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From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket: My Life in Football and Business
How a young man with a solid work ethic carried himself out of poverty to the pinnacle of professional sports and business.
Before he turned sixteen, Edgerrin James had already developed the critical thinking and mental discipline required for him to become one of the most astute business minds in professional sports.
Acclaimed as one of the greatest running backs of his generation who was inducted into the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame, James is a self-made financial whiz and philanthropist.
Selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the fourth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and signing the largest contract for a rookie running back in league history, James amassed over 12,000 rushing yards, was a four-time NFL All-Pro, and led the league in rushing in each of his first two seasons.
In his new memoir, From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket , with award-winning sports journalist John Harris and a foreword from fellow teammate and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, James shares his unique, no-holds-barred perspective in becoming an all-time NFL great while also building a financial empire while raising six children.
The product of a single-parent household in one of the most downtrodden rural areas in the state of Florida, James balanced life as a young father as he became one of the best players in college football at the University of Miami. Later, facing what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle after reaching the pros, he overcame a devastating knee injury to leave an indelible mark on the sport.
When his football career ended prematurely following the tragic death of the mother of his children, James made a seamless transition to become a successful businessman. This tell-all book, featuring colorful anecdotes from his football career and personal life delivered in conversational prose, draws parallels between sports and business and guides readers on how to develop their own personal game plan to reach their maximum potential.
Before he turned sixteen, Edgerrin James had already developed the critical thinking and mental discipline required for him to become one of the most astute business minds in professional sports.
Acclaimed as one of the greatest running backs of his generation who was inducted into the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame, James is a self-made financial whiz and philanthropist.
Selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the fourth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and signing the largest contract for a rookie running back in league history, James amassed over 12,000 rushing yards, was a four-time NFL All-Pro, and led the league in rushing in each of his first two seasons.
In his new memoir, From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket , with award-winning sports journalist John Harris and a foreword from fellow teammate and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, James shares his unique, no-holds-barred perspective in becoming an all-time NFL great while also building a financial empire while raising six children.
The product of a single-parent household in one of the most downtrodden rural areas in the state of Florida, James balanced life as a young father as he became one of the best players in college football at the University of Miami. Later, facing what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle after reaching the pros, he overcame a devastating knee injury to leave an indelible mark on the sport.
When his football career ended prematurely following the tragic death of the mother of his children, James made a seamless transition to become a successful businessman. This tell-all book, featuring colorful anecdotes from his football career and personal life delivered in conversational prose, draws parallels between sports and business and guides readers on how to develop their own personal game plan to reach their maximum potential.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published February 8, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 10, 2023
From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket was a book that I was trying to get my hands on for a bit, and so I finally brought it here on Amazon back in Fall 2023. I followed Edgerrin James' football career from his days at the University of Miami to his last year in the NFL in 2009, so buying this book gave me some more insight into what made him tick.
Maturity was something that Edgerrin James had to possess at a young age because his mom told him he had to be the man of the house at a mere 13 years of age. Plus, he had to toil in the watermelon fields as a kid hauling watermelons in the hot and unforgiving Florda sun. I'm glad when I was teenager, I didn't have to go through none of that. James explained his having to grow up fast and be more responsible than many other kids his age in chapter 1, The Early Years.
From Chapter 1 and on in this book, he explained how everything he ever got in his life, be it monetary gains, football gains, or whatever, that he had to work his butt for those things. His message in this book was pretty much that if you want something in life you have to go for it, that everything in life that is worth chasing will come with some hard work and sacrifices.
James wrote this book to tell you how he made it from his humble beginnings in Immokalee, Florida to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also put in some chapters in the book about his personal life which included his children, his mother, assorted family members, achieving financial wealth, and what he thinks about the state of college football and the NFL in the present.
Pros of the book: James wrote this book like a personal letter to his fans and to those who followed his college and NFL careers. This book showed that he was more than just a great running back in the NFL, that he had goals, dreams, setbacks, and etc. just like the rest of us.
Cons of the book: James played at Miami amongst some good and great talents, and he didn't talk about them much if at all. Just little stories here and there about his time at the U, his running backs coach Don Soldinger, and the UCLA game in 1998 in which he gained 299 yards. That game put him on the map and set him up for future financial wealth. Plus, there were just a few short stories on his NFL career. If you are looking to read a comprehensive book on his college and NFL careers, you'll be disappointed.
In closing, From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket was a solid autobiography on former NFL star running back Edgerrin James. This was a conversational book on what James did on and off the field to get him to where he is today. Not much depth in this book on his football career but it was his book and I guess he didn't want to spend a lot of time on that subject.
Maturity was something that Edgerrin James had to possess at a young age because his mom told him he had to be the man of the house at a mere 13 years of age. Plus, he had to toil in the watermelon fields as a kid hauling watermelons in the hot and unforgiving Florda sun. I'm glad when I was teenager, I didn't have to go through none of that. James explained his having to grow up fast and be more responsible than many other kids his age in chapter 1, The Early Years.
From Chapter 1 and on in this book, he explained how everything he ever got in his life, be it monetary gains, football gains, or whatever, that he had to work his butt for those things. His message in this book was pretty much that if you want something in life you have to go for it, that everything in life that is worth chasing will come with some hard work and sacrifices.
James wrote this book to tell you how he made it from his humble beginnings in Immokalee, Florida to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also put in some chapters in the book about his personal life which included his children, his mother, assorted family members, achieving financial wealth, and what he thinks about the state of college football and the NFL in the present.
Pros of the book: James wrote this book like a personal letter to his fans and to those who followed his college and NFL careers. This book showed that he was more than just a great running back in the NFL, that he had goals, dreams, setbacks, and etc. just like the rest of us.
Cons of the book: James played at Miami amongst some good and great talents, and he didn't talk about them much if at all. Just little stories here and there about his time at the U, his running backs coach Don Soldinger, and the UCLA game in 1998 in which he gained 299 yards. That game put him on the map and set him up for future financial wealth. Plus, there were just a few short stories on his NFL career. If you are looking to read a comprehensive book on his college and NFL careers, you'll be disappointed.
In closing, From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket was a solid autobiography on former NFL star running back Edgerrin James. This was a conversational book on what James did on and off the field to get him to where he is today. Not much depth in this book on his football career but it was his book and I guess he didn't want to spend a lot of time on that subject.
June 12, 2023
A good insight into Edgerrin's views on football, family, business and money. I found his philosophy on money especially interesting. However, don't read this if you're expecting detailed stories from his playing days. There aren't a lot of specifics, just Edge's stream-of-consciousness wondering about his life. It's still interesting though, and a pretty quick and easy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2022
4.25 stars
Good read about a great guy!
HOF Running Back tells his story about on and off the field.
EJ deserves his gold jacket from the NFL, and if they gave one in life, he be first in line!
Thank you EJ for sharing your story.
Recommended for any football/sports fan.
Good read about a great guy!
HOF Running Back tells his story about on and off the field.
EJ deserves his gold jacket from the NFL, and if they gave one in life, he be first in line!
Thank you EJ for sharing your story.
Recommended for any football/sports fan.
April 23, 2022
This book shows you should not judge someone by the way they appear. Edge went by the beat of his own drum and learned how to do things his way and set himself up for financial freedom. Financial literacy should be taught more.
July 1, 2022
Wrote from the heart
I’ve always likes Edgerin James and after reading this book, I like him even more. He keep it simple and believes with hard work and some sacrifices anything can be accomplished.
I’ve always likes Edgerin James and after reading this book, I like him even more. He keep it simple and believes with hard work and some sacrifices anything can be accomplished.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews