home or away--and over the course of five years they won 47 straight games. This awesome record was the product of a genius and masterful coach named Bud Wilkinson and the spirited young men he led. The Undefeated will detail all the thrilling action on the field during this record winning streak, but it will also reveal all the behind-the-scenes tumult and pressure swirling around it. Dent presents an absorbing character study of the brilliant, complex coach who engineered it all - Bud Wilkinson, the on-field genius whose starched-shirt public persona hid a man of many secrets and an in-depth look at a state and its people still suffering from a Depression hangover and an identity crisis, who took up the Sooners football banner almost as a religious cause. Through it all, the young men who accomplished this amazing feat shine in vivid life.
Undefeated: Inside the 1972 Miami Dolphins' Perfect Season
by Mike FreemanEach year, every football team sets out to play a perfect season. Only one has ever succeeded talk about beating the odds. The Miami Dolphins of the late 1960s were a laughingstock, an expansion team, and a franchise where careers went to die. <P><P>Then came Coach Don Shula. In just a few short years--through hard work, long practices, and his no-nonsense attitude toward the game--Shula transformed the team into a championship franchise. The Dolphins were by and large unseasoned players or rejects from other teams. Even so, they made it to Super Bowl VI. They suffered a humiliating loss to the Dallas Cowboys, becoming the first team in Super Bowl history not to score a single touchdown. <P><P>But Shula closed the 1971 season by telling his players to remember this loss and make sure nothing like it ever happened again. And they listened. The Miami team came back for the 1972 season determined to be winners this time, not losers. <P><P>Through his tough-as-nails coaching, grueling preseason training, and inspiring message of redemption, Shula took the Dolphins, one game at a time, to their legendary Super Bowl victory. Led by such greats as Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti, Larry Little, Mercury Morris, and Jake Scott--as well as players discarded from other franchises who were transformed into key contributors once they were indoctrinated into Shula's system--the team was undefeated 17-0 in the regular season and went on to win Super Bowl VII, in one of the greatest stories of toughness, perseverance, and skill the National Football League has ever seen. <P><P> Along the way, the Dolphins became the team of the 1970s, with Miami as a fascinating backdrop. The city emerged as an anti-Fidel Castro hub and morphed into the city made notorious on the television show Miami Vice. The cocaine began to flow as the Dolphins rose to prominence, and the team struggled with its own drug issues. Yet the Dolphins established themselves as one of the city's most trusted entities. <P><P>While the city faced racially charged riots, Shula purposely built an integrated locker room in an NFL--and a city--that were still extremely hostile to blacks. <P><P>Based on years of research and interviews, Undefeated, by award-winning journalist and author Mike Freeman, examines what is perhaps the single greatest accomplishment in team sports history: the unforgettable NFL season in which the Dolphins didn't lose a single game. There has never been a football team like those Miami Dolphins, and there may never be again.
Undefeated: From Basketball to Battle
by Jim Noles“A provocative, arresting, put-you-there account of a forgotten 1940s Army basketball team that we now realize shouldn’t be forgotten” (Lars Anderson, New York Times–bestselling author).In 1943, the West Point basketball team, the Cadets, had only managed a 5-10 record, and for the 1944 season, coach Ed Kelleher’s hopes of reversing Army’s fortunes rested on his five starters. They consisted of three seniors—team captain “Big Ed” Christl, John “Three Star” Hennessey, and class president Bobby Faas—and two juniors, Dale Hall and Doug Kenna.As the new season opened in January of 1944, Kelleher’s strategy paid handsome dividends. By the end of January, West Point was 6–0; by the end of February, the team boasted a 13-0 record. Of course, during those weeks, it only took a glance at the newspaper headlines to be reminded that there were far bigger contests than intercollegiate basketball afoot in the winter of 1944. The world was at war. The US Army needed its finest on the front line more than on the court, and the three seniors were soon destined for other battles . . .In the years that followed, the Army’s basketball team would never again have a chance to play in the NCAA tournament, and in the modern era, few remember West Point’s perfect 1944 season. Although West Point’s home basketball court is named the Edward C. Christl Arena, and the National Invitational Tournament’s trophy is named after his coach, Edward A. Kelleher, too few people fully appreciate why. But after reading Undefeated, they will.“Hoosiers meets Band of Brothers.” —Col. Scott Maytan
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
by Steve SheinkinAmerica's favorite sport and Native American history collide in this thrilling true story of the legendary Carlisle Indians football team and their rise from underdogs to champions.
Under a Starry Sky: A perfectly feel-good and uplifting story of second chances to escape with this summer 2020!
by Laura Kemp'The equivalent of someone pouring Welsh honey into your heart' MILLY JOHNSON'Gorgeous characters, heart-breakingly real, warm and funny pitch-perfect story' MIRANDA DICKINSON'Uplifting and romantic, I couldn't put it down!' DEBBIE JOHNSON'Gorgeous and big-hearted, perfect to escape with this summer!' HOLLY MARTIN'Laura's writing is breathtakingly beautiful and packed with wit and warmth' CATHY BRAMLEY'Relatable, fun, perfect summer escapism!' HELEN ROLFEOne summer to change her life... Wanda Williams has always dreamed of leaving her wellies behind her and travelling the world! Yet every time she comes close to following her heart, life always seems to get in the way.So, when her mother ends up in hospital and her sister finds out she's pregnant with twins, Wanda knows that only she can save the crumbling campsite at the family farm.Together with her friends in the village, she sets about sprucing up the site, mowing the fields, replanting the allotment and baking homemade goodies for the campers.But when a long-lost face from her past turns up, Wanda's world is turned upside-down. And under a starry sky, anything can happen...Praise for Laura Kemp:'Witty, warm and wonderful. I loved it!' MILLY JOHNSON'Warm, funny, sweet...what a fab read' LUCY DIAMOND'A truly wonderful and heart-warming read' HEIDI SWAIN'An absolute joy' ISABELLE BROOM'I loved it' CLARE MACKINTOSH'An adorable life-affirming book' ROWAN COLEMAN
Under Jackie's Shadow: Voices of Black Minor Leaguers Baseball Left Behind
by Mitchell NathansonUnder Jackie&’s Shadow is a portal to the hidden world of Minor League baseball in the era just after Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. What was it like to be Black and playing in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1965, or Memphis, Tennessee, in 1973? What was it like to play for white coaches and scouting directors from the Jim Crow South who cut their professional teeth in the segregated game before Jackie Robinson ushered in the sport&’s integration? Or to be called into the clubhouse with your Black teammates one spring training morning in 1969 and told that to make the ballclub you&’d have to beat out the Black men in that room, because none of you were ever going to beat out a white player, regardless? Or to spend a staggering eight seasons playing A-ball in the Midwest League, even winning a triple crown, while watching less-talented white teammates get promoted each year while you stayed behind? The thirteen players in Under Jackie&’s Shadow are going to tell you. The players&’ experiences in baseball&’s Minor Leagues in the 1960s and 1970s do not comport with the largely celebratory tales the leagues like to tell about themselves. The Black Minor League players remained largely invisible men—most of whom couldn&’t be named by even the most devoted baseball followers. Based on Mitchell Nathanson&’s interviews, Under Jackie&’s Shadow uses the players&’ own words to tell the unvarnished story of what it was like to be a Black baseball player navigating the wilds of professional baseball&’s Minor Leagues following the integration of the Major Leagues. Harrowing, beautiful, and maddening, these stories are vital to our understanding of race not only in baseball but in the United States as a whole.
Under The Lights And In The Dark: Inside The World Of Women's Soccer
by Gwendolyn OxenhamIn 2004, journalist and award-winning documentary maker Gwendolyn Oxenham played futebol feminino for Santos FC, Brazil. The team hitchhiked to practice, shared their field with a horse and wore hand-me- downs from the men's team. <P><P> If this was Brazil, the mecca of futebol, what did the women's game look like in other countries? <P><P> Under the Lights and in the Dark takes us inside the world of women's soccer, following players across the globe, from Portland Thorns star Allie Long, who trains in an underground men's league in New York City; to English national Fara Williams, who hid her homelessness from her teammates while playing for the English national team. Oxenham takes us to Voronezh, Russia, where players battle more than just snowy pitches in pursuing their dream of playing pro, and to a refugee camp in Denmark, where Nadia Nadim, now a Danish international star, honed her skills after her family fled from the Taliban. <P><P> Whether you're a newcomer to the sport or a die-hard fan, this is an inspiring book about stars' beginnings and adventures, struggles and hardship, and, above all, the time-honored romance of the game.
Under My Helmet: A Football Player’s Lifelong Battle with Bipolar Disorder
by Tony Dungy Keith O'NeilEver since he was a child, Keith O’Neil wanted to play football. Born on the same day that his father, Ed O’Neil, was cut from the New England Patriots, football was all Keith could think about . . .aside from his anxiety. Offered a scholarship to Northern Arizona University, O’Neil jumped at the chance to prove himself. Though it wasn’t a Division I-A school, he brought his all and was a natural on the field, achieving first-team All-Big Sky choice as a junior and senior, as well as earning All-American honors. Going undrafted, luck came from the Dallas Cowboys, who offered O’Neil an invite to rookie mini-camp. But while trying to learn the playbook, his anxiety and insomnia returned. Even so, he made the team as an undrafted free agent. His dream had come true. While proving himself as a hard-nosed special teamer, sleepless nights, constant anxiety, and suicidal thoughts clouded his mind. O’Neil considered stepping away from the game multiple times, even speaking to his coach, Bill Parcells. Parcells gave him the wisdom that ?Everyone has a demon in their head, and we have to beat that demon. Beat the demon!” After being released from the Cowboys, O’Neil spent time with the Colts and Giants, but still could not escape his inner demons. He asked for help but never received the attention he needed. In fact, for suicidal thoughts was given a CD to help him relax?Enya. It finally became too much for him to handle, and the final decision was made to walk away from the game. It wasn’t until sometime later that was finally diagnosed: Bipolar I disorder. Finally, everything made sense.Under My Helmet is the personal story of a man working every day to prove his worth while struggling with a debilitating?and undiagnosed?mental illness. O’Neil’s voice is honest and open as he shares his battles and the steps he’s taken to overcome adversity.
Under The North Pole: The Wilkins-Ellsworth Submarine Expedition
by Hubert WilkinsIn "Under the North Pole: The Wilkins-Ellsworth Submarine Expedition," Sir Hubert Wilkins narrates the thrilling account of an unprecedented journey beneath the icy Arctic waters. Published in 1931, this book chronicles the daring and ambitious submarine expedition led by Wilkins and sponsored by millionaire Lincoln Ellsworth, aimed at exploring the uncharted territories beneath the North Pole.Sir Hubert Wilkins, an esteemed Australian explorer and aviator, brings to life the challenges and triumphs of this extraordinary expedition. The book begins with the planning and preparation stages, detailing the modifications made to the decommissioned U.S. Navy submarine Nautilus to make it capable of withstanding the harsh Arctic conditions. Wilkins provides an insider’s look at the technical innovations and logistical hurdles that had to be overcome.As the Nautilus embarks on its perilous journey, readers are taken on a gripping adventure filled with suspense and discovery. Wilkins describes the crew's experiences as they navigate through treacherous ice floes, battle mechanical failures, and confront the isolation of the deep sea. Wilkins' account not only highlights the physical and mental endurance required but also underscores the importance of teamwork and ingenuity in overcoming adversity."Under the North Pole" is more than just a tale of adventure; it is a testament to human curiosity and the quest for understanding the unknown. Sir Hubert Wilkins' meticulous documentation and engaging storytelling make this book a captivating read for anyone interested in the history of exploration and the pioneering spirit of the early 20th century. Through his eyes, readers gain a deeper appreciation for the bravery and determination that drove explorers to venture into the most inhospitable regions of the Earth.