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Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion
How does an underdog become a champion? One of the most innovative, gutsy, and dynamic head coaches in the NFL reveals the strategies behind building the Eagles team that shocked the world by winning the Super Bowl.
Doug Pederson is the very definition of an underdog. He was an undrafted rookie free agent who would go on to play fourteen years in the NFL as a backup quarterback. He was cut five times, yet kept getting back up and into the fray. He would win one Super Bowl, with the Green Bay Packers. When he retired, he decided to coach, but not at the pro level. Instead, he was head coach of Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana. After a successful four-year stint there, he returned to the NFL as an assistant coach under Andy Reid with the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was instrumental in the development of quarterback Alex Smith and his string of 3,000-plus-yard seasons of passing.
When he was offered the job as head coach of the Eagles, he jumped at it, though few thought he would succeed. In the first season, a year of rebuilding, they finished 7-9. Some doubted his abilities, and before the 2017 season, one "expert" called Pederson the least qualified coach in thirty years. Plagued by the sidelining of seasoned players and devastated by quarterback Carson Wentz's season-ending knee injury, the Eagles managed a 13-3 record and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Yet they were still the underdogs in every single game, including the Super Bowl, against the New England Patriots, one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the NFL. It wasn't until they stunned the Patriots that people finally believed in Pederson and his team.
In Fearless , Pederson reveals the principles that guided him through the ups and downs and tough times of his career, and what it took to become a champion. Through it all, Pederson sustained himself with his faith and the support of his family. He shares the defining stories of his life and career, growing up with his disciplinarian Air Force dad and his tender-hearted mom, developing friendships with Dan Marino and Brett Favre, and learning from mentors, such as Don Shula, Mike Holmgren, and Andy Reid, who helped mold him into the man and coach he is today.
Fearless captures Pederson's coaching and leadership philosophies and reveals the brilliant mind and indomitable spirit of a man who has entered the pantheon of great coaches.
Doug Pederson is the very definition of an underdog. He was an undrafted rookie free agent who would go on to play fourteen years in the NFL as a backup quarterback. He was cut five times, yet kept getting back up and into the fray. He would win one Super Bowl, with the Green Bay Packers. When he retired, he decided to coach, but not at the pro level. Instead, he was head coach of Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana. After a successful four-year stint there, he returned to the NFL as an assistant coach under Andy Reid with the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was instrumental in the development of quarterback Alex Smith and his string of 3,000-plus-yard seasons of passing.
When he was offered the job as head coach of the Eagles, he jumped at it, though few thought he would succeed. In the first season, a year of rebuilding, they finished 7-9. Some doubted his abilities, and before the 2017 season, one "expert" called Pederson the least qualified coach in thirty years. Plagued by the sidelining of seasoned players and devastated by quarterback Carson Wentz's season-ending knee injury, the Eagles managed a 13-3 record and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Yet they were still the underdogs in every single game, including the Super Bowl, against the New England Patriots, one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the NFL. It wasn't until they stunned the Patriots that people finally believed in Pederson and his team.
In Fearless , Pederson reveals the principles that guided him through the ups and downs and tough times of his career, and what it took to become a champion. Through it all, Pederson sustained himself with his faith and the support of his family. He shares the defining stories of his life and career, growing up with his disciplinarian Air Force dad and his tender-hearted mom, developing friendships with Dan Marino and Brett Favre, and learning from mentors, such as Don Shula, Mike Holmgren, and Andy Reid, who helped mold him into the man and coach he is today.
Fearless captures Pederson's coaching and leadership philosophies and reveals the brilliant mind and indomitable spirit of a man who has entered the pantheon of great coaches.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 21, 2018
79 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 24, 2018
Doug Pederson is clearly not a writer but I cried twice because I'm from Philly and currently have the emotional depth of a puddle.
October 24, 2024
I am giving this five stars, but I am a big Eagles fan and I really respect the author Doug Pederson.
When Pederson was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as their head coach in 2016, (a position he held for five seasons), several sports NFL pundits called him the "worst head coach hire" of the NFL that year, and there were six coaches hired that year. Doug was mocked for his clean cut manner, and was called a "Boy Scout", as if he was not tough enough to be a head coach.
I suppose that you could call him a "boy scout", but you must admire this decent man.
He lives as he says for "Faith, Family, then football". He certainly has paid his dues in being a backup quarterback for his entire 12 year NFL playing career.
As a backup that would often be cut from the team, he developed an incredible work ethic and he learned a lot about the game.
You sense the close bond that he has with his players as he has so many kind and generous things to say of the men who have played for him.
I suppose that you could say that this book could be listed as "Success Literature" , as it is very motivational and in it Coach Pederson shares his philosophy of leadership.
Simply put, it is: "Work hard, prepare hard, commend your team, and don't be afraid of taking risks when you feel comfortable".
That approach is what won the Eagles the Super Bowl in 2018. That is why he can write this book, as he won over the large Eagles fan base and the highly populated Delaware Valley where the team is based.
The book follows the long, winding road of Pederson's career.
As some of the reviews of this book entered earlier, I do agree that this book includes a good bit of mundane details about the author. Pederson tells us about his favorite foods, films, and his golf game.
The editors gave him full reign or Doug was being paid by the word!
On the audio book, none of this is bothersome as the narrator Robert Petkoff reads with so much enthusiasm.
If you are an Eagles fan though it is well worth reading as it brings back so many wonderful memories of that special season.
When Pederson was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as their head coach in 2016, (a position he held for five seasons), several sports NFL pundits called him the "worst head coach hire" of the NFL that year, and there were six coaches hired that year. Doug was mocked for his clean cut manner, and was called a "Boy Scout", as if he was not tough enough to be a head coach.
I suppose that you could call him a "boy scout", but you must admire this decent man.
He lives as he says for "Faith, Family, then football". He certainly has paid his dues in being a backup quarterback for his entire 12 year NFL playing career.
As a backup that would often be cut from the team, he developed an incredible work ethic and he learned a lot about the game.
You sense the close bond that he has with his players as he has so many kind and generous things to say of the men who have played for him.
I suppose that you could say that this book could be listed as "Success Literature" , as it is very motivational and in it Coach Pederson shares his philosophy of leadership.
Simply put, it is: "Work hard, prepare hard, commend your team, and don't be afraid of taking risks when you feel comfortable".
That approach is what won the Eagles the Super Bowl in 2018. That is why he can write this book, as he won over the large Eagles fan base and the highly populated Delaware Valley where the team is based.
The book follows the long, winding road of Pederson's career.
As some of the reviews of this book entered earlier, I do agree that this book includes a good bit of mundane details about the author. Pederson tells us about his favorite foods, films, and his golf game.
The editors gave him full reign or Doug was being paid by the word!
On the audio book, none of this is bothersome as the narrator Robert Petkoff reads with so much enthusiasm.
If you are an Eagles fan though it is well worth reading as it brings back so many wonderful memories of that special season.
June 28, 2023
I listened to this b/c I miss football season. Coach Doug Pederson wrote this memoir when he was coach of the Eagles but it's great insight into his mindset now that he runs the Jaguars. I liked his long rant about the Jags kneeling out the first half of the AFC Championship instead of going for the jugular, and how he likes to put in at least one tricky gadget play per game, just for funsies. Football can be fun! And literary!
September 20, 2018
Thankfully Pederson coaches better than he writes. This was an interesting “memoir” covering pieces from his life and the past few years as head coach of the Super Bowl 52 champion PHILADELPHIA Eagles.
It’s very scattered and lacked any clear sense of organization but it was still a fun read.
It’s very scattered and lacked any clear sense of organization but it was still a fun read.
June 13, 2024
This man saved my life (it's kinda boring and the structure is a bit of a dog's breakfast but idc)
July 7, 2019
Diehard Eagles fan here, and this book had some interesting insight into the road to victory, but the writing is not very interesting or engaging. I did enjoy the last chapter that described each game leading to the Super Bowl, though.
September 11, 2018
Nice book. Interesting to learn more about Pederson, his life and football career, and his coaching approach and philosophies. There are no fascinating reveals or tremendous insights. However, as a lifetime Eagles fan, I was happy to invest some dollars supporting Coach Pederson’s literary career.
October 13, 2018
Fun story ... it was great to relive the 2017 SuperBowl run with "Coach." As a side, the final chapter did a lot to make me feel better about this year's current struggles. Go Eagles!
January 2, 2024
Reading this book feels like you’re sitting down having a conversation with Doug Pederson about the 2017-18 Philadelphia Eagles, and the life lessons that brought him to that triumph. That’s both a good and a bad thing, but the ultimate underdog story is compelling enough to carry through the poor writing. A very interesting story in retrospect, knowing how the Pederson-Wentz Eagles fell apart just three years after, but the lessons and values in this story paved the way for the Sirianni-Hurts glory age we are lucky enough to live in now.
July 7, 2024
Enjoyed the insight and getting in the mind of a Super Bowl winning coach. It was nice to understand the inner thoughts of the man behind the entire team’s success.
August 24, 2018
I received an advance review copy of this book as a former (and possibly future) sports radio/podcast host. What follows is more of a 3.5 star review (or 6 out of 10).
Speaking as a fan of the OTHER team from Pennsylvania, this book is probably close to a must-have for long-suffering (but no-longer-suffering) Eagles fans. Doug Pederson's (non-chronological) account of the Eagles' championship season is a largely well-told story from a unique perspective.
The first half of "Fearless" is particularly strong, focusing on the key plays that helped Philadelphia ultimately thwart New England in Super Bowl LII. From "Philly Special" to a 4th down conversion most non-Eagle fans might have forgotten about, Pederson dips back into his own past as a player, coach, and even a regular person, to tell why shying away never really won anything. Faith in his team, himself, and even the Almighty, can make anything possible.
The tome dries up considerably after talk of the Super Bowl victory. Much of what follows seems to be filler - some interesting, some not so much, and some awfully repetitive - talking about his relationships with various members of the organization in way too great a detail to keep the pages turning (though, again, an Eagles fan may voraciously absorb every word). Things like going hunting with Brett Favre during his playing days, his relationship with coaches who are way down on the totem pole (don't get me wrong, I think it's cool that he mentions them and remembers where he himself came from, but it goes on for far too long), and telling you again how many times he was cut in his playing career make the back half a bit of a chore for the casual fan.
The subtitle seems to imply, "Within is the key to success for the ne'er-do-well." In reality, it's just the personal philosophy that Pederson brought to the team and they won a championship when circumstances told the public that the Eagles' goose was cooked (a brutal slew of season-ending injuries). Time will be the ultimate judge of whether his approach is better than those of the previous 51 Super Bowl victors (or even the 15 previous Super Bowl victors who won as underdogs). But, again, as the book goes on, there seems to be less and less of "what made this team a winner" and more and more of "I got cut from the Dolphins once in front of Jim Carrey back when he was filming 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' with Dan Marino" to illustrate a failure that he ended up bouncing back from. I reckon the NFL is littered with players and coaches who met with some sort of come-to-Jesus moment after having the rug pulled out from under them. I suppose I was more interested in finding out what made this team gel at the right time.
Most of the meat of this book is toward the front end for those of us who aren't necessarily Philly fans. For those who bleed green, though, this might have a nice spot on the coffee table for a good, long while.
Speaking as a fan of the OTHER team from Pennsylvania, this book is probably close to a must-have for long-suffering (but no-longer-suffering) Eagles fans. Doug Pederson's (non-chronological) account of the Eagles' championship season is a largely well-told story from a unique perspective.
The first half of "Fearless" is particularly strong, focusing on the key plays that helped Philadelphia ultimately thwart New England in Super Bowl LII. From "Philly Special" to a 4th down conversion most non-Eagle fans might have forgotten about, Pederson dips back into his own past as a player, coach, and even a regular person, to tell why shying away never really won anything. Faith in his team, himself, and even the Almighty, can make anything possible.
The tome dries up considerably after talk of the Super Bowl victory. Much of what follows seems to be filler - some interesting, some not so much, and some awfully repetitive - talking about his relationships with various members of the organization in way too great a detail to keep the pages turning (though, again, an Eagles fan may voraciously absorb every word). Things like going hunting with Brett Favre during his playing days, his relationship with coaches who are way down on the totem pole (don't get me wrong, I think it's cool that he mentions them and remembers where he himself came from, but it goes on for far too long), and telling you again how many times he was cut in his playing career make the back half a bit of a chore for the casual fan.
The subtitle seems to imply, "Within is the key to success for the ne'er-do-well." In reality, it's just the personal philosophy that Pederson brought to the team and they won a championship when circumstances told the public that the Eagles' goose was cooked (a brutal slew of season-ending injuries). Time will be the ultimate judge of whether his approach is better than those of the previous 51 Super Bowl victors (or even the 15 previous Super Bowl victors who won as underdogs). But, again, as the book goes on, there seems to be less and less of "what made this team a winner" and more and more of "I got cut from the Dolphins once in front of Jim Carrey back when he was filming 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' with Dan Marino" to illustrate a failure that he ended up bouncing back from. I reckon the NFL is littered with players and coaches who met with some sort of come-to-Jesus moment after having the rug pulled out from under them. I suppose I was more interested in finding out what made this team gel at the right time.
Most of the meat of this book is toward the front end for those of us who aren't necessarily Philly fans. For those who bleed green, though, this might have a nice spot on the coffee table for a good, long while.
October 1, 2019
I wanted a special book to read for my 250th of the year which came at the same time as my 50th birthday. I've had this kicking around on my TBR for a while and I'd just finished watching my Eagles beat my brother's Packers so I thought I'd queue it up on my Kindle on the eve of my birthday whilst watching Red Zone. Well, that was the plan anyway but I made the mistake of starting it and, seven hours of commercial free football went out the window as I got swept up in what was an extremely readable book, jammed full of interesting anecdotes and history. Including, obviously, Super Bowl LII...
It's delivered in a strange way - jumping about all over the place rather than being chronologically delivered. But, after I sussed this out, I realised that it was more akin to sitting down with Doug in a pub or something and just listening to him talk about things as they popped into his head. I do admit to knowing little about him personally when he got the Eagles job - I'm a late bloomer to the NFL and still playing catch-up - but I do know, mostly from Jason Kelce's Mummers speech (the best thing I have ever seen in sport) that he was considered grossly under qualified for the role as head coach. Well, he sure showed them, didn't he!
As well as the football stuff, he also talks about his religion. He's a Christian and he takes this side of things very seriously. But, don't worry, it isn't rammed down your throat at every page turn. But it is mentioned several times along the way, and why not? It's his book about him and his faith is extremely important to him, as are his family who are also mentioned throughout. It also has some very interesting coaching techniques included. Some of which translate to all walks of life, not just sport. I highlighted so many things along the way to ponder on and consider further. The main thing I took from it was the fact that he never gives up and even though it may not always be the smartest move, being ballsy can, and often does pay off.
Not the best written book by any means but it really spoke from the heart and Doug's passion oozed from every single page. Yes I cried and I am not ashamed to admit that!
Oh and if anyone is interested I also won the Superbowl in my Fantasy league same year. First and, so far, only time for me too. #FlyEaglesFly!
It's delivered in a strange way - jumping about all over the place rather than being chronologically delivered. But, after I sussed this out, I realised that it was more akin to sitting down with Doug in a pub or something and just listening to him talk about things as they popped into his head. I do admit to knowing little about him personally when he got the Eagles job - I'm a late bloomer to the NFL and still playing catch-up - but I do know, mostly from Jason Kelce's Mummers speech (the best thing I have ever seen in sport) that he was considered grossly under qualified for the role as head coach. Well, he sure showed them, didn't he!
As well as the football stuff, he also talks about his religion. He's a Christian and he takes this side of things very seriously. But, don't worry, it isn't rammed down your throat at every page turn. But it is mentioned several times along the way, and why not? It's his book about him and his faith is extremely important to him, as are his family who are also mentioned throughout. It also has some very interesting coaching techniques included. Some of which translate to all walks of life, not just sport. I highlighted so many things along the way to ponder on and consider further. The main thing I took from it was the fact that he never gives up and even though it may not always be the smartest move, being ballsy can, and often does pay off.
Not the best written book by any means but it really spoke from the heart and Doug's passion oozed from every single page. Yes I cried and I am not ashamed to admit that!
Oh and if anyone is interested I also won the Superbowl in my Fantasy league same year. First and, so far, only time for me too. #FlyEaglesFly!
April 14, 2025
Every now and then I like to strike out and read something I've never read before, a completely different genre than is more typical of me. I did it.
I found the book called Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion. This book is about a coach, someone that played football, was quite good, coach sub members of a team, and College Teams, and final NFL Teams. A guy with real experience. So how does an underdog become a champion? We learn a lot from a guy named Doug Pederson. Never even heard of him, but he sure had some good inspirational thoughts about training, talking with people, team building, and getting ready for Super Bowl.
In this book, Pederson reveals the basic principes that guided him through the ups and downs and of course tough times in his career. I think from what I've learned that every single person learns similar life teachers. Through it all, I was glad to hear that Pederson sustained himself with his faith and the support of his dynamic family. I liked them too. When he eventually was offered the job as head coach of the Eagles, jumped and jumped high at the chance. There were some doubting Thomas' out there and they really doubted his abilities The first season they won seven out of nine games. Sounds good to me. He was also called the least qualified coach in 30 years. Ouch. They sure were hard on him. I understand that the Eagles were the underdogs in every game that season, even the Super Bowl, which was against the New England Patriots, one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the NFL. Finally, after they stunned the Patriots did, they finally turned around and started paying attention, the started believing in Pederson and HIS team.
All with all teams, they had their tragedies. Hard as they were, he tried to turn things to their benefit. This is a very inspiring book. Football reading may not be your thing, but I sure enjoyed his book. Enjoy, and Happy Palm Sunday and Happy Easter
I found the book called Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion. This book is about a coach, someone that played football, was quite good, coach sub members of a team, and College Teams, and final NFL Teams. A guy with real experience. So how does an underdog become a champion? We learn a lot from a guy named Doug Pederson. Never even heard of him, but he sure had some good inspirational thoughts about training, talking with people, team building, and getting ready for Super Bowl.
In this book, Pederson reveals the basic principes that guided him through the ups and downs and of course tough times in his career. I think from what I've learned that every single person learns similar life teachers. Through it all, I was glad to hear that Pederson sustained himself with his faith and the support of his dynamic family. I liked them too. When he eventually was offered the job as head coach of the Eagles, jumped and jumped high at the chance. There were some doubting Thomas' out there and they really doubted his abilities The first season they won seven out of nine games. Sounds good to me. He was also called the least qualified coach in 30 years. Ouch. They sure were hard on him. I understand that the Eagles were the underdogs in every game that season, even the Super Bowl, which was against the New England Patriots, one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the NFL. Finally, after they stunned the Patriots did, they finally turned around and started paying attention, the started believing in Pederson and HIS team.
All with all teams, they had their tragedies. Hard as they were, he tried to turn things to their benefit. This is a very inspiring book. Football reading may not be your thing, but I sure enjoyed his book. Enjoy, and Happy Palm Sunday and Happy Easter
June 22, 2018
What an inspirational and informative book FEARLESS, by Doug Pederson, is. Pederson walks the reader through his coaching philosophy, how came to be the man he is today, and intertwines insight into how the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles became Super Bowl champions.
From being an undrafted rookie to Super Bowl winning head coach, Pederson has had a storied career in the NFL. He crafts the book to explain a part of his coaching style in each chapter and reinforces its effectiveness and/or how he came use that facet of coaching by telling a story either from his career as a mostly backup quarterback, from his family upbringing, or from observing a applying coaching styles from his many coaching mentors. Pederson's optimism and calculated aggressive approach as player and a coach and really in how he lives life is infectious and inspiring. Even when he talks about his mistakes, which he fully acknowledges and owns, the reader just feels like all of it together is just part of living the way Doug Pederson lives.
Full of stories, anecdotes, and meaningful thoughts on life, FEARLESS reminds us to prepare for life choices properly, but then be fearless in the choices we make.
Thank you to Hachette Books, Doug Pederson, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
From being an undrafted rookie to Super Bowl winning head coach, Pederson has had a storied career in the NFL. He crafts the book to explain a part of his coaching style in each chapter and reinforces its effectiveness and/or how he came use that facet of coaching by telling a story either from his career as a mostly backup quarterback, from his family upbringing, or from observing a applying coaching styles from his many coaching mentors. Pederson's optimism and calculated aggressive approach as player and a coach and really in how he lives life is infectious and inspiring. Even when he talks about his mistakes, which he fully acknowledges and owns, the reader just feels like all of it together is just part of living the way Doug Pederson lives.
Full of stories, anecdotes, and meaningful thoughts on life, FEARLESS reminds us to prepare for life choices properly, but then be fearless in the choices we make.
Thank you to Hachette Books, Doug Pederson, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 1, 2023
Not enough insights.
Pederson likes the Jason Bourne movies. His wife likes the Hallmark Channel. He likes country music. But not enough cool, inside stuff.
Just a couple of things here and there. When he was with the Packers in the '90s, he was able to watch the hand signals being sent in on the other sideline. After a few series, he could figure out what they meant. And Pederson invented a new way of holding on extra points. But not enough of that kind of stuff.
He describes Carson Wentz as a swell guy who was loved by everyone on the roster -- a leader. Two years later, the Eagles released Wentz, with various reports suggesting teammates didn't like him. It would be more interesting to hear Pederson's thoughts on what changed with Wentz, as well as why the Eagles fired him after the 2020 season. (Owner Jeffrey Lurie in the intro talks about what a great coach Pederson is).
It's not a disaster, but below-average when compared against other autobiographies I've read in the NFL genre.
Pederson likes the Jason Bourne movies. His wife likes the Hallmark Channel. He likes country music. But not enough cool, inside stuff.
Just a couple of things here and there. When he was with the Packers in the '90s, he was able to watch the hand signals being sent in on the other sideline. After a few series, he could figure out what they meant. And Pederson invented a new way of holding on extra points. But not enough of that kind of stuff.
He describes Carson Wentz as a swell guy who was loved by everyone on the roster -- a leader. Two years later, the Eagles released Wentz, with various reports suggesting teammates didn't like him. It would be more interesting to hear Pederson's thoughts on what changed with Wentz, as well as why the Eagles fired him after the 2020 season. (Owner Jeffrey Lurie in the intro talks about what a great coach Pederson is).
It's not a disaster, but below-average when compared against other autobiographies I've read in the NFL genre.
July 22, 2020
Doug Pederson is a football coach and this is a football coach’s book. Not a lot of fat, extremely straight forward, and does it’s job. There are a few grammatical errors (words missing) in some spots and the writing kind of feels like it was constructed after Dan Pompei had one really long phone call with Pederson that he recorded and worked off of, but it’s an engaging and quick read that provides some interesting insights for Eagles fans or those interested in coaching football. Faith, family, and football are the things Pederson lives by and he’s been very resilient and smart in his career. He also seems ... like a pretty good dude.
September 6, 2018
A quick and light read. Less about his couching philosophy and more about his journey through playing and couching. Going in I thought it would deal with aggressive play calling and risk taking, but there were only a few sections about his use of analytics to determine when to punt, go for two, etc.
It wasn't 100% what I was expecting but still a solid read. There were interesting details scattered about, seemingly inadvertently. Most of these dealt with the behind the scenes prep that goes on with managing a professional team. Overall as an eagles fan I'm glad I read it.
It wasn't 100% what I was expecting but still a solid read. There were interesting details scattered about, seemingly inadvertently. Most of these dealt with the behind the scenes prep that goes on with managing a professional team. Overall as an eagles fan I'm glad I read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2019
It's a good read and I gave it a 5 out of 5 simply because I felt the author was speaking from the heart, especially since he's been cut so many times along the way. I know there are many similar books out there, but I just felt in this book he was speaking from who he was and not adding things to it. And he was speaking from the team perspective and not calling out any individuals.
A good read.
A good read.
March 7, 2024
My only complaint about this book (which I know was done purposefully since the book is about Coach Pederson’s 2017 Eagles season)is that the book keeps jumping back and forth with his stories as a QB, as a high school coach and his other assistant coaching jobs. Each time it would jump back in the timeline to tell a story, it took me out of the moment of the current story he was telling about his championship run as head coach.
Read
August 11, 2024I remember Pederson as a backup quarterback to Brett Favre and had heard of his great success as a coach. Since football season is here again, I decided to borrow this audiobook from the library.
Pederson obviously did not have a ghostwriter, and he's not a writer. I bailed about 25% in because it just wasn't interesting in any way. Will try again some other time, maybe the print version to see if it's any better with a physical read.
Pederson obviously did not have a ghostwriter, and he's not a writer. I bailed about 25% in because it just wasn't interesting in any way. Will try again some other time, maybe the print version to see if it's any better with a physical read.
August 25, 2018
I am a huge Eagles fan and watched every game last year from September through that infamous day, February 4, 2018. I was very skeptical about Doug when he was hired in January 2016. I am now one of his biggest advocates. The book was refreshing and gave a glimpse of what Doug is like as a person and a coach. I truly enjoyed it. Very quick easy read!
September 7, 2018
Great read
This author came across as sincere in this book. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at how Pederson manages the Eagles. Although I think he stated this may be his only book, I'd certainly read another of his. It's a great read for any Eagles fan or anyone interested in leadership or coaching. 5 stars.
This author came across as sincere in this book. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at how Pederson manages the Eagles. Although I think he stated this may be his only book, I'd certainly read another of his. It's a great read for any Eagles fan or anyone interested in leadership or coaching. 5 stars.
January 3, 2019
Coach Pederson provides Eagles fans with his story and philosophy
As a life long Eagles fan I was excited to read the book by the first coach of the team to lift the Lombardi. While he works a lot of his biography into it, it's more about his philosophy in life in and out of football. It's a quick and enjoyable book by a good coach and a good man.
As a life long Eagles fan I was excited to read the book by the first coach of the team to lift the Lombardi. While he works a lot of his biography into it, it's more about his philosophy in life in and out of football. It's a quick and enjoyable book by a good coach and a good man.
January 9, 2019
The perfect time to relive last year's amazing run.
Lots of platitudes and uninteresting generalities padding any genuine insights about Doug's coaching philosophy. Enjoyed hearing his NFL career story.
If this were any other team, perhaps a 3 star book. But Eagles Super Bowl memories will always get 5 stars from me.
Lots of platitudes and uninteresting generalities padding any genuine insights about Doug's coaching philosophy. Enjoyed hearing his NFL career story.
If this were any other team, perhaps a 3 star book. But Eagles Super Bowl memories will always get 5 stars from me.
November 29, 2021
It was fun but read too much like a magazine article. Not a lot of depth here or stuff to take away but a fun account of the best season in eagles history.
Reading it now is kind of funny after the implosion of the 2020 season, but Coach Pederson really got the job done in 2017 and for that I am thankful.
Reading it now is kind of funny after the implosion of the 2020 season, but Coach Pederson really got the job done in 2017 and for that I am thankful.
October 5, 2022
Doug Peterson was never a athletic prodigy he had to fight tooth and nail to a obtain starting position as quarterback. His failure as a player ultimately led to his success as a coach. See what it takes for a head coach to navigate a team all the way to the Super Bowl and it’s trials and tribulations.
May 18, 2023
It was a good walk down memory lane from the Super Bowl win, but often times felt choppy or repetitive. I appreciated the background on some of the play calling, and definitely got a laugh out of some of the long-term future plans that absolutely did not age well (like Carson Wentz’s tenure). An enjoyable quick read, but not a favorite.
February 5, 2025
Picked this up at a goodwill as I was in the mood for a new self-help book. Not much of a football fan, nevertheless it was an interesting read. This book emerged as if you were having a conversation with the author as they were telling you their story. Not much of self help other than keeping an underdog mentality and continuing to strive for your goals. 6.5/10
November 10, 2018
This was a good look at some of Doug Pederson’s life and coaching. He describes the journey from player to coach then a Super Bowl victory. As an Eagles fan this was entertaining and informational and glad to have read it!
November 19, 2018
Not the kind of book I usually gravitate towards, but I enjoyed listening to this. Would have been better if Pederson read it himself, but still enjoyable. I learned a good bit about who knows who and how from the last 25~ years of the league.
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