Goodfellows: The Champions of St. Ambrose

by Rick Gosselin

St. Ambrose High, one of the most storied programs in high-school-football history, didn't even have its own football field. But success pulsated from three-story building in Detroit between 1957 and 1967, when tiny St. Ambrose produced five football All-Americas and 12 all-state performers. Many would go on to play major-college football on the campuses of Houston, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the University of Detroit. Two St. Ambrose products, ends Tom Beer and Gary Nowak, would extend their careers into the National Football League. Two of the coaches, Tom Boisture and his successor George Perles, would go on to win a combined six Super Bowl rings in the NFL. They were all products of St. Ambrose, a place where old-fashioned values reigned, where teamwork was more important than individual glory, and where the football squad was an integral part of a tight-knit community. Rick Gosselin masterfully tells the unique story of the champions of St. Ambrose.

251 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2009

Reviews

[Chris Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a nitch book as a knowledge of the Catholic League in Detroit would help. I found it very enjoyable as I was always familiar with the legacy of this famous program, and this book filled in the blanks.

[Tony Shopinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

high rating for St. Ambrose graduates - names and places are significant maybe only to them