The Jimmy Streater Story: The Saga of an All-American

This book portrays with stark reality the rise and fall of a champion. I played against Jimmy Streater in 1975 in one of the greatest high school football games ever in our state. The book chronicles the history of the Streater Family in Sylva, N.C. from slave days to the birth of Jimmy's immediate family. From there it focuses on the accomplishments of Jimmy and his siblings with the main focus being on Jimmy Streater and his rise to national recognition as the quarterback for the University of Tennessee. The most enlightening portion of the book begins when Jimmy departs UT and is forced to reckon with the harsh realities that life deals he and his family. He faces tragedy when his brother is paralyzed in an auto crash, his own battle with diabetes, depression, and addiction to cocaine. Along the way, this once great athlete loses himself in addiction which costs him his marriage, his left arm, his self-esteem, and on several occasions, almost his life. Ultimately, the book teaches us that there is always hope. This book is a "must read" for coaches at every level, for parents of adolescents, and anyone else who values the triumphs of the human spirit.