Bart Starr: America's Quarterback and the Rise of the National Football League

by Keith Dunnavant

Overview

The definitive, authorized biography of Bart Starr, quarterback for the University of Alabama and for the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. A must-read for fans of the Crimson Tide, the Packers, and football greats.

No one can touch Bart Starr's record setting 5 NFL Championships including 3 straight. America's Quarterback tells the story of the man who helped create the legend of Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers. Set against the changing landscape of the last half of the 20th century, this biography traces Starr's life from childhood in Alabama to stardom in Green Bay and beyond. Not a simple sports story, Keith Dunnavant traces the story of one man reaching for the American dream while professional football emerged from the shadows to capture the nation's imagination. It's a story of the tension between a coach and a player as different as fire and ice, and how they came to trust and revere each other. It's a story of triumph tempered by tragedy, and the world-class athlete who quietly, persistently, achieved a level of greatness unsurpassed by any quarterback since.

A remarkable blend of personal memory and historical narrative, Bart Starr: America's Quarterback and the Rise of the National Football League is a tribute to an American hero and the perfect companion to the classic When Pride Still Mattered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250016249
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	364,519
Product dimensions:	5.58(w) x 8.04(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

KEITH DUNNAVANT is the author of critically acclaimed books including Coach, The Missing Ring, and America's Quarterback. He has been one of the leading college football writers, an award-winning magazine journalist and lives near Atlanta.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Bubba's Ghost 7

2 Tide Pride 25

3 The Tenth Quarterback 51

4 Four Little Words 79

5 Chasing Perfection 113

6 Respect 155

7 The Coldest War 198

8 Blood and Guts 237

9 Risking the Legend 260

10 Fearing the Silence 289

11 Sliding Doors 301

Bart Starr's Passing Stats 325

Source Notes 327

Acknowledgments 343

Index 349

Editorial Reviews

This is one of the best sports history books you will read. It's the story of a remarkable man and a fascinating time. Bart Starr and the Green Bay Packers led the way in the 1960s when pro football became America's favorite sport. But this is much more than a football story. Bart Starr is a great man who has handled adversity, triumph, and tragedy with unique dignity. Bart's story has a lot to teach us about life. You will enjoy spending time with this well-crafted book and getting to know Bart Starr in a whole new way.” —NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

“The Green Bay Packers – a formative fable of the the National Football League – would not have been possible without Bart Starr. But Keith Dunnavant has done more than restore the quarterback's place in the sport's history. This biography isn't merely definitive. It's an ode to stoicism, modesty and discipline – the virtues that made the Packers' dynasty.” —Mark Kriegel, New York Times bestselling author of Namath and Pistol

“Keith Dunnavant's bold, stirring biography argues that Bart Starr is the NFL's greatest quarterback ever. Allowing no room for debate, Dunnavant shows that Starr was the indispensable man in the creation of the Green Bay Packers dynasty.” —Dave Kindred, author of Morning Madness: Inside the Washington Post

“Dunnavant has written an absolute masterpiece. This is both a compelling and riveting tale of one of the nicest men who ever played the game, and also one of the most important and influential. Even though I have known Bart more than 20 years, having interviewed him countless times, I learned something new on nearly every page. Hands down, the best sports book of the year. It may be the best sports book I have read in many years.” —Paul Finebaum, Radio Talk Show Host

“In America's Quarterback, Keith Dunnavant perfectly captures the essence and the understated elegance of the icon that is Bart Starr. But Dunnavant gives us much, much more. Through painstaking research and intimate detail, which are the hallmark of his books, Dunnavant gives us the uniquely American story of how a man, through the sheer force of his will and his dedication to excellence, rises from modest circumstances to reach the top of his profession. We learn that Starr has lived his life the same way that he played football: with a quiet dignity that allows him to survive and prevail when faced with both the good and the bad. If you liked When Pride Still Mattered, the great biography of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss, you must read America's Quarterback. Dunnvant has another winner!” —Tony Barnhart, CBS Sports

“America's Quarterback is a well-researched, deeply personal account of a college and NFL icon. Luckily for us Keith Dunnavant chose Bart Starr as a subject. This is a fascinating read.” —Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com

“Keith Dunnavant is one of the most gifted writers and researchers in American book-writing. He brings depth and clarity to Bart Starr the same way he did with Bear Bryant in Coach. I love this book and will proudly display it next to Coach Bryant.'” —Jim Dent, author of Courage Beyond The Game

“Dunnavant does a great job of… revealing the truly impeccable character of Starr and that of his wife, Cherry…. This is an important book about one of the NFL's most important players ever. He, the Packers and Lombardi all helped make the NFL what it is today. Starr is an amazing man who achieved the highest pinnacle in the sport, and yet, is still an exemplary role model, someone you would want your child to emulate. Dunnavant explains all that very well, and as such, it should be a book on every football fan's shelf, and a gift for every young football fan out there.” —Bookgasm.com

From the Publisher

Keith Dunnavant's bold, stirring biography argues that Bart Starr is the NFL's greatest quarterback ever. Allowing no room for debate, Dunnavant shows that Starr was the indispensable man in the creation of the Green Bay Packers dynasty.

author of Morning Madness: Inside the Washingt Dave Kindred

The Green Bay Packers - a formative fable of the the National Football League - would not have been possible without Bart Starr. But Keith Dunnavant has done more than restore the quarterback's place in the sport's history. This biography isn't merely definitive. It's an ode to stoicism, modesty and discipline - the virtues that made the Packers' dynasty.

New York Times bestselling author of Namath and Pi Mark Kriegel