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Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe
Football fans are tired of lame memoirs or technical fantasy football books. Rich Eisen is going to give them what they want—a chance to share in his world of a never-ending football season. It’s about eating, living, and breathing the most popular sport in the history of America. The passion. The pageantry. The pigskin.
Thanks to his role as host of NFL Total Access, Eisen gets to go to virtually every event on the NFL calendar—the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the Scouting Combine, the NFL Draft, and the Hall of Fame Weekend. You name it, Eisen is there. And thanks to this book, you can go along for the ride with him—in front of the camera interviewing league MVPs or behind the scenes with some of the game’s all-time greats.
Total Access is the ultimate football book for fans everywhere.
Thanks to his role as host of NFL Total Access, Eisen gets to go to virtually every event on the NFL calendar—the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the Scouting Combine, the NFL Draft, and the Hall of Fame Weekend. You name it, Eisen is there. And thanks to this book, you can go along for the ride with him—in front of the camera interviewing league MVPs or behind the scenes with some of the game’s all-time greats.
Total Access is the ultimate football book for fans everywhere.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 17, 2025
Within the pages of Total Access, there now lies an unspoken truth: the NFL that Rich Risen chronicles here is a far-bygone era. So many aspects of the NFL have changed over time, but even now, as I finished reading it in 2025, one constant has persisted: the book's author, who has remained one of the NFL Network's most prominent figures for more than two decades now. Eisen has always been a magnetic personality since his days hosting SportsCenter with the late great Stuart Scott, and that personality is peppered throughout the pages of this backstage pass to the NFL. While you may not learn anything about how the league functions in present-day by reading it, this book now serves as a unique time capsule that shows the NFL at an interesting time in its history: on the brink of becoming the entertainment behemoth we know it to be today. If you're a football fan, you'll like this, I'm just not sure if it'll sway any non-believers.
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May 16, 2019Donated by: A. Miller
Fall 2019
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November 15, 2020
Book was good if you're an NFL fan, but is unfortunately now pretty outdated.
February 18, 2024
This book has the Rich Eisen humor throughout. A fun read, with a little behind the scenes stories.
July 10, 2012
I grew up in a family that worshiped football. Every Sunday, Monday & Thursday. Every holiday, every family gathering that I can remember has a TV with a game on, even if it was just an old game being replayed. Because, yes, my family had games on tapes. My grandmother kept team schedules, rankings, game times and scores posted to a wall in the hallway [it took up most of the hall] and everyone in the family had their own team.
Now, that being said, I still managed to know absolutely nothing about football. I wouldn't have even be able to tell you who was playing offense and who defense.
Then I started dating a boy, whose life also revolved around football. Draft included. He gave me this book as my initiation into the NFL during our first football season together.
I read it, all the way. Rich Eisen is a fabulous writer, hilarious and sufficiently explanatory. I wasn't ever confused or bored or smothered by technical terms. When I was done with the book, I felt I actually had a legitimately better understanding of the game, the rules and the culture.
Love it.
Now, that being said, I still managed to know absolutely nothing about football. I wouldn't have even be able to tell you who was playing offense and who defense.
Then I started dating a boy, whose life also revolved around football. Draft included. He gave me this book as my initiation into the NFL during our first football season together.
I read it, all the way. Rich Eisen is a fabulous writer, hilarious and sufficiently explanatory. I wasn't ever confused or bored or smothered by technical terms. When I was done with the book, I felt I actually had a legitimately better understanding of the game, the rules and the culture.
Love it.
June 12, 2016
This book was a lot better than I thought it might be. Rich Eisen, aside from being a good host on the NFL Network, is actually a pretty witty writer. This book takes the reader through one year in the life of the NFL...on the NFL network. Starting with the year's Super Bowl between the Steelers and Seahawks, through the owner's meetings and the combine, through the draft and the Hall of Fame inductions, and finally to the network's first 8-game package of games during the 2006 season. A whole lot of name drops by Eisen, which gets old, but also a lot of great inside stories. I learned that Marshall Faulk is a pretty funny guy. A quick read too at 300 pages, but a majority of those pages have photos on them so it's like reading a 200 page book. Good stuff.
January 3, 2009
After being so disappointed in the last sports memoir I read, I was hesitant to read this one. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I loved it. Rich Eisen is one of the reasons I love watching the NFL network so much. I love the way he brings his wit into sports broadcasting, and his wit was very much in evidence in this book. It had interesting behind the scenes information mixed with entertaining personal stories, all told with his characteristicly humble sense of humor. If you're not an NFL fan, this isn't the book for you. But if you are, this really is the man with Total Access.
August 15, 2013
I listened to this on CD, read by the author. He seems like a nice guy and more self-effacing than many TV personalities. The book is basically a diary of a year in the life of an NFL Total Access broadcaster. It's fairly chronological. It's not hard hitting in any way. You won't learn much about broadcasting or the inner workings of the NFL. You will learn something about Super Bowl Week, the Pro Bowl, the NFL Hall of Fame, the draft, and some particular games. You will read some funny anecdotes. I'm sure it's better than many books written by actual NFL players. I found it entertaining, and I'm glad I "read" it, but it just wasn't especially insightful or memorable.
October 21, 2009
Nonfiction. A look inside the NFL and the beginnings and rise of the NFL Network, as told by longtime sportscaster and face of NFL Network Rich Eisen.
A sometimes very corny book, not well written, but for any football fan, still an enjoyable read for the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes look at life in professional football and all that is entailed in covering the nation's most popular sport.
A sometimes very corny book, not well written, but for any football fan, still an enjoyable read for the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes look at life in professional football and all that is entailed in covering the nation's most popular sport.
March 23, 2012
Perhaps this was a case of misplaced expectations, but I wasn't real impressed with this book. I was thinking and hoping that it would be a story about the ins and outs of the NFL. Instead, what I got were the ins and outs of the NFL Network. There were some entertaining anecdotes, but I think this book would be far more enjoyable for someone wanting to learn about working at a TV network than the world of professional football.
September 14, 2012
Pretty good book. Some real good insight into the The Combine for college players trying to make the pros. Also a hilarious story about the week at the Pro Bowl where the author, Rick Eisen, finds himself the butt of a hilarious practical joke. Good read, dragged in a few spots, but worth the read.
November 2, 2015
Even though it is now slightly dated, what with new rules/regulations in the NFL, it is still thoroughly enjoyable and gives a brief glimpse into the world of Pro football and the media's relationship with it. I definitely recommend!
February 16, 2016
Really loved this book. It was a great look inside the NFL -- especially while enjoying Pro Bowl weekend in Hawaii. Nice to see the antics that the players, coaches and staff get into -- and how they experience our sport.
January 9, 2008
A good read for fans of the NFL...I learned plenty of trivia about the draft and scouting combines.
February 25, 2008
Everything you need to know
August 28, 2008
I thought I'd be getting a glimpse behind the scenes of the NFL...instead mostly it's an advertisement for the NFL Network.
November 10, 2008
This is a great book for any NFL fan. An easy read, entertaining stories, Eisen has a good sense of humor.
January 29, 2009
Starts slow but has some fun stories.
August 4, 2009
Great inside stories if you're a die hard NFL fan.
September 23, 2009
Great Book, Couldn't put it down.
May 10, 2010
Eisen has some great stories. Any football fan would enjoy reading this.
August 7, 2011
A nice behind the scenes peek at the NFL Network and by extension the NFL. Rich, you have quite a life going, I hope you are enjoying it.
October 5, 2013
Interesting about nfl business.
July 29, 2015
Interesting look at the first two seasons of NFL Network, worth reading if you're an NFL fan
March 19, 2015
Finished 3/18/2015. A fun quick read. Nice anecdotes.
September 19, 2019
book from 2007...player references outdated
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews