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Just Give Me a Chance to Fail: The Life of NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Sam Mills
The inspiring story of NFL linebacker Sam Mills, who outplayed his size on three professional football franchises, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame.
Despite his on-field success and chiseled physique, Sam Mills faced hurdles at every level because of his his first high school coach initially wouldn't play him, no major college would recruit him, and the NFL wouldn't draft him—or even take him on as an undrafted free agent. But his irrepressible passion for the game would not be denied, driving him to blaze a unique career path.
Veteran journalist and Hall of Fame selector Paul Domowitch brings Mills' extraordinary life and the fast-evolving era he played in into vivid focus. From his humble origins to his emergence as an all-star champion in the startup USFL, to becoming the centerpiece of the legendary Dome Patrol defense that transformed the NFL's struggling New Orleans Saints into a contender, to his pinnacle as the All-Pro leader of the expansion Carolina Panthers—where his foundational contributions are commemorated today in a retired jersey and a statue outside the stadium.
Along the way, Domowitch brings to life the players, coaches, and teams on whom Mills left his mark before his tragic death from cancer—and his role in transforming the linebacker position during the fast-evolving era of the 1980s and 1990s that helped shape today's pass-focused NFL.
Gripping, insightful, and uplifting, Just Give Me a Chance to Fail is a book for every fan of professional football—and anyone who believes success begins with simply getting a chance.
Despite his on-field success and chiseled physique, Sam Mills faced hurdles at every level because of his his first high school coach initially wouldn't play him, no major college would recruit him, and the NFL wouldn't draft him—or even take him on as an undrafted free agent. But his irrepressible passion for the game would not be denied, driving him to blaze a unique career path.
Veteran journalist and Hall of Fame selector Paul Domowitch brings Mills' extraordinary life and the fast-evolving era he played in into vivid focus. From his humble origins to his emergence as an all-star champion in the startup USFL, to becoming the centerpiece of the legendary Dome Patrol defense that transformed the NFL's struggling New Orleans Saints into a contender, to his pinnacle as the All-Pro leader of the expansion Carolina Panthers—where his foundational contributions are commemorated today in a retired jersey and a statue outside the stadium.
Along the way, Domowitch brings to life the players, coaches, and teams on whom Mills left his mark before his tragic death from cancer—and his role in transforming the linebacker position during the fast-evolving era of the 1980s and 1990s that helped shape today's pass-focused NFL.
Gripping, insightful, and uplifting, Just Give Me a Chance to Fail is a book for every fan of professional football—and anyone who believes success begins with simply getting a chance.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published July 28, 2026
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July 31, 2026
Sam Mills, the legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, was a tremendous football player who excelled despite being labeled by coaches as “too small to play in the National Football League.”
He was an even better man; someone who sincerely cared about other people, including family, friends, fans, and those he did not know personally.
The five-foot, nine-inch Mills stood tall everywhere he went and in everything he did; and in his new biography, "Just Give Me A Chance To Fail – The Life of NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Sam Mills," longtime sportswriter Paul Domowitch does a tremendous job telling the story of Sam Mills the football legend and Sam Mills the driven human being.
Mills was an underdog his entire life, often overlooked due to his perceived lack of height. Yet he could run faster, hit harder, outwork and study harder than anyone else. He more than made up for his short stature by developing a chiseled physique and great strength, and he maintained his underdog attitude even after becoming an All-Pro. Nobody was ever going to put more effort into football – and life – than the man who grew up in the projects in Northern New Jersey.
“I always want to be the first person to know how bad I am, and the last person to know how good I am,” Mills said. “As long as I can live by that, I will continue to strive to be better.”
Domowitch could not have picked a better subject for his book, and he is, without a doubt, the perfect writer to tell the story. He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer for nearly forty years, covering the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars and NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, and the game of professional football during a transformative time in its history. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame Selector since 2002 and also wrote the book, "A Bird’s-Eye View," with author Leo Carlin.
Domowitch met Mills in 1983 when the two-time Division Three First Team All American linebacker out of little Montclair State – no major Division One college football program recruited him – was trying to win a spot on the roster with the Stars in the start-up United States Football League. This was after Mills was ignored by every team in the NFL draft, cut by the Cleveland Browns after going to the team’s training camp for a try-out in 1981, and also let go by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 1982.
An All-Star in all three of his USFL seasons, Mills won two championships with the Stars in 1984 and 1985. Over his 12 NFL seasons, he was a three-time first-team All-Pro and named five times to the Pro Bowl. He was 38-years-old when he retired as a player and then joined Carolina’s coaching staff.
Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in August of 2003 and told by doctors he had only a few months to live. With his typical grit and desire, Mills defied the odds and lived twenty months before passing away at age 45 on April 18, 2005. The Panthers retired his uniform number 51 prior to that season.
You can easily find his statistics and awards, but the story of Sam Mills is much more than the numbers. Domowitch spent nearly three years researching and writing the book, talking with 80 different people who knew and interacted with Mills during different stages of his life. He paints a detailed picture so readers not only know more about Sam Mills’ football career, but also what he cared deeply about and what drove him to always give everything he had in pursuit of excellence. "Just Give Me A Chance To Fail" goes much deeper, telling the story of his heart and inner drive.
Weakened by the cancer that ultimately took his life, Mills was asked by Panthers head coach John Fox to speak to the team before an important playoff game. Mills once again stood tall and shared his “keep pounding” philosophy with the players who, inspired by his strength and attitude, won the game.
Twenty-one years after his death, there is a statue of Mills outside the stadium in Charlotte and his “keep pounding” mantra continues at the center of Carolina’s overall approach and philosophy. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and finally – long overdue – elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
All Sam Mills ever wanted was a chance and he made the most of every opportunity he worked so hard to get. And, as Domowitch, so ably writes, Mills did it with character and class.
“He was loved and admired by everyone who ever knew him,” Domowitch said. "He was one of the finest human beings I’ve had the pleasure of covering and getting to know during my career.”
Reading "Just Give Me A Chance to Fail" is a pleasure as well. Fans of football, biographies, and success stories alike will appreciate and enjoy Domowitch’s book. Be sure to read this inspiring biography. - DAJ
He was an even better man; someone who sincerely cared about other people, including family, friends, fans, and those he did not know personally.
The five-foot, nine-inch Mills stood tall everywhere he went and in everything he did; and in his new biography, "Just Give Me A Chance To Fail – The Life of NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Sam Mills," longtime sportswriter Paul Domowitch does a tremendous job telling the story of Sam Mills the football legend and Sam Mills the driven human being.
Mills was an underdog his entire life, often overlooked due to his perceived lack of height. Yet he could run faster, hit harder, outwork and study harder than anyone else. He more than made up for his short stature by developing a chiseled physique and great strength, and he maintained his underdog attitude even after becoming an All-Pro. Nobody was ever going to put more effort into football – and life – than the man who grew up in the projects in Northern New Jersey.
“I always want to be the first person to know how bad I am, and the last person to know how good I am,” Mills said. “As long as I can live by that, I will continue to strive to be better.”
Domowitch could not have picked a better subject for his book, and he is, without a doubt, the perfect writer to tell the story. He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer for nearly forty years, covering the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars and NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, and the game of professional football during a transformative time in its history. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame Selector since 2002 and also wrote the book, "A Bird’s-Eye View," with author Leo Carlin.
Domowitch met Mills in 1983 when the two-time Division Three First Team All American linebacker out of little Montclair State – no major Division One college football program recruited him – was trying to win a spot on the roster with the Stars in the start-up United States Football League. This was after Mills was ignored by every team in the NFL draft, cut by the Cleveland Browns after going to the team’s training camp for a try-out in 1981, and also let go by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 1982.
An All-Star in all three of his USFL seasons, Mills won two championships with the Stars in 1984 and 1985. Over his 12 NFL seasons, he was a three-time first-team All-Pro and named five times to the Pro Bowl. He was 38-years-old when he retired as a player and then joined Carolina’s coaching staff.
Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in August of 2003 and told by doctors he had only a few months to live. With his typical grit and desire, Mills defied the odds and lived twenty months before passing away at age 45 on April 18, 2005. The Panthers retired his uniform number 51 prior to that season.
You can easily find his statistics and awards, but the story of Sam Mills is much more than the numbers. Domowitch spent nearly three years researching and writing the book, talking with 80 different people who knew and interacted with Mills during different stages of his life. He paints a detailed picture so readers not only know more about Sam Mills’ football career, but also what he cared deeply about and what drove him to always give everything he had in pursuit of excellence. "Just Give Me A Chance To Fail" goes much deeper, telling the story of his heart and inner drive.
Weakened by the cancer that ultimately took his life, Mills was asked by Panthers head coach John Fox to speak to the team before an important playoff game. Mills once again stood tall and shared his “keep pounding” philosophy with the players who, inspired by his strength and attitude, won the game.
Twenty-one years after his death, there is a statue of Mills outside the stadium in Charlotte and his “keep pounding” mantra continues at the center of Carolina’s overall approach and philosophy. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and finally – long overdue – elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
All Sam Mills ever wanted was a chance and he made the most of every opportunity he worked so hard to get. And, as Domowitch, so ably writes, Mills did it with character and class.
“He was loved and admired by everyone who ever knew him,” Domowitch said. "He was one of the finest human beings I’ve had the pleasure of covering and getting to know during my career.”
Reading "Just Give Me A Chance to Fail" is a pleasure as well. Fans of football, biographies, and success stories alike will appreciate and enjoy Domowitch’s book. Be sure to read this inspiring biography. - DAJ
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