Shoot for the Star

This is a great book if you are a fan of Bill Bates or the Dallas Cowboys. Great gift idea for the Cowboys fan in your life!

The story of Bill Bates is a story of overcoming the odds. What I found to separate this tale from other sports stories is that Bates provides great insight into his thought-process during the events of his life. He was the thinking man's football player. He changed with the team and with the game, constantly staying one step ahead and anticipating and filling the need on the Cowboys. He doesn't just tell us that he overcame a serious leg injury. He tells us how he overcame it, what goals he had and what his thought process was. It was fascinating to read how he viewed things. Often times the best sports stories are told by players who weren't huge stars. Bates was on a team of huge stars, but he certainly had his moments to shine and he candidly shares these moments with us. This is an interesting book, covering and balancing his personallife with his professional life.

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys will love this down-to-earth story of one of their greatest heroes, Bill Bates, but anyone who follows pro football can enjoy this inspirational story. Bates begins by describing how he had always wanted to be a Cowboy and goes into detail about how he never allowed anyone to derail him from his dream of wearing the star on his helmet, even when he is bypassed in the NFL draft. His hard work and determination enabled him to carve out a long career as a special teams standout and starting safety despite being labelled "too slow" to play professionally and having to prove himself all over again with each new coach.The book is exceptionally readable, and Bates is candid with both his emotions and opinions. Even if you're not a Dallas fan, and I'm not, you can't help but cheer for Bill Bates at each twist and turn his career takes. The story at times seems more than a little corny, but it is a nice antidote for the image of spoiled pro athletes that is so prevalent these days.