The Making of a Man: How Men and Boys Honor God and Live with Integrity

by Tim Brown, James Lund (With)

What exactly is manhood? How do guys get there?

Tim Brown won the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame and starred in the NFL for seventeen seasons. He left the game as a Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders legend and one of the most respected men in sports. Now “Mr. Raider” shares his amazing journey—the triumphs, the heartbreaks, the struggles with women, Al Davis, and God—as well as the principles and priorities that made him the man he is today.

Much more than a sports memoir, The Making of a Man reveals how faith, family, honor, and integrity have everything to do with true manhood and a life well-lived. Whether you are a rabid fan or have little interest in football, a young boy or already facing the fourth quarter of your life, these pages will both challenge and inspire you to become the man you’ve always known you could be.

 Back Cover:When a man comes into your life and shows you something about yourself that you didn’t know was in you, it’s remarkable. The Apostle Paul did that for Timothy, encouraging him to preach and teach and reminding him, “Do not neglect your gift” (1 Tim. 4:14). Paul was a mentor to Timothy, ready to point out the gifts of his protégé and willing to help develop those gifts and pass on his knowledge. Lou Holtz did the same for me, as well as for a whole lot of other guys. That’s what a mentor does. I’ll always be grateful that he inspired me to believe in myself.

—Tim Brown

Former Heisman Trophy Winner

and NFL All-Pro

 

“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Tim for over thirty years now. I’ve seen him beat the odds in many different areas of life, especially as a father and a mentor. I believe this book will help bring out your true greatness as you read stories about Tim’s successes and struggles, and as you’re inspired by his commitment to integrity as well as the life principles and the faith that have carried him through.”

—Carey Casey, CEO, National Center for Fathering / fathers.com

 

“Over the years, I’ve respected Tim Brown as an NFL opponent, a teammate, and a friend. In The Making of a Man, you will read what has made Tim the man he is today and learn vital lessons on what being a man is all about. Whether young or old, every guy should read this book.”

—Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Fame Wide Receiver

Three-Time Super Bowl Champion 

 

Genres: Sports, Christian, Football

226 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Tim W. Brown was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. In 1983 he graduated summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University with a degree in American studies. He is the author of four published novels, Deconstruction Acres (1997), Left of the Loop (2001), Walking Man (2008), and Second Acts (2010). His fiction, poetry and nonfiction have appeared in over two hundred publications, including Another Chicago Magazine, The Bloomsbury Review, The Brooklyn Rail, Chelsea, Chiron Review, Colorado Review, The Fiction Review, The Ledge, Main Street Rag, New Observations, Oyez Review, Pleiades, Poetry Project Newsletter, Rain Taxi, Rockford Review, Slipstream, Small Press Review, and Storyhead. A long-time resident of Chicago, where he was a fixture in that citys literary scene as a writer, performer, and publisher of Tomorrow Magazine (1982-1999), Brown moved to New York in 2003. He currently earns his living as a writer at Bloomberg."

Reviews

[Isaac G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, quick read with meaningful & well expressed lessons.

[Matt Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Not mind blowing or amazing but a good read, especially if your a Raiders fan.

[Nate Beam]

Tim Brown was one of my favorite football players growing up. This book weaves stories from his life with life lessons for men. He shared principles from the Bible, and shares failures as well as successes. An easy read that would be particularly good for young men or new Christians. I enjoyed it.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want a book on the football career of Tim Brown, which includes discussing the many players he grinded with on the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2003, you aint going to get those things in this book.

What you are going to get in this book are life lessons and that no one is perfect, no matter how much you are a disciple of God and the church.

You're gonna get stories such as the one where he used his faith in God to ignore an idiot at a restaurant who wanted to fight him over a driving snafu in the restaurant's parking lot. Or the time while he was pondering his father's death, he took an old Heisman Trophy T-Shirt out of his father's closet and told the funeral people to put the shirt up under his father's suit in his casket.

Learning how to be a better man, taking care of your responsibilities, as well as being a better Christian is what Brown wanted to convey in this book. And he did a good job with that.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful autobiography of Tim Brown, one of the most decorated football players of my generation. We graduated the same year from the University of Notre Dame. Tim details how God has shaped his life and my keeping God in center and in focus he is able to accomplish much and give back to God what is His due.

It is an easy and entertaining read. I would recommend it for any Christian men’s, or women’s, group looking for a good book to read on what it takes to be a “man of God”.

I will remember Tim’s version of Gayle Sayer’s “I am Third”: “The Lord is first, my friends and family are second, and I am third”. (God, friends & family, me)

[Pj Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years I have always wanted to know how to become a man. Well this book won’t tell you everything but it is a start. I got this book just because I saw it on clearance didn’t think it would impact my life like it did. The way Tim puts things it is a lot easier for someone without such a spiritual background to understand and relate how to be a man of God. I recommend this book to any man looking for a little bit of a push into learning to be a man of God. This an easy read with so much knowledge

[Christopher Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice autobiography about how his faith and philosophy formed over time. However, I'm horrified by his use of corporal punishment to discipline his children. He also never addresses some of the modern-day challenges to Christianity and its followers, such as climate change and LGBTQ rights.

[Charles U. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Not difficult. Good and helpful insights.

[Perry Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the NFL or Notre Dame you will be a fan of this audiobook. David Chattam Narrates the story of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown NFL All-Pro for the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders. David has a deep mellow voice that captivates the listener and will keep your attention. 

Tim shares the story of his life in and out of the NFL.  Starting with his childhood and taking you through his life spent in church and prayer meetings. A powerful father who taught Tim good and bad traits of being a Man, and a Godly Mother who kept the family together through it all.

Tim speaks openly about the troubles that can come to a young man. Premarital sex and the consequences of having a child outside of marriage. Tim made sure he was there for his son in the off season and had appointment phone calls several times a week during the football season to stay connected to his son.

Tim speaks openly about his alcoholic father and describes why he never touched alcohol or drugs. Being famous and winning the Heisman does not a Man make. Dedication and commitment to family, your team, and most of all God are Key to The Making of the a Man.

Tim shares his faith in Jesus Christ and how being a Man and leading by example and hard work made him who he is today. Through injury and disappointments God looked out for Tim and Tim gave God All the Glory.

This Audiobook is perfect for young fatherless men who need some Godly wisdom and advice on how to be a Real Godly Man.

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[Garrett Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young boy growing up you always question what you should do to become the best man when you grow older. “The Making of a Man” by Tim Brown is talking all about how Tim Brown himself used his parents and God to find his way through situations as he grew up. I really enjoyed reading this book, I feel like I could relate some of the situations he went through. I definitely recommend this book for teens or young adults of any gender.

This book was very powerful. Most people might be deceived by the title because it is talking about a man, but really it is fit for any gender to ready. Here is a little outline on the book. Tim grew up playing football as a young kid. Of course he had no idea he was going to become an NFL hall of famer at such a young age, but his parents knew he had potential. He followed his parents say and followed God and they lead him to where he is today. When reading this book I often found myself getting really attached to it. The author wrote some of the parts of the book with a play by play description of the football game and it felt like I was there watching it.

I will say if you don’t enjoy football you probably wouldn’t want to read this. Tim Brown was big into football his whole life so naturally he is going to write about it in his book. I think It is a very positive message for teens and young adults to read.

[Luke Daghir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Brown is an authentic person and in this book he authentically provides life lessons from his own life. Brown does an amazing job of chronologically moving through his life, while in each chapter elaborating on a virtue of manhood, while connecting his life to these manhood virtues.

In previous autobiographies that I have read, the authors tend to spend way to much time talking about sports, seconds on the clock, statistics, and useless information. Tim Brown on the other hand, speaks of what is necessary and focuses on the mission of each chapter.

This is a book that I recommend for any student in high school or college; especially those that are athletes. Tim's openness to his past with women and his conversion to preparing his heart for his wife, was the best part of this book. For Tim to look back on such an amazing career, filled with tremendous success, and be proud of being a quality husband, dad, son, and friend is a stellar message for our times.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because I learned a lot about discipline and becoming a man. Tim Brown talks about how he learned to overcome obstacles in his life and how tough it was to make it into the NFL. This book interested me because I like football and I could connect to Tim. I treat my Mom and my Dad with more respect, I show more leadership and support towards my younger brother, and I overcome obstacles with more control after reading Tim Brown's "The Making of a Man." This book is really going to help me to become a better person and a better man. I would recommend this to any boy that wants to become a man. Every day we risk our lives. The only thing that we can choose, is what we're risking it for...

[Don Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book exceeded my expectations. Tim Brown's real life examples were excellent in revealing how to be a man of integrity.
His examples of his own struggles backed up his points. Excellent book for football fans.

[Desiree Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Brown talks about how football and his faith has kept him on the right path. Read: September 2014