Blazing Trails: Coming of Age in Football's Golden Era
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
Blazing Trails chronicles John Mackey's life as a lightning rod for attention throughout the 1960s. Mackey refused to remain silent on any topic he felt strongly about--especially anything dealing with justice. As one of Baltimore's first famous African Americans, he fought for racial and battled for legal equality for pro football players of all color as the first president of the newly merged NFL and AFL National Football Players Associations. More than affecting the freedom of his football-playing brethren, Mackey was a major factor in using his sports fame to change the world around. What Muhammad Ali was to boxing, Arthur Ashe was to tennis, and Bill Russell was to basketball, John Mackey was to football: an African-American star who proved that the world, and not just sports, was going to become a better, more colorful place.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:1572435380
ISBN13:9781572435384
Release Date:September 2003
Publisher:Triumph Books (IL)
Length:224 Pages
Weight:1.18 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
The Godfather of Tight Ends
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
John Mackey revolutionized how the tight end position was played and for those of us that remember his on field exploits this book fills in the holes that many may not know. But, it is a surface book that does not go deeply into any issues. You learn that he was Ernie Davis' roommate and the trauma of watching him die. 70% of the book concerns his pro career. But probably the most controversial section is about his negotiating as the President of the Players Union. Some of the tricks the owners pulled were amazing and evidently Mackey did a great job slowing their process. Overall this is a good story of a very good man. And while it mentions all family members in a positive way, the book really doesn't delve deeply into the mind of Mackey. It's a great, short read if you like him as a football player and that was enough for me.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
