Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity

Want to read this on your NOOK? Request as NOOK Book from the publisher

Thank you for requesting this book as a NOOK book from the publisher.

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview
Product Details
Meet the Author
Read an Excerpt
Table of Contents

Advertising

Overview

In the aftermath of one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, the city of new Orleans needed a hero.

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, the residents of New Orleans desperately needed something-anything-to believe in. And after being told he might never play football again due to a horrific shoulder injury, quarterback Drew Brees needed a team that believed he could still play…and win.

What happened next is nothing short of providential.

Drew signed with the New Orleans Saints and immediately set to work rebuilding not only his own career but the city of New Orleans as well. Four years later, he led the Saints to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

A true inspiration on and off the field, Drew has become a symbol of hope-not just to the team and the city he helped resurrect, but to everyone who has ever been knocked to the ground.

Drew's invaluable insights on unleashing the hidden power of adversity are proof positive that with enough faith, determination, and heart, you can overcome anything.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781414339436
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication date: 7/6/2010
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 26,048
Lexile: 940L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 9.40 (w) x 6.28 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

More by this Author

Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity

Read an Excerpt

Coming Back Stronger

Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity

By DREW BREES CHRIS FABRY

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Copyright © 2010 Brees Company, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3943-6

Chapter One

MARK OF A CHAMPION

WHEN I HELD UP MY SON, Baylen, after the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIV, with confetti streaming down all around us, it was the fulfillment of a dream. But what I've discovered along the way is that the road to success is usually a pretty bumpy one. And there are no shortcuts.

They say you need three skills to be a great quarterback: toughness, intelligence, and heart. Although I didn't officially start training to become a quarterback until I was in high school, in a way, I guess God has been preparing me for that role all my life.

I had a great childhood, but it wasn't always easy. Then again, neither is life. And neither is football. As a kid, I got teased a lot because of a distinguishing birthmark on my right cheek. My mom and dad used to tell me that was where an angel had kissed me, but the kids at school didn't quite see it that way. They used to tease me and take jabs at me in the classroom and on the playground, saying things like "What happened to your face?" or "Wipe that stuff off your face." I couldn't help but get in a few scraps over it.

When I was little, the pediatrician gave my parents the option of having it removed because there was a chance it could become cancerous, but in spite of all the harassment I took at school, I decided to keep it. Instead of seeing it as a bad thing, I chose to see it as something that made me unique and special. It set me apart from everyone else. In a way, it became my trademark.

Looking back, I guess it might have been smarter to remove it, because why take a chance on it becoming cancerous? I even had it biopsied a few years ago, and I still see the dermatologist every once in a while to make sure it's okay, but now it's just a part of who I am. I wouldn't consider cutting off my arm. Neither would I cut off my birthmark. If I had ever been forced to remove it, I would have been devastated. My good friends who have known me a long time say they don't even see it anymore. If I had it removed, they would notice, but now they don't see it at all. They just see me.

In some ways, I guess you could say it was a character builder that helped me develop an inner toughness and an ability to shake off jabs and criticism. Not a bad trait to have as a quarterback in the NFL-or in any job, for that matter.

A Lineage of Competition

If you look at pictures of me as a child, you'll see the birthmark, but you'll also almost always see me holding a football or a baseball. As far back as I can remember, football has been a part of my life.

When I was growing up, my father would throw to me in the yard, but my constant playmate was my brother, Reid. He's two and a half years younger than I am, and we played all the time in our little yard in Austin, Texas. Our "field" was a patch of grass that was about as big as a good-size living room. Trees bordered the yard, and those were our sidelines. The invisible goal lines were clearly defined in our minds, so we knew when we scored.

There's a big gap when a fifth grader plays against a second grader or when a sixth grader plays against a third grader, so to make it fair, I would get down on my knees and Reid would try to run around me. And it wasn't touch football-we were really tackling each other, and I would try anything I could to take him down. Even though I was scrambling on my knees, Reid still got beat up on quite a bit. Sometimes my dad would come out, and he'd play all-time quarterback, but most of the time it was just Reid and me.

I grew up in a very sports-minded family. My mother, Mina, was very athletic. In the late 1960s she was all-state in high school track, volleyball, and basketball. If she were playing today, she'd have gotten an athletic scholarship to just about any school in the country for any of those sports. But at that time women weren't given many of those opportunities. She decided to attend Texas A&M, which had been an all-male military school. My mother was in one of the first classes of women to attend Texas A&M. It was there that she met my dad, an athlete himself who played freshman basketball.

My mom's brother, Marty Akins, was an All-American quarterback at the University of Texas. Marty was part of the Longhorns team that beat Alabama and Bear Bryant in the 1973 Cotton Bowl.

My mom's father, Ray Akins, was a Marine and served in World War II. After the war he coached high school football for thirty-eight years, winning 302 games in his career. He was a legend in the state of Texas, and best of all, he was my grandfather. He coached at Gregory-Portland High School in Portland, Texas, just outside Corpus Christi. He used to let Reid and me attend his summer two-a-day practices. From the time I was about seven years old, right around my parents' divorce, until my grandfather stopped coaching in 1988, Reid and I would stand on the sidelines and hand out this green water to the players during breaks. It was something like Gatorade-green because of the electrolytes mixed in. I always felt like my grandpa was ahead of his time with that kind of stuff. It didn't matter what Reid and I were doing-it was a thrill just to be that close to the game and the players. I never would have guessed back then that I'd be on the other side someday.

That's my lineage. We have always been a very athletic and competitive family. Our get-togethers when I was growing up were all about sports. That's what we all loved. On Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, the Fourth of July, or any other time we got together, we'd eat a big meal and then end up in the yard playing something. We played basketball, football, Wiffle ball, washers, you name it. At the end of the day there was always a winner and a loser. The winner went away happy and the loser was mad, and you wouldn't talk to each other for a while. That's just the way it was, and we looked forward to those get-togethers like you wouldn't believe.

When I say we were competitive, that didn't just encompass sports. For example, there were times we'd be sitting on the porch at my grandparents' house eating plums from my grandmother's plum trees. After we ate them, we would see who could spit their pit farthest into the yard. Somebody would mark the longest spit, and we'd eat more plums just so we could have another chance to beat whoever was in first place. It was crazy, but it was so much fun. I usually won, by the way!

Anything we could find for competition, we were all over it. One of my favorites was pitching washers. Also called Texas horseshoes, this game involves two- to three-inch metal washers and PVC cups that are sunk into the ground. You pitch the washer toward the cup and get points for being closest to the cup and more points for having it actually go in. Some people play on sandpits, but my grandfather made a court out of turf. That was a big game for us as kids, and it taught me control and accuracy.

I have no doubt all those backyard games played a huge part in stoking my competitive fire. And they're also some of my best memories.

The Split

One of the most difficult things I experienced as a child was the divorce of my mom and dad. But it was that adversity that brought Reid and me so close. I was seven and Reid was about five when Mom and Dad divorced. At that age you don't quite understand how the world works. We were so young and had so many unanswered questions: Why are Mommy and Daddy not together anymore? Was it something we did? Could we have stopped it somehow? That is why when I met my wife, I knew divorce was not an option and I never wanted to put my children through that.

I remember seeing my parents sit down many times to talk, and I figured it was only a matter of time before we would be a family again. That is, until the day my dad sat Reid and me down on the couch to explain the situation. I remember it like it was yesterday. There are certain moments in your life you just don't forget. When he sat us down, I had no idea what was coming at first, although whenever he took off his glasses to talk to us, I knew it was not going to be good. The only time I have ever seen my dad take off his glasses, besides to clean them, is when he is about to get emotional. He made it clear that day that things would never be the same again. To this day, I still get teary-eyed when I think about how painful that moment was for all of us.

Reid and I spent many nights awake long after lights-out, hoping and praying that our parents would get back together. We cried ourselves to sleep a lot during that time. The split wasn't an amicable one, and there was bitterness between the two sides. In fact, Reid and I were caught in the middle from the time we were kids until my mom passed away in August 2009. When you're a kid, normal is whatever is happening at the time. Reid and I basically had two homes. I'd spend two days at my mom's house, then two days at my dad's house, and we'd switch off every other weekend.

My brother and I really leaned on each other during that time. Our escape from everything was to take a bucket and a net down to the creek that ran through our neighborhood in central Austin to catch minnows and crawdaddies. That same creek ran through a local nine-hole golf course about six blocks away from our duplex. Reid and I even started a business as kids by fishing out the orange and yellow golf balls from the creek, shining them up, and selling them to the golfers. We weren't going to get rich off that deal, but it was enough to buy us baseball cards and Big League Chew at the local convenience store. As good as those times with my brother were, when we got back home every evening after one of our adventures, we would have to face the reality of a broken family.

We were inseparable, best friends. We did have conflict, though. I know it was tough on Reid to have me as an older brother. As much as we both assumed our futures were aligned, we were destined to travel different roads. He excelled in sports, but he didn't want to do the exact same things I did. He wanted to find his own way. Since he didn't play quarterback, people would ask, "Why don't you play quarterback like Drew? Why don't you follow your brother?" He heard that a lot, and it made him mentally tough-that and all the whuppings he took from me. The truth is, I always felt like Reid was tougher than me. Of course, that was my plan all along: I was preparing him.

When Reid went to college, he partied a little too hard, got a couple of tattoos, probably because he knew our parents would not approve. He was rebellious like that. It was his way of separating, becoming his own person.

We're both supercompetitive; we work really hard at things, and when we set our minds to something, we will accomplish it. I'm so proud of him for walking on to play baseball at Baylor. His goal was to earn a scholarship and help lead his team to the College World Series, and that's what he did. The funny thing is, if you'd asked either one of us our dream when we were growing up, neither of us would have mentioned anything about football. We wanted to play in the College World Series. So watching my brother play in Omaha at Rosenblatt Stadium in 2005 ranks up there as one of the proudest moments in my life. My brother was living out a childhood dream for both of us.

In a way, my brother used the pressure people put on him to excel in different areas, like baseball and business. He now lives in Denver and works in sales.

Some things in my life have made me step back and say, "Man, how did my family end up with so many problems?" But I've found that when you start talking to people, everybody's family has something they've dealt with. Every family has issues and is a little dysfunctional. It's not whether you will have problems within your family; it's how you handle those difficulties when they come your way.

Westlake High School

In spite of the divorce, I really didn't have a bad childhood. In fact, in my mind, my life was the greatest I could have asked for. Some things weren't easy to go through, but I wouldn't trade any of it. All the negative and positive mixed together to make me who I am.

For example, when I was a freshman in high school, I changed school districts. Mom felt that of all the public schools in the area, Westlake High School in Austin had the best combination of academics and athletics. She valued high academic standards as well as a good sports program, and Westlake had both.

I remember some conflict between my mom and dad about the school decision. My dad's a real easygoing guy, kind of a go-with-the-f low type, whereas my mom was super-competitive, probably overly competitive, if there is such a thing. When she and Dad would argue, she'd refuse to back down. Whenever she'd get in that bulldog mode, my dad would have no other choice than to agree with her decision.

My mom was the reason I went to St. Andrew's Episcopal School for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. She wanted me to get a solid education as well as have a great athletic experience. Dad would say, "Why do we have to pay for private school? The public school's just fine."

But Mom wouldn't budge.

When I moved into the Westlake district, I didn't know many people. I remember the first set of two-a-days as a freshman. This was Texas 5A football. It was Friday Night Lights. There was a sea of guys, probably 150 to 200 kids, all ready to play. The coach said, "Okay, who thinks they can be quarterback?"

I raised my hand and looked around to see forty other hands in the air. I thought, I am never going to see the field. I was the new guy. All these guys had been part of the same program at the two middle schools in the district. They'd had real game preparation and full-contact experience. I'd been playing flag football the past three years because our small Christian school didn't have enough players to field a tackle football team. The season hadn't even started yet, and already I was at a disadvantage.

There was a positive side, though: playing f lag football had kept me from getting hurt early on. Plus, I'd learned a lot of the fundamentals without wearing pads. Flag football is all about throwing, catching, and running as opposed to blocking and contact. The movement is very athletic and fluid, and it forces you to have a solid grasp of the basics.

I ended up as the fourth quarterback of six my freshman year. The first three went to the freshman A team, and the next three went to the freshman B team. In effect, I was the starter on the freshman B team. Not bad, but I felt lost in a swarm of players.

During my sophomore year, when I was in the middle of two-a-days, my mom picked me up from practice. She could tell something was up because I was unusually quiet. After she pulled into the garage, she turned off the car and we sat there for a minute.

I looked at her and used a word that normally didn't come out of my mouth. "Mom, I think I might want to quit football."

She didn't freak out. She just squinted her eyes with concern and said, "Why?"

"Because I don't feel like I'm ever going to get an opportunity to play."

Jay Rodgers was the quarterback for the varsity team, and his younger brother Johnny was the quarterback on junior varsity. This was a football family. Their middle brother was the starting center on varsity, and their dad, Randy Rodgers, was the recruiting coordinator at the University of Texas. Johnny Rodgers was destined to be the next starting quarterback for Westlake High School, and I was sure I'd get lost in the shuffle.

"You know, my real sport is baseball," I told my mom. "I want to get a baseball scholarship. I play football because I like it, but I don't want to sit on the bench. I don't feel like I'm going to get an opportunity, and maybe I'd be better off playing fall baseball and trying to get a baseball scholarship."

My mom took a deep breath. "That's a valid point. I wouldn't want to sit the bench any more than you do. So if you don't want to play, you don't have to play. But remember this: when you least expect it, that opportunity will present itself. You never know when it's going to come, but all it takes is one play."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Coming Back Stronger by DREW BREES CHRIS FABRY Copyright © 2010 by Brees Company, Inc.. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Foreword Mark Brunell ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Prologue xv

Chapter 1 Mark of a Champion 1

Chapter 2 A Few Good Men 13

Chapter 3 Girl Meets Idiot Quarterback 29

Chapter 4 Charging Ahead 39

Chapter 5 Creating the Edge 59

Chapter 6 Insult and Injury 73

Chapter 7 Miami vs. New Orleans 89

Chapter 8 The Comeback 109

Chapter 9 The Aints 139

Chapter 10 Winning One for the People 153

Chapter 11 One at a Time 165

Chapter 12 Who Dat? 181

Chapter 13 To Whom Much Is Given 195

Chapter 14 Building a Championship Team 207

Chapter 15 Gains and Losses 227

Chapter 16 The Year of Finishing Strong 247

Chapter 17 The Road to the Super Bowl 275

Epilogue 299

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review

( 0 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

Anonymous

Posted July 8, 2010

Best "sports" memoir since Quiet Strength

It's pretty obvious that the first reviewer on this site is intentially trying to sabotage Drew Brees's book. Unlike many sports books that immediately follow championships, Coming Back Stronger is a very well written book that details Drew's life and the obstacles that he has overcome. He presents in detail the difficult relationship he had with his mother, hilarious stories about courting his wife Brittany, leading New Orleans back from Hurrican Katrina, and leading the Saints to a championship. It also closely details his faith. This book is much more than just football and is the best sports memoir I've read since Tony Dungy's Quiet Strength and it rivals it in quality.

26 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
brahms1545

Posted July 21, 2010

I Also Recommend:

Inspiring!

I am a Saints fan from childhood, long before Drew Brees was born. I'm also a 3rd generation New Orleanean. The last few years has been traumatic for my family like most from LA. Last year was magical and awe inspiring! This is the 2nd book I've bought recanting the Saints story; but what I got was even better than expected: what drives the man and what he believes and his focus. Reading Drew's book about how he ended up in NO and how Sean Peyton and Mickey Loomis run the Saints speaks volumes.

From the beginning I found a determination in this book that I can use with my students to inspire them to keep fighting their way to be the best they can be. But once he started the chapters on finding a way back from the massive surgery and looking for a job, you could see destiny taking over. God does have a plan.

I especially admire the theme of his book: put the negative away. It sounds easy, but it isn't. Focus on what positive you can pull from what has happened and make positive choices from it. Everytime he made a bad play, he tried to shake it off and move on to thinking positive. If more people would take this type of attitude these days we would have many more success stories.

12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 8, 2010

Not your typical sports book

Coming Back Stronger is not your typical sports book. It's really a fantastic read and is very well written. I'll be purchasing this book as a gift for many associates and friends.

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Mobileproud

Posted July 8, 2010

Wonderful book

I raced out to get this book somewhat expecting a book that was just thrown together following the Super Bowl. What a wonderful surprise. This is a beautiful, richly written book. The takeaway from this book is tremendous and Drew truly serves as an inspiration.

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 10, 2010

Great read

I agree that the first poster is simply not a fan of Drew Brees, and as such probably never read the book. The book is mostly ghost written anyway (thus the "with Chris Fabry" in the byline). Unfortunately, when someone in sports writes a book, the haters come out of the woodwork like so many termites intent on destruction. It's sad, really, when you think about it. I'm happy to say I have more of a life than that. He is probably a Vikings or Colts fan, I guess.

I found the book very intelligent and inspriring. I especially enjoyed the positive nature of Brees and how he sees every problem as a challenge to overcome it and succeed. He's obviously done that. A great read!

I also recommend Sean Payton's new book, *Home Team*.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 8, 2010

Simply excellent

I've been a Drew Brees fan for years and was eager to read his memoir. It doesn't disappoint. Drew's story of overcoming difficulties and adversity is truly inspiring and should bring many who read it hope and encouragement as they face their own hardships. Kudos to Drew (and his cowriter) for so eloquently telling this story!

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
NOLA_Reader

Posted July 8, 2010

Wow--very impressed

It's pretty clear the first reviewer has not actually read this book. As much as I like Drew Brees, I was certainly not expecting his memoir be so well done. I was pleasantly surprised! The writing is really strong and the message is even stronger. I highly recommend this book to anyone--football fan or not.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 8, 2010

Ghost written I'm sure but tremendous

I know that articulate as Drew is that he certainly had help writing because this is an extremely well written book. It has a wonderful message but it's told in such a way that you feel that Drew's speaking directly to you over coffee. Just a really well put together book and the photos are great as well.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Staci

Posted January 16, 2011

more from this reviewer

Very highly recommended!!

I have NEVER given review of a book I have purchased and I have recommended less than a handful in my entire life! This book touched me!! After a wretched Friday at work in which I felt beat down and defeated (fast paced business world) I went home in tears which is VERY unlike me! I woke up Saturday morning with one phrase going through my mind over and over...that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger! I woke up determined, but I still needed a little encouragement! I had to take my daughter to the store that afternoon and I passed by this book! I am a Louisianan and a Saints fan, but would typically not pick up a book like this! Something drew me to it however and as I opened it up I landed square on a page that said "that which does not kill you makes you stronger! I bought the book right then and literally COULD NOT put it down until I finished it moments ago! What an uplifting book! Brees' story is not unlike most! I don't feel that he has suffered any more than most of us! What sets him apart, what makes him a success, is his drive, his attitude, his fortitude, his faith! I don't feel that this book is so much about him as it is about what you can achieve with the right attitude! Thank you Drew....for a winning team, a winning attitude, and the encouragement I needed to keep pushing!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
EllesusaintGirl

Posted August 10, 2010

Drew Brees Shows He Is More Than Just a Great Quarterback!

This book gives the reader a wonderful insight into what it takes to succeed in all aspects of life. Drew understands there is more to life than just playing football, even though he has succeeded at the highest level. He puts God & Family first...as it should be. His willingness to work hard and also to give back to his community are the reasons people in the Gulf Coast area admire & love him. To the reviewer who wrote negative comments about this book...just chalk it up to sour grapes from a fan of a rival football team who lacks the intelligence to get what the book is about. Thank you, Drew, for making the choice to join the Saints organization and for sharing your life with us by writing this book.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 15, 2010

Great Book

This book was amazing!!! It gave me the opportunity to realize how to play a game. Drew is really talented and it shows through all he went through. Coming Back Stronger doesnt only let you know more about Drew but it also allows you to understand losing and winning along with taking it one game at a time. Drew taught me alot from this book, from sports to God!! Thanks so much Drew Brees and good luck with everything!!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Saintsfett

Posted January 9, 2012

Great Book

This is a great book usually i would be saying this because Drew Brees is the QB of my favorite team, but for this instance i actually thought this was a really well written book

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 18, 2010

I Also Recommend:

Very Moving

This book will inspire you by this absorbing and inspirational story. You don't have to be a sports fan to love this book. Incredible read! Recommend it to everyone.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted July 8, 2010

Not a good read.

This book is so poorly written that you at points feel bad for him. I could not put it down because I was hoping that somewhere he would redeem himself, but I was horribly wrong. All that I got out of this was a giant waste of time. Please save yourself and do not get this book!

1 out of 44 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 7, 2012

I Also Recommend:

“Saint Drew- Saving New Orleans & Saving Himself&rdqu

“Saint Drew- Saving New Orleans & Saving Himself”

“Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the hidden power of adversity” is an impelling story about the adversity Drew Brees has faced. From the loss of a loved one, to injury, to becoming a part of a new team, Drew conquered all of his adversities once the Saints won the Super Bowl. Not only was the Super Bowl such an accomplishment for Drew as a quarterback, but it was the first Lombardi trophy New Orleans has ever seen. After overcoming Hurricane Katrina, tons of people from New Orleans had to move away, but after winning the Super Bowl and only losing three games in the entire season, it brought the city back together and brought the people back together. Drew has helped not only the community but he has created a connection between him and the people that will never be forgotten.
I enjoyed how Drew Brees took the audience through his trials and tribulations throughout his career. It was interesting to see how he came from the San Diego Chargers, then he was a free agent and New Orleans took a chance on him, even though he was injured. I liked that Drew explained how he met his wife and how they fell in love; I thought that was very sweet how he talks about his wife and his son Baylen. I didn’t have any complaints about this novel; I thought it was great and very enticing. One of the themes that occurred throughout this book was perseverance. It showed how Drew persevered through being replaced as a quarterback, how he fought through injury, and how he help rebuild the city he moved and adapted to. A message that occurred repeatedly was lending a helping hand. Drew continually described how important it was to him to give back to the city that welcomed him with open arms. No matter where he went as a quarterback, Drew gave a huge amount of his time to help children, and support the community.
I recommend this novel to any sports enthusiast. This story is very interesting and warm hearted. It was an easy read that had a lot of character. It was funny and light hearted, and there were parts of the story that were sad and heartbreaking as well. Both sides of the spectrum really bring out the true spirit of football and that football is not all about the fame, but the rewards of sharing the wealth. Men and women would enjoy this story of how a boy from Texas can make it big in a football career. This is a great read because Drew takes the reader inside his personal life and shares his importance of family and God. People that also like Tim Tebow’s novel would enjoy this novel as well. This read would satisfy anyone that enjoys football and is fascinated with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
BuffaloDave

Posted March 7, 2011

more from this reviewer

Inspirational and Outstanding!

Drew Brees gives hope to the athletics world overwhelmed with the modern spoiled athlete. This intriguing story will renew your faith in humanity and belief in accomplishment being possible. I'm not a Saints fan at all, but I'm a much bigger Brees fan than ever before after reading this. Written very well, reads fast and truly enjoyable.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Feather1552

Posted February 21, 2011

Very Good Read!!

Because I live in NW Florida and am truly proud of the NFL's New Orlean Saints Super Bowl #44 victory, I felt I couldn't read Drew Brees' book "Coming Back Stronger" without bias. Initially I felt that the author was out to make an extra buck off his Super Bowl win for his personal gain. Yet, Mr. Brees writes candily about his childhood:divorce,lonliness,football,etc. He wrote about his college life on a professional and personal level. He wrote about the strained relationship with his mother, his almost career ending shoulder injury, his faith, and his team's Super Bowl #44 win. You will find the book a good read and with pictures!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
LilRedHen

Posted January 2, 2011

Great Book, you have to read it

First off, let me say, I'm not a big football fan, and I don't watch too many professional sports. I've never been enamored with the glamour and hype that seems to draw a lot of people to read about, or make heros out of athletes. So you probably ask why I signed up to read and review this book. I didn't intend to, and passed it by a couple of times, but I kept coming back, and it was still available. I think it was meant to be, that I read it.
Drew Brees really pretty much tells how it was, from high school and college sports, to being drafted into professional football. It can be, and many times is, a hard life, no matter what the pay. How injuries and bad seasons can effect even the most dedicated player. How he had to work to recover from a bad shoulder seperation, and what it was like, the year after Katrina hit New Orleans, for the people there, the team with a new coach, and never having won a championship. And then you can fast forward to the 2009-10 season, when they managed to pull out a Super Bowl Victory, and losing his mother just before that season started.

So you say you aren't a sports fan? Read this book, you may not be a sports fan when you finish it, but you will have a lot of respect for a Quarterback named Drew Brees. Or at least I do.

I recieved a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers to read and review. I recieved no other compensation for my review. All opinions expressed here are my own, good or bad.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
jheinrichs

Posted December 20, 2010

A Must Read

Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity by: Drew Brees By Drew Brees with Christ Fabry is a memoir of Drew Brees. Drew chronicles his years leading up to the pinnacle of his football career; becoming Super Bowl Champion. You will experience the ups and downs of Drew's life, the many adversities that he has faced and conquered, the many failures and successes that he has experienced from high school all the way to the NFL. This is not simply a book about conquering with human will and endeavour but the faith in God and trusting in his will and purpose that holds us together and brings us through adversity making us stronger.
This book puts you in the shoes of a professional football player (a childhood dream of mine), not simply the glamour and fame of being a football star, but everything that it encompasses from overcoming a devastating injury to constant discouragement to keeping a family. The underlining theme of the book is written on it's cover "coming back stronger". Not only does the title apply to Drew himself, but it also applies to his team and place that he chose to call home; New Orleans. Reading this book helps you understand the devastation and the few hopes that they had to hold onto in the midst of a terrible tragedy. How even the simplest thing of winning football games and believing that there are brighter days ahead can pull a community together and in the midst of tragedy become stronger.
Not only was this story engaging right from the start to end, this book was well written and easy to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone, football fan or not; you will finish this book encouraged and determined. You might even finish this book feeling stronger.
I recieved this book free for my review from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to give a positive review.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
JamieLittle

Posted December 15, 2010

Great Read

Drew Brees, 2009 Super Champ and MVP, has quite a story to tell. In this memoir Brees shares his story and his belief that everything that has happened to him has happened for a reason. Before his Super Bowl win with the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees played high school ball, college ball, suffered a torn ACL, was drafted by and played with the San Diego Chargers, and seriously injured his shoulder. This book shares this story in an open, honest manner and gives the reader Drew's perspective on what's happened in his life.

Not only did I learn about Drew Brees from reading this book, I learned a lot about football. I learned about the draft process, what it's like being a free agent and a little more insight on how the business really works. I really enjoyed learning about football and learning more about Brees. As Brees shared his story and his heart in this memoir, I was encouraged by his faith and determination. I also really enjoyed learning about New Orleans and how its people have banded together to recover from Hurricane Katrina. This book is well written and a quick read, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know a little more about Drew Brees..even if they don't know a thing about football!

Dislcaimer: Tyndale House Publishers provided this book free of charge for review.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity

Pick Up in Store

Available on NOOK devices and apps

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Product Details

Meet the Author

More by this Author

Read an Excerpt

Coming Back Stronger

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Chapter One

Table of Contents

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Best "sports" memoir since Quiet Strength

Inspiring!

Not your typical sports book

Wonderful book

Great read

Simply excellent

Wow--very impressed

Ghost written I'm sure but tremendous

Very highly recommended!!

Drew Brees Shows He Is More Than Just a Great Quarterback!

Great Book

Great Book

Very Moving

Not a good read.

“Saint Drew- Saving New Orleans & Saving Himself&rdqu

Inspirational and Outstanding!

Very Good Read!!

Great Book, you have to read it

A Must Read

Great Read