For the Glory: College Football Dreams and Realities Inside Paterno's Program

by Ken Denlinger

For the College Football Dreams and Realities Inside Paterno's Program presents the college football experience as seen through the eyes of the young men who play the game.

Sportswriter Ken Denlinger takes the reader on a five-year odyssey into the lives of one scholarship class and reveals their experiences at Penn State and in Coach Joe Paterno's program.

Ken was given extraordinary access to the Penn State programs--starting with the recruiting process and then onto the field and in the locker room. He became friend and confidant to the players and found every player had the same to bring glory to himself and his school and then ascend to the NFL. In this gritty account, Ken sets moving stories of triumph against the stark realities of injury, disillusionment, and failure.

Here are the dreams, fears, and pressures facing young men who are exposed weekly to thousands of screaming fans. Here is a true picture of life in Division I college football. Anyone interested in Penn State, college football, or the larger issues or sports and society will find For the Glory an unforgettable experience.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1994

Reviews

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denlinger makes you feel the pain and honor, the despair and passion, the hope and growth over a 5 year period of a class of Penn State football players. It's a story constructed from snippets of interviews, facts and stats over a long period of time so the story doesn't have the best congruency but makes the reader really feel the emotions young men go through in a top tier college football program. It shows how hard and dangerous the sport can be on men looking to find themselves and study for their future at the same time. Although it may change your mind about college football in a more negative stance, it does show how Paterno and Penn State have consistently been able to mold and shape their students and players into productive and compassionate members of society after football, the game they love. WE ARE!

[Pj Anderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember some of the players covered in this book.

[Ken Devore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great subject for a book, but unfortunately I found the writing to be such that there was a very difficult flow to the story.

[D. DeTo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to gain insight into being recruited into a division one program. Denlinger follows a recruiting class from the time they are recruited and coaches sit at their kitchen table to injury, transfer, quitting, playing on the practice squad to the few that actually make it on the field. It is a reality check for a parent who has a child that is an exceptional athlete who desires the big leagues.

[Tom Hendrickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected much more. I found the storey thin and many stories repeated.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting inside look at major college football , It follows a group of players from recruitng thru five years at Penn State.

[Diana Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there were a lot of interesting parts, overall this book focused mostly on the players, and it was a little too far before my time for it to feel relevant.