Driven: From Homeless to Hero, My Journeys On and Off Lambeau Field

by Donald Driver

The legendary NFL receiver, all-time receptions and yards leader for the Green Bay Packers, and Dancing with the Stars champion looks back on his life and career.

When he was picked in the seventh-round of 1999 NFL draft, Donald Driver couldn’t find Green Bay on a map. He was given little chance of making the Packers roster, much less of amassing over 10,000 yards in his career and becoming a Super Bowl champion. But in an unlikely journey, Driver has overcome obstacle after obstacle to become one of the most successful players in the NFL.
 
Now, for the first time, Driver recalls his time growing up in Houston, spending nights living in a U-Haul trailer with his mother and stealing cars and selling drugs with his brother to get by.  He recalls what it was like to walk into the locker room as a little-regarded prospect out of Alcorn State, an athlete who one year earlier thought his future was in high jump rather than football, and why he would have never made the team without the support of General Manager Ron Wolf.
 
With the help of his winning speed, skill, not to mention, smile, Driver became one of Brett Favre's most-trusted targets and a fan favorite at Lambeau. (Though it took some time for him to perfect his Lambeau leap.)  Driven takes you inside the locker room with Favre, shares his experiences with Reggie White, and recalls his more recent role as a veteran leader for like Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings during their Super Bowl run in 2010. Over 14 years Driver has been through it all—game winning touchdowns, crushing playoff defeats, frightening injuries, and the glory of the Super Bowl.
 
Traveling off the field, Driver discuss his relationship with his wife and three children: how uncertain they were when he undertook  the relentless training necessary to become a champion on the 2012 season of Dancing With the Stars, and how supportive they are of his charity work and service to God.
 
Driver retired on his terms after 14 years in the NFL: as a Packer for life. Driven is the definitive story of Donald Driver’s extraordinary journey.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Sports, Football, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: this review is written by a devoted Cheesehead, as a result a bias opinion will follow
This book had me crying and laughing and falling even deeper in love with Donald Driver.

It was fantastic to remember the highlights and learn more about this inspirational hero.


First off, this book is written by a football player, it is intelligently written but lacks the organization and finesse of a professional writer. For me this was not really a drawback as the voice was authentic and made me feel closer to Donald as a result, see we're on a first name basis.

I really knew nothing of his hard childhood and dark past, I have only known him as an amazingly player with a winning personality and big heart. Seeing where Driver came from and where he ended up pushed this book towards the inspirational label however, for me the draw was getting a glimpse behind the scenes of this amazing football franchise. I loved seeing many emotional Packer moments from Donald's point of view such as Favre's retirement, winning the Superbowl, and not making it through the playoffs the following year.



I think that Donald wrote with truth and honesty and didn't try to present himself as anything other than what he is. Reliving both the tough times and amazing moments of the Green Bay packers brought a tear to this fan's eye.

Overall, a must read for any member of the Packer Nation.

[Deacon Tom F. (Recovering from a big heart attack) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific book! It takes Donald Driver’s life from the mean streets of hangs, drugs and violence in Houston to the Super Bowl.

Great life stories and lessons from a former drug seller.

A very good book that I enjoyed.

I recommend

[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A pretty great story about someone who was able to make it in life. I think it's always good to understand people's stories and realize that as easy as life may look now, a lot of people did not start that way.

See video review on Instagram: WHEREISMAYLING

p. 20 This idea of being able to help your family out, the high you get off of that, it's kind of amazing. It's something a lot of poor kids feel and that goodness can drive them to any number of actions that are not so good (in his case selling drugs).

p. 167 - The mental game of playing in cold weather. How that's true whether it's chicago or in Lambeau field.

p. 185 - His time in Kenya and the ideas we have about helping women vs. their culture. Great story.

p. 231 - The way he talks about his wife is really sweet. their relationship is great. It's good to see men talk about thier wives this way.
P. 236 - The loneliness that his wife feels and how he addresses it is sweet.

p. 238 - The idea of being more than just football. It's intriguing to see that even someone who has so massively succeeded in the area for which he loves still hates being defined in such a singular way.

[Collin Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response: I read the book ¨Driven by Donald Driver. This was a very excellent book and I liked it alot. I enjoied how he talked about all his on and off court activities from when he was a kid, to a grown adult.

Plot: This book talked about Donald´s life. So the first thing that happened, was that Donald was a kid, growing up in the ghetto. His brother was a drug dealer, so he had Donald he in his deals. One time, his brother gave Donald the drugs, and had him stand and wait for the person receiving them. Another time, he had to drive away and steal cars and then resell them. During high school, he was very good a track, the high jump to be more specific. He got invited to try out for the U.S. team for the Olympics but didnt make it. Then he tried football out and loved it. He played all of High School then eventually got a scholarship for football at Alcorn State. There he had to make a decision, either go through collage and play football, or keep trying out for the Olympics. He decided that football was the way to go. He played all College and was a talented player. Scouts came and watched his name, and when he got interviewed, they said ¨We´ĺl take you first chance we get!¨ Well when the draft came around, they didn´t take him... no one did. Until the Packers did with the 213th pick of the NFL Draft. Donald wasn´t pleased, but dealt with it. When he came to traning camp, he was the 8th receiver on the roster. He proved himself the Brett Farve, and the coaches and got bumped up to the 6th receiver. He didn´t get much playing time in his first year as a rookie, but his 2nd year was special. One of the starting receivers was out and another got injured during the game. So Donald came in and caught passes and scored a touchdown. He played 14 years in the league and broke all records for Packers receivers. During his 13th season, he participated in Dancing with the Stars, and won. His last year, he announced his retirement along with all the Packers fans surrounding him.

Characterization: Donald Driver was born in Houston Texas. His dad left his family when he was nine. He also had a rough time with his brother because he sold drugs for him. He and his brother also stole cars and sold them to people. He tried out for the Olympics for the high jump in high school but didn't make it so he chose football instead. He went to Alcorn State in college and got drafted in 1999 by the Green Bay Packers. As a rookie he didn't get much playing time but it slowly increased over time. He went on to break every Packers receiving record in history. He also won dancing with the stars in 2013. He will always be respected by the Packers organization and the fans.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to any Packer fan ages 8+. It could be challenging that's why I recommend it for that age. Overall it is a well-written book and I enjoyed reading it very much.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a goodreads first reads winner of this book. I like memoirs and all sorts of categories that could go with memoir. This one is written by Football player, Donald Driver.This is a "rags to riches" autobiography. Donald Driver { who never went by the name Donald growing up} was nicknamed Quickie" because he was born to run and run FAST!
"Quickie" had a lot of hardship in his childhood. His parents were young had three kids in three years. faced poverty, he watched his parents fight quite a bit when they finally broke up when Donald was still very young. His mother married and divorced two more times had more children. His father was in and out of jail for crimes he did and did NOT commit.For a lot of Donald's life his father was not in it. there were times he was even homeless. they moved constantly.
By the time Donald was 12 he was selling drugs to help support his family. One thing he was good at was sports he was on the football team in high school in Texas. and his talent on the field got him a scholarship to a college.through college he did well on his team, met his future wife. and after college got drafted to the Green Bay Packers.Donald spent a generous amount of the book talking about his year playing for Packers, playing with Brett Favre, and Reggie White, how wonderful it was winning the Super bowl.
one chapter was even devoted to his competing on Dancing with the stars and winning!
I enjoyed reading Donald Driver's memoir. As I mentioned I especially like reading the "rags to riches' stories and watching how people can succeed. A good read. If you like reading about football. this is interesting.

[Michael Linton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book as a lifelong Packer fan. Because of that, I was really looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. I already the basic history of Driver but I was hoping to read the details of his time in Green Bay and of his past life. Well, I got that in his pre-Packer life but got very little of that once he joined the Packers. In addition, I felt the book was a self-promotion book which put a bad taste in my mouth. I wish he put as much passion into this book as he put into football because this book was very empty. I was hoping to read some great stories at this time and in Green Bay but it was mostly a timeline of what happened rather than the details behind the storyline. If I wasn't a Packer fan, maybe I wouldn't be so critical.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review: http://bit.ly/17O2BRK

3.5/5 Stars

My opinion: OK, I have to preface this review by saying that I am a Chicago Bears fan until the day they bag and tag me. Anyone who knows ANYTHING about football knows that the rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packer FANS (I think the players have difficulties remembering it) is nothing to be played with. On that note, there are PLAYERS on the Packers that I have a lot of respect for. Donald Driver is one of those players.

While Driver depicts his life adversities, I would have liked to seen him go deeper into them. There will be a large number of children/youth who read this book and, as depicted in the title, in my humble opinion, Mr. Driver has a lot that he can teach our youth, especially since he calls himself a "hero" in the title. This book was a very, very short 156 pages and he crammed a whole lot of time into those pages. I think he could have either written less on football to accomplish what I expressed earlier OR made the book longer. I would also like to have seen more written regarding his foundation, as it has done a number of good things.

There was also some feeling that the writing was discombulated and that the writing jumped around a bit more than what would have been expected. I am not sure if he used a ghostwriter or not, but it might have benefited for him to.

[Moua Vang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I’ve read is, “Driven,” by Donald Driver. This book can be inspiring if you can relate to what the author’s been through and his perseverance throughout his life. To sum up the story, it starts off with his childhood and how it wasn’t the best having to move from place to place, family relationships, and dealing with drugs at a young age. He later started pursuing to becoming a NFL player. As such, he was later drafted into the Packers and started his career as a wide-receiver for them and stayed with them until his retirement. He has done many things throughout his life as going to South Africa or being on a show called Dancing With The Stars. Overall, my opinion about this book, is that it’s engaging and action-packed with events and situations he faces. An example of an engaging event, was when he injured himself and yet still continues to play the games. In other words, I was captivated by his actions, wondering how things could happen or end for him. As for an example of why I consider this book to be action-packed, was because it was full of actions of the games he has played as a wide-receiver for the Packer. To explain, this book is just full of actions of what he has does in his life.

[Michael Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Driver was THE packer who was a consistent star for pretty much my entire childhood so I’m obviously biased, but this is a really good read. As an autobiography, there’s obviously a bit of polish that a professional writer would have, but the loveable personality more than makes up for it. Really illustrates exactly why Driver is so loved by Wisconsinites as a great Packer and great guy in general

[Tanner Schude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a kid living in a bad neighborhood selling drugs and stealing living with a family that has no money and is constantly moving make it to the NFL? Driven a fantastic autobiography by Donald Driver showing the hardships of his early life to becoming a famous NFL receiver. Donald in his young years goes through a lot. When he was 2 his mom left his father because his father was in and out of prison for drug charges.and robbery charges. This book shows the incredible life of how this NFL star in his early years went from homeless to NFL star.

Donald lived in a Houston apartment in a bad side of town. His mom was always at work when Donald came home from school. He lived with his mom and his brother. Donald had heard stories of his father about his high school days.His father was the fastest and best quarterback. Being in the bad neighborhood that Donald is in he takes to crime to earn money. Donald sold drugs and stole cars. He loves sports he played in basketball, football, and competed in track. Can one instance of someone seeing him commit a crime really change his life? Can such an athletic kid with a not so bright future really have a nice life? This kid turns a very nice humble man and to this day says he owes everything to his momma and the Green Bay Packers organization. This book is pretty good I would recommend you read this book.

[Joshua Kolzow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go pack go! Drivers the man

[Mitchell Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you're a Packers fan or not, this man's story is for all. Truly one of the greatest stories I have every heard. "Driven" is an understatement. I loved every word of this book. Thank you, Mr. Driver, for sharing your incredible story. You truly are an influence to so many. Keep doing you. Go Pack Go!!

[Josh Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Driven is an appropriate title for Donald Driver’s book. Throughout the chapters it was easy to see how “Driven” Donald was- He was driven to succeed whether he was selling drugs, trying to bring his family together, play college football, Packer football, or Dancing with the Stars.

Donald Driver’s weak and often dysfunctional home made him do almost anything to get money to survive. The beginning chapters told about his car stealing, drug dealing, and struggles to survive. His many siblings were very important to him and he tried hard to help them. The author describes poverty and sleeping under a bridge with his Mother and many boy friends. He excelled in track and high school football.

In college he sold drugs, lived with a girlfriend, Alandra, and played football for Alcorn State. He soon left Alandra and starting dating his now wife, Tina. She had a good influence on Donald and he quit selling drugs or he would have lost her.

When draft day came he was very sad to not be drafted higher and hated to go to cold Green Bay. He had no idea where Green Bay was on a map. He struggled as a rookie and played very little. Donald’s first number was 13, but when 80 was available he was happy because it was Jerry Rice’s number. Donald became friends with Ron Wolf who helped him succeed.

Donald Driver’s first NFL coach was Ray Rhodes. Donald’s other coaches were Mike Sherman, Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy. In the book, Donald shared many locker room pranks and stories about the team. Driven tells of Donald’s successes on the field before 2002 when he was offered a big contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Donald and Tina decided to buy a home in Green Bay and stay. For the next eight years he was a very successful wide receiver and work well with Brett Favre.

Donald will be remembered for all the charity work he and Tina did in the Fox Cities and Green Bay areas. Donald never forgot his family or other poor people. Donald shared his money with his family.

Donald Driver always said that he had two families-- a football family and his biological family. He was very happy playing for the Packers and before 2010 he suffered very few injuries. Then to fight the pain he had many injections to deaden the pain and kept playing all that he could.
Driven shows Donald’s compassion when he flies to Virginia to be with a dying friend. The book tells of all the games,--season and post-- to get to the Super Bowl. Donald was happy to play in his home state of Texas in the Super Bowl. He was badly injured and thanked his team for saving the game. Donald had tore his (MCL) and his (LCL) in his left knee. He also had hip surgery. He recovered, but only played a minor roles for the Packers after that.

Donald was invited to dance on “Dancing with the Stars.” Donald,Tina, and his three children, Cristian, Christina, and Charity spent most of the winter that year in Hollywood dancing on TV once a week. Donald’s dancing partner was Peta and they won the Mirror bowl that year. Thanks to Donald’s old teammates and Packer fans voting, they far beat everyone elses total votes.

After taking a big pay cut in his 14th year he made two touchdowns , caught eight passes, for 77 yards. Donald said,”Thank you and Goodbye” to all of his fans at Lambeau Field on Feb 6, 2013.
I would recommend this book to any Packer fan, teenage sports fan or anyone who likes to read any “rags to riches” stories.

[Kristen Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Cover: I think that Biographys and Autobiographys should have a picture of the person on the front and this one was perfect. *STAR*

Author: I thought Donald Driver did a wonderful job telling sharing his story with the world. *STAR*

Story: This is a heartwrenching story of a boy who grew up in a rough neighborhood but quickly makes some life changing decisions later on in life. *STAR*

Characters/Relationships: I really enjoyed learning about Donald Driver since I really didn't know anything about him. I really didn't like chapter 13 what the show Dancing With The Stars turned him into was what I thought more than overconfident to almost the point of being cocky. NO STAR

Cleanliness: There was nothing bad in this book.

Overall Review: Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'm wasn't a fan of the Dancing With The Stars chapter mainly because I'm not a fan of that show seeing that push you to add unneccisary drama to make reality tv more interesting. Other than that I loved the book and reading and learning about Donald Driver and his accomplishments, dreams, and goals as an indivudual. A must read for any Green Bay Packer fan or anybody who just loves to read football biography books.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this book as a First-Reads ARC. I didn't know what to expect with this book. To be honest, I really didn't know if I'd enjoy it at all, given that I'm not a football fan, though following the Packers team a bit through my husband is the closest I've ever come to following football at all. In fact, I requested this book primarily so my husband, who's a born & bred Packers fan, could read it.

Ultimately, it's a great, and quick, read. Donald (Quickie) Driver comes across as a likable man who'd do just about anything for his family, and holds his head high every day knowing that while he's compromised the law on a few occasions, he's never compromised his love for his family, or for the sport. I'm guessing the one Packers game that I've been to, I probably saw Driver play, and I'm sorry now that I didn't realize at that point who he was/is.

I'm passing this autobiography on to my daughter, then to my hubby, and possibly after that to my Father-in-law to read. I hope they all enjoy it as much as I ultimately did.

To Donald Driver (though he'll probably never see this), CONGRATULATIONS and BEST OF LUCK in all your future endeavors, Sir. You've earned it!

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. The story about DONALD DRIVER and his life from being homeless. To college and then a 7th round pick by Green bay. I don't think you need to be a football fan or a Green Bay Packers, fan to enjoy this book. For me it was great being a Packer fan to be able to read this book and by sharing this reveiw maybe somebody will see that you can make it out. He is honest about what he did when he was homeless and living in the ghetto. But he gives credit to the people who were there for him to guide towards sports and not crime. He also talks about hard work to stay in shape and to make the football team. I think it was funny that he did not even know were Green Bay, was. But at the end of hie career he became the all time leader in receptions, yards and in the top 5 of touch downs and top 3 of games played for Green Bay. To most people that might not be much but the team has been around since 1921. That was a lot of players to pass. The book was well written and anyone would enjoy his story.

[Matt G]

I personally loved the book and it is one of my favorite books I have ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves the game of football, likes biography books, or anyone that is struggling right now with life and you don't know what to do. I recommend this book to those certain people because that is what the book represents and what it talks about. When I heard of the book I wanted to read it, not just because I like Donald Driver, it's also because I wanted a book to read and see what it was like. It turned out to be a great book. From this book I have learned about the NFL more but also Donald as a person and the things that he experienced as a child to an adult and what he had to suffer through and the decisions that he had to make. This is a very inspirational book and it always has you on your toes and and make you want to know what will happen next. I loved this book and would be happy to read this book again.

[Joshua Tetzlaff · Rating 1 out of 5]

My brothers and I each received a copy of this book for Christmas a couple years ago from our mother. I finally got around to reading it. While Donald Driver may be a good person, as everyone on the book cover and from other reviews seem to agree, this book is a poor reflection of him. It is choppy and terribly written. I do not expect Donald wrote this himself, though it certainly seems like he did, but instead told his story to the author who then put the book together. He should have found a different writer. Quotes feel forced into places they shouldn't be. The whole thing feels fake, and I chalk that up to the writing/editing. The whole book seems to be trying to convince me he is a good person instead of letting me decide that myself at the end. Recommended? No. Not even for other Packer fans. You are better off gleaming your information somewhere else. Save your money.

[Michael Hegewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Driven, by Donald Driver, is an autobiography of Donald Driver's life. The book explains Donald's struggles and accomplishes from growing up on the streets to becoming a legend of the Green Bay Packers football team. I would recommend this book to all people above the age of 15. I would especially recommend this book to teenagers who are very busy because this book shows that hard work always pays off in the end. Although this book is heavily based on football, you do not need to be a football fan to enjoy reading about Donald Driver's life. There are countless lessons that can be learned from Donald Drivers life. I gave this book a 5 star rating because it was enjoyable to read, and it shows that we can balance academics, religion, family life, and sports.

[Christi Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on a first reads giveaway. I am not a Packers fan whatsoever, but this book was absolutely amazing! Driven is a great look into the life of a fabulous athlete, from the worst times to the best of times. It is great to see how he came from nothing, selling drugs as a kid to help his mom pay the bills to a Super Bowl and Mirror Ball champion! I love to see anyone who had a troubled childhood put their mind to something greater and achieve their goals. This is what this book portrays of Donald Driver. In my eyes he is a great role model for especially troubled children. Any sports fan will love this book. Way to go Donald, truly and amazing man!

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was probably the best book I have ever read. I loved everything about this book. Double D wrote this book perfectly. His story about his life is unbelievable. I love reading books that their selves wrote about their lives. It is so interesting to learn about what they went through when they were young. And Donald Driver had one of the most interesting stories ever. He also talks about his career in sports. It is also amazing how he played 3 sports and made it the the NFL and also could have wen't to the Olympics. If you want to know about Donald Drivers life and have a good read I highly recommend this book!

[Jackson Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Driven is the best NFL autobiography I have ever read. Driver gave his entire life story, not just on the football field, but his home life too. He told his story with a great deal of emotion, I could feel the emotion coming out of the page. I have never had to deal with any of the struggles he has had to deal with, but I feel like I went through these problems with him. This is is hands down the best sport autobiography I have ever read.

[Vivian G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bet Donald Driver would be the first one to tell you that if it weren't for his grandparents and his own ambitions to make it in football or track and field, that he would be dead or in jail today. And in his autobiography Driven, you will get many of the ups and downs that he experienced as a child and then as an adult.

Driven was an inspirational book about a man who had so many obstacles in his way before he even reached the NFL. But it was those obstacles that drove him to be what he became. And what he became was a college graduate, an NFL draft pick, one of Brett Favre's favorite targets in the 1999 to 2007 period, a potential Hall of Fame wide receiver, a winner of Dancing with the Stars, and first and foremost a great parent and husband.

My favorite parts of the book were when he described his home life growing up which included absentee or good for nothing fathers (his real dad and stepfathers), the serious lack of mental and housing stability exercised by his mother, and the fact that he had to sell drugs to get a lot of the things that he wanted and as a means to help support his mother and siblings. And my other favorite part of the book was his year-by-year analysis of his NFL career.

While reading this book, I admired the fact that Driver went out of his way to make sure that he was a better parent to his kids and a better husband to his wife Tina than what he was presented with when he was growing up in different parts of Texas (Houston, Crosby, Baytown and etc.).

And then the football part of the book. He didn't talk much about his days as a receiver at Alcorn State, even though he had a pretty good career there, but he did go in depth about his days as a Green Bay Packer, especially his glory years, which was the 2002 through 2009 seasons.

One of my favorite parts of that Packers analysis was when he talked about how he was perceived in his rookie year of 1999 as a seventh-round draft pick nobody. That rookie year he was given the number thirteen partly because he had to compete with thirteen other receivers to make the team as well as to somehow make a name for himself.

Talk about beating the odds. He had to compete with the likes of other receivers such as Antonio Freeman, Bill Schroeder, Corey Bradford, tight ends Mark Chmura and Tyrone Davis, and others just to get seen or to get targets his rookie year.

Pros of Driven: Driver wrote this book in a way that made you want to voraciously read the book as to see what was what around the corner in his life, from his childhood to the end of the book.

He didn't pull many punches in describing his sometimes hellish childhood or how he felt he was treated near the end of his career with the Packers.

Cons of Driven: I wish he would have written more about his career for the Alcorn State Braves, because he's one of the all-time leaders in yards and touchdown receptions in Braves football history. It's like he just wanted to dedicate a few pages to that period of his life and then move on to what people brought the book for in the first place, which was to read about his career with the Packers and of course the Dancing with The Stars period of his life.

In closing, Driven was an inspirational book that should be required reading not just for football fans but for anyone who has ever dared to dream or who wants to experience better in their lives. You can't come away from this book and not be inspired to do better in your own life or to motivate people in your life to do better and be better.

[Luke Fernholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about Donald Driver. Some people remember Donald as a poor kid on the street, others think of him as a Dancing with the Stars Champion, but most people think of Donald Driver as a football legend. This book takes place at many places. Some of them are the streets, football field, Alcorn State, Green Bay and the stage of Dancing with the Stars.

Growing up, Donald was very poor. He was jumping from house to house. Donald had a single mother and plenty of siblings. Donald loved to play sports, but he never thought about playing them for a career. He was a very good at football and high jumping. Soon his mother's bills were getting very hard for her to pay. Donald and his brother, Marvin, came up with an idea. They had started drug dealing and stealing cars. By doing this they had helped their mother with her money issue.

In high school Donald continued playing sports and drug dealing. He didn't get much offers from college schools, but he did get an offer to play football from Alcorn State. It was at Alcorn State where he met his wife Tina. After dating for awhile Tina found out about Donald drug dealing. She gave him a choice between her and drug dealing. He chose her. Donald was doing pretty good at football at Alcorn State. His college career was about to come to an end. He was projected to be drafted into the NFL about somewhere in the second round. Donald was very excited to enter the NFL

That diffidently did not happen. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 draft by the Green Bay Packers. Donald was not happy. He was picked way later then expected and he was picked by the Packers. He didn't even know where Green Bay was. Donald had to fight for a spot on the team. He had made it. For the first few years Donald didn't play much. The coaches soon realized that Donald was a great player and started playing him. He and the Packers quarterback Brett Favre had a connection that no team could stop. Brett and Donald became best friends. Brett Favre had then retired. The new quarterback was Aaron Rodgers. Right away he had replaced Brett's connection with himself. Donald football career was coming to an end and he really wanted to win a Super Bowl. In the 2010-11 season that had happened. They had beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-26. Donald was very happy. After a few years later Donald retired.

Donald was enjoying his retirement when he was asked to join Dancing with the Stars. He accepted right away. His partner was Peta Murgatroyd. He had become a great dancer because of his quickness and fast feet. Most fans of this thought had that Donald and Peta would win. That is exactly what happened. Donald Driver was a Dancing with the Stars Champion.

I gave this book five out of five stars. I absolutely loved it. I have always loved biographies and sports. When you mix them to together a good book like this one is created. I recommend this book to football and Packer lovers.

[Oliver Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Driver will always be a legendary wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers but he will also be one of the greatest authors in my eyes. This was one of the best books I have ever read I really enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed his children's books as a younger kid. This book was about how Donald had a rough childhood growing up in the hood and selling drugs just to have some money to buy nice clothes like the other kids. He had some really hard times such as being homeless and moving from house to house all of the time. When he was a young boy he moved in with his grandparents and that's when he fell in love with the game of football. During Donald's high school career, he battled and overcame obstacles and made tough choices to become the athlete he is today. Once Donald made it to the NFL the start of his career was rough with not a lot of playing time but he put in the work and the hours and every year he got better and better and became one of Brett Farve's favorite targets. He also got married to his wife he is married to today and had two children. In my opinion, this is my new favorite book, I thought it was written in such a good way and I love how deep into details he got into when describing his childhood. A few examples of how it gets deep into details when talking about his childhood are "we lived in a dangerous neighborhood, and my brother and I realized that if we didn't become part of the drug scene we would be outcasts."(Driver 19)". Another part that showed there rough life was "that night we slept under a tall bridge in a U hall truck."(Driver 39). Those are a couple of examples of how it was tough growing up for Donald and its amaizing that he turned out to be the man he is today. Overall this was one of the best books I have ever read.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the book Driven by Donald Driver, I personally love the book. I would say it was probably the best book I've ever read. It's between this and Sink or Swim by Steve Watkins.
Moving on this book was amazing because it is about sports in which I love. It had me hooked from the first 10 pages. The only thing that I would say they could have done better with is starting the book faster with his college/NFL career. They spent a lot of time telling us about his early life when he was poor. Which I didn't really enjoy reading all that much. For example, “That night we slept under a tall bridge in our U-Haul truck. We pulled out pots and pans, lit a fire, and cooked canned vienna sausages and patties.” I personally would just like them to move on when he went to college. I would much rather hear about the games that went on at Alcorn State University. The college he went to was very small in the middle of nowhere. He got a scholarship for both track and football. He was a stud athlete. He had 1993 yards during his final year. Back to the main point, another reason why the book was so good is that every chapter was different. Every other chapter is about either one of his games or his social life with the boys. My last reason for why I loved the book so much is because he had to earn his way to playing. He started off as a 7th round pick that got no playing time and ended up being a super bowl champ and one of the best NFL players to ever play the game. “I had won a Super Bowl,” (Driver 214). Just like I won the state championship for hockey 3 years in a row.
That is my personal opinion on this great book. I would recommend this book to people that love sports. Driven will probably be my favorite book for a long time!!

[Kaulana Alvarico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title of Book: Driven

Author:
Donald Driver

When reading the first chapter of Driven I was not that interested at first, but as it went on I started to get more into the book. This book is about a man/self because he faces adversity starting in the lowest class in life, and then working every day to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL. My favorite part of the book is when he receives college offers because it shows that his hard work paid off, and proved his grandfather wrong that education isn't the only thing that is important. Something that I learned from this book is that don't let other people shape your future, and just because you start off ruff doesn't mean you can't work your butt off day in and day out to fulfill your dream. I would recommend this book to people who like a good story about fulfilling your dreams, and motivation. Donald Driver was my favorite character because it shows how he doesn't give up on his dreams and believes in himself all the way through his journey. I would totally read this book again because I like the way he talks about his past even though it was ugly and he is not ashamed to talk about it. The point of the book was to show that even if you come from a rough background you still work for your dreams. Something that I will remember from this book is to never ever let someone shape your future, do what you want, and strive to be the best. Overall, this book was good because it talks about how hard life can hit you at first, but to never give up on the things you love.

[Brandon Hince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald Driver wrote the book “Driven” about his life, and was one of the greatest NFL receivers of all time, but his life started with drugs and stealing before he even went to high school. "When you were as poor as I was, and you saw the fancy cars the drug dealers drove and the spiffy clothes they wore, it stopped being a question of right and wrong" (Driver 46). Donald Driver grew up moving all the time, switching schools sometimes 2-3 times a year, so life was pretty rough. Growing up without a father figure, left him always going with and looking up to his brother. He promised some day he would repay his family for helping him through those tough times and it all started when he met Tina. Tina made him retire from drug dealing and helped him through school work. Once Driver was finally noticed by Alcorn State University, things started to turn around for him. He was drafted as a 7th round pick for Green Bay. With the $2.3 million he made in the first year, he was finally able to help out his family. "My grandparents never asked for much, but I wanted to make sure they were comfortable and had cars to drive, and so I paid off their house and cars. If they had bills, they know they can always pick up the phone assured that I will make their day, knowing I would never deny them" (Driver 135). Donald Driver was finally able to complete his two biggest goals, playing in the NFL, and helping out his family. I think Donald Driver did a great job writing the book because he put so many little details like some of the cars he stole, or interactions with people he sold drugs to in the beginning, which are some of the most memorable parts of his life and he was able to share that with the readers.

[Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book I read is Driven: From Homeless To Hero, My Journeys On and Off Lambeau Field. This book is an autobiography. Personally, I loved every minute reading this book. Donald Driver does an amazing job writing about his life in this book. It is amazing how Donald overcame adversary in his early years of his life and became such a well respected and well known player in the NFL.
Donald Driver grew up on the wrong side of Houston. His mother left his father when he was only 2 years old because he was in and out of prison. Donald Driver never really grew up with a father figure. This was because every time his mother would date another man she would want to move because of problems with her kids but, the men never wanted to move. Donald Driver turned to selling drugs and stealing cars. This all changed one day when he was running from the cops and smashed into a old lady backing out of her driveway. She hid him from the cops and gave him another chance at a clean life. Donald cleaned himself up after this day and pursued a career in the NFL. when he played in the NFL he became a packers legend at the wide-receiver position. He would go on to win a superbowl accompanying the great quarterback in Brett Favre. He is one of the best to ever play the game of football and is living a great life with his family.