Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL

by John Feinstein

A behind-the-scenes tour of the ups and downs of an NFL season focuses on the Baltimore Ravens and reveals the lesser-known aspects of the professional league, from the dangerous conditions under which athletes are expected to train to the unrelenting pressures faced by coaches and players. 250,000 first printing.

Genres: Sports, Football, Nonfiction, Biography, Journalism

502 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

John Feinstein was an American sportswriter, author, and sports commentator.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the privilege of meeting John Feinstein at the first National Book Festival held in Washington D.C. two days before Sept. 11, 2001. He has always been, and continues to be, in my opinion, the fairest sportswriter I have read. This book, "Next Man Up" give the reader an inside look at how a team drafts players, trains players, and prepares players who must take the place of injured players. I learned that it is not unusual for a team whose "long snapper" is injured, call a player who had been cut months ago by even another team the DAY BEFORE A GAME, and ask that player to come in to try out for the position, and then sign the person to a short contract.

I also learned of the"clothes NAZIS" who prowl the sidelines during a game monitoring team, coaches, staff dress and will fine the team for violations.

I learned how hard it is to deal with injuries and how players play hurt.

I learned about the deep religious faith of players and how it can be a divisive element on a team.

This book is for the sports fan who likes to understand the ins and outs of how professional teams operate. I highly recommend it.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Feinstein is a very good writer who spends his time exploring the world of sport. If you care about the NFL this is an interesting book. If you care about the Baltimore Ravens this is a very interesting book. This book is kind of like a tour of sausage factory. You may end up knowing more than you did before but you may not like sausage as much. I liked Feinstein's book about the Patriot League basketball teams much more. Somehow the people seemed more closely related to the world in which I live.

[Davidg · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Brit with a passing interest in NFL when it comes round each year, I thought that this would give me greater insight into how everything works, particularly those areas that aren't covered ver here, such as the Draft. Having just read "Friday Night Lights", I hoped this would be a similar standard. That book also followed one team over one season, but managed to convey a whole world, the specifics helped define the whole.

Sadly, the concentration on the Ravens in this book did not look out to the wider world of NFL or how that world impacts on the US generally. Feinstein has wonderful access to the team, coaches and the players but does not look outside the locker room. If he had ventured beyond into the homes of the players and coaches - how do they cope when they don't see dad for months at a time, but then he is around all day. Or how do they cope when the money earner's job disappears overnight.? What about the world of the fans; the people,who turn out in all weathers?

So, yes I did learn more about the Draft and the off season and what all those people on the sidelines do, but not as much about the wider impact of the NFL a as I had hoped. I M keeping "Friday Night Lights" but not this one.

[Ty Schadt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very ambitious concept rife with unprecedented access to a season with an NFL club. Spent a long long time in the preseason detailing things that didn’t seem super important. That part dragged on for me a bit. Otherwise, I felt it held up very well 20 years later. Lots of names still in the mix of things in the football world which was neat.

John Feinstein passed away the day I finished this book. That one shook me, and not just because I was reading this book. He had a huge impact on me as a kid with his young adult sports mystery fiction books. I think he was one of the earliest inspirations of sports storytelling to me, and it was always just nice to know there was always a chance we’d cross paths.

RIP John.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 20 year old book about a season with the Baltimore Ravens should not be interesting, let alone compelling. But it totally was!!! Feinstein is such a great sports writer. His all access behind the scenes stories of the team were fantastic. And the individual and personal player and coach stories were wove throughout perfectly. I can't recall one time in the book where I wasn't interested in what was happening to these athletes. Just a great read! Must read more Feinstein!!

[JT · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with this book is that Feinstein gets great access, but he doesn't ever write anything that that might be even vaguely derogatory about the club. When a player is confronted by a teammate about showing up to practice with booze on his breath, that's it -- no indication of more problems under the surface. When a star player quits on the team? A quick afterthought of how he hangs his head on the bench. While I wasn't looking for a tell-all of the season, I got the clear indication that Feinstein was writing the book the NFL wanted to read, not what I wanted to read. However, the interactions between coaches and the front office were interesting.

[Randal · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book that offers to get readers inside "one of the most secretive sports societies in America," very little is revealed here. Feinstein is, after all, relying on the Ravens' goodwill to get him behind the scenes and he repays that by soft-peddling almost everything from Jamal Lewis' drug conviction ("a mistake by a young man") through team dissension. Brian Billick comes across as a really nice guy despite little background scenarios that suggest he spends a fair bit of his time screaming at people like a complete asshole, pretty much on the grounds that hey, it's footbaw.

I think there was one sidelong mention of the word concussion, even though 2004 the league was already in public denial mode that repeated head trauma could cause brain damage. You would kind of hope that an ace reporter with insider access might have gotten a whiff of it being a problem.

And while Feinstein spends a great deal of time discussing who was whom on the NFL / NCAA coaching carousel, he somehow never manages to discuss how it's the white guys who keep getting hired and rehired as coordinators and head coaches ahead of the black guys who make up much of the league's playing talent ... even though the so-called Rooney Rule mandating teams at least interview a black guy before hiring a white one was only a year old at the time.

Being super-nice of course gives Feinstein the inside track the next time he wants to get behind the scenes of whatever sport he's covering. But it's hard not to think the NFL would be mighty pleased with how squeaky clean this supposed insider's look leaves "The Shield," as the league's logo is sometimes called.

Feinstein is a good writer, so it's not a bad book. But there's a standard formula -- start an anecdote, pause in the middle for a short biography of one of the main figures in the anecdote, then return to wrap up the story -- and he follows it so rigorously that it might as well be a beginner learning to waltz with a box step: One, two, three, one, two, three, and always covering the same square of dance floor. And let's face it, there's not a lot of deep background in most players' stories: They showed much / little natural talent as a boy, so it was expected / a surprise when they developed into a high school star; they were heavily recruited and signed with NCAA football factory A before being a top draft pick / they went under the radar at small school B and had to work their way up through the reserve squad route to make the NFL. They quickly become an exercise in name-dropping and da-yum does this book drop a lot of names.

By less than halfway through the book I was skipping over the bios out of raw boredom. I sort of wish I had skipped the whole thing.

[Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone interested in getting a behind the scenes look at a professional football team through the course of one year, this book is great. For anyone else, there are few sections of interest. The author was given permission from the Baltimore Ravens NFL team to join them for the 2004 year. He was given access to all personnel including the owner, the coaches, the players, the team doctors, and all other staff. He attended weekly meetings, practices and had game day sideline access. This near total access leads to the strength of the book-- an honest look at the day to day workings of an NFL team. It also helped that it was not a retrospective look to bring more publicity to a championship team. Rather it served as a "take what you get" look at a team. The Ravens in 2004 were a good but not great team so there were plenty of opportunities to depict its success but also to show its shortcomings. The author depicted both extremely well. The most enjoyable parts of the book were those I knew least about i.e. how draft decisions are made, game day locker room speeches, etc. It was interesting to read the details about how Terrell Owens dissed the Ravens, how the then rookie Ben Roethlisberger did in his first game as a Steeler against the Ravens, how retired Dallas Cowboy cornerback Deion (Primetime)Sanders unretired at the urging of Ray Lewis to come play for the Ravens, how Ravens coach Brian Billick walked to the stadium every home game day, how defensive coordinator Mike Nolan (current Dallas Cowboy coordinator) became frustrated with his own team's offensive coordinator, how the Ravens dealt with the legal troubles of star players Ray Lewis and Jamal Lewis, etc etc.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the end of the day it’s a fun trip down memory lane for football fans sure to stoke the fires of nostalgia as you read. And while it is incredibly well written and researched, ultimately I found myself feeling fairly bored pretty early on and it quickly turned into a slog to get through it.

I can appreciate and respect the amount of access Feinstein had as he researched this project, it would have been truly amazing to read in say… 2008 or so. But right now it falls into that dead zone where it’s a great historical look at the Baltimore Ravens season, it’s also not QUITE far enough back to feel truly historical.

I’d recommend this book for any super fans of the Baltimore Ravens or hardcore fans of the NFL. It’s very well written and a great look behind the scenes at the sport you know and love, plus the level of access he had is still truly impressive. Just beware that it reads like the longest edition of a Sports Illustrated Monday Morning Quarterback article that you’ve ever read and as such is probably best taken in small chunks… perhaps read it over the course of an entire NFL season?

[Timothy Burbage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read covering the 2004 season of the Baltimore Ravens. Full of arrests, injuries and arguments, the season that started with Super Bowl expectations ended up finishing without even a trip to the playoffs.

This book was well written, incisive, and engaging. I think this would have been a lot more interesting if All or Nothing hadn't been created by Amazon tv, following a football team throughout the season. This is the same premise, but 10 years beforehand.

This still showed some insights into the Baltimore Ravens, including Hall of Famers Johnathan Ogden, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. It also spent a lot of time at the bottom of the roster, with a lot of coverage on special teams and those trying to get by.

An interesting read, especially for someone who was into NFL in the mid-2000s as I was.

[Greg Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read with an in depth, game by game deep dive of the Baltimore Ravens season from nearly 20 years ago. Really enjoyed learning about the owner Steve Biscotti, self made, humble man who is a class act; Ozzie Newsome, a former great tight end who became the best GM in the NFL, Brian Billick, arrogant players coach who of I were an NFL player I think I would love to play for. Plus the players on the team... Ray Lewis in the middle of his career, Ed Reed the ascending superstar, and Deion Sanders, who was coaxed out of retirement. Learned how both Ray Lewis and Jamal Lewis were screwed and probably never should have been charged for the crimes they were accused of. Wish that FSU had a spot for Ray... he really wanted to go to Florida State (this came up often).

I just wish I had read it sooner!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a break from my usual genres.

I'm not a huge fan of American Football (for starters I'm not American) but I know enough to follow the terminology. Also I read this thirteen years after the season in question. If it hadn't been 'spoiled' at the start I wouldn't have had a clue as to how the season panned out, which would have been better. But I fully get why Feinstein didn't go that route as most readers probably already know.

I enjoyed the 'in the moment' parts the best. Especially the wheeling and dealing of the trade room and the draft. I could read more of the scouts and drafting.

Wasn't quite as interested in the 'flashbacks' telling us the history of the players/coaches etc. Although, wow, BJ Sams is the youngest of 26 kids - that is an interesting fact.

[Robert Meade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the football season, I am into my reading season. Fall and Winter just works for doing a lot of reading. This book is really just another book about the brutal realities of the NFL and the business of pro football. Another team another season and another cast of characters. I have read a handful of these books over the years and the the thing I like about these sports books is I pick up bits of information on different players, coaches, owners and media people. Some books are definitely better than others , that goes for every type of book I think. The better ones do give you new insight on subjects you otherwise have no connection to other than watching on TV and reading about in the papers and on the Internet.

[Joe Testa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insiders look at one football season for one NFL team - The Ravens.

As a football addict I loved it, but it went deeper than that. I was struck by the tenuous life of everyday football players, who make up the majority of the league. Guys who bounce up and down, in and out of jobs, playing whatever role comes their way out of sheer love for the game. Financially and psychologically insecure. It is nowhere near as glamorous as the superstars make it look.

Also liked the in-depth look at so many players and coaches - I felt like I really got a feel for what football life is like on the inside.

Tasty stuff.

[Ali Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read September 2023 🏈
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Gut Instinct Rating: 4
Engagement of Book: 4
Accomplishment/Delivery of Book: 4
Interest/Entertainment Level: 4
Audiobook Narration: N/A
Overall: 4🏳️‍🌈
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CW: Sports, Football
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Review: I had no idea when I bought this that I was actually reading about our rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. But I’ve always said that if for some reason, the Pittsburgh Steelers dissolved, I would immediately become a Ravens fan. It was really interesting to read about the backend of things, but I will say, the play-by-play was almost too much sometimes. I could’ve done with less of that and more of what it was like on the sidelines, in the locker room, and in the front office.

[R J M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good but not quite great read for me. I've read several of Feinstein's books and have enjoyed them all. Because I generally only read a few pages a day, I often have a hard time remembering who the various people are -- which can make a book like this with SO MANY players, coaches and staff on numerous teams a challenge to fully enjoy as I found myself searching to remind myself who X person was numerous times. Many readers perhaps won't have that issue. The book covers a season from over 20 years ago which added to my problem, but it also gave me an interesting perspective on various players and personnel I remember from that time moving forward to today.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really a four star book, with some insight into the world of the NFL but nothing that you couldn't have picked up just from the normal media. Players play injured. There's disagreements between coaches and between players. Religion, politics, playing time, and other differences don't matter as much when you're winning. Etc etc etc. However he gets a bonus star because of the Ravens - being able to spend a book flicking through details about the NFL team I support kept it interesting and very light reading.

[Jeff Clausen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of many books about the NFL, but I haven’t read many and so I learned a lot and enjoyed the short bios of a number of players, coaches and executives. I recognize Feinstein’s deep knowledge of sport from his years of commentary on NPR, and knew that his wit could be sharp and even acerbic. The result is that he doesn’t seem to pull many punches and gives both credit and blame where it needs to go, nothing fawning here. Learning about the business of sport doesn’t throw me off the desire to watch it, and reading the behind the scenes stuff will always be interesting. Recommended.

[Ramesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've gotta really like NFL Football to read Next Man Up & a huge bonus for Raven's fans. The NFL has become the only sport i watch regularly but a second reading as the 2018 season starts just didnt do it for me. There's a lot of inside baseball (yes, i went there and couldn't resist) that's interesting and its great insight. There's also too much Ravens so, meh. In the end- glad I read it once not twice.

[The Book Coyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. It was long, and a detailed read, but for a football fan bored of sports in the off-season, it was entertaining and educational. I am not a Ravens' fan, but I found myself caring more than I normally would about how their season progressed, and the personal struggles of the players and the coaches. Watching their games next season will most likely mean more to me after reading this book.

[Rodrigo Quintanar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every NFL fan should read this one! An amazing inside story of an entire season. This book made me respect even more the life of coaches, players and general managers of the best league in the world. You will finish it loving football even more!

P.S. Best story: What players and other people in the league think about Daniel Snyder.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Feinstein's best books. A really nice, behind the scenes look of life inside the operations of a NFL franchise. The locker room and the executive offices of the Baltimore Ravens are explored. Ther are a lot of interesting stories told through it's pages and you are helped to also understand why the Washington Redskins are the way that they are today.

[Rob Pruden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read six books by John Feinstein now and I like his style and clearly I am a sports fan. This did an excellent job exposing the stresses of an NFL season as felt by players, coaches, executives, and ownership and I am glad I read it. It was not as engrossing as some of John's other works, but certainly worth the read for any NFL fan

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waaaaayyyy to long. Really don’t need 400 pages of play-by-play of old football games. Really thought this would be about the behind the scenes of an NFL team. I had to skip most of the book just not worth it. His cheap shots at Michael Powell show what kind of jerk he is. Powell was appointed to the FCC by his hero Bill Clinton. Bush 43 only made him the chair.

[Danny Zheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. One thing that was bad is that it was fast pace. One thing that was good is that it wasn't confusing because the book was fast paced. I would give this book 3 stars.

[Reed Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book despite being 14 years old. AND Brady Eli and Roethlisberger are still playing.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most compelling of John Feinstein's books but well written.

[Chris Schaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick page turner. Not my favorite of Feinstein’s books but it’s a good look at an NFL season from the inside.

[Jamie Horan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent behind the scenes look at what goes on during the nfl season.

[Steven Beningo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent inside look at a year in the life of an NFL team - in this case the 2004 Baltimore Ravens.