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The President's Team: The 1963 Army-navy Game and the Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy, a former naval hero and a passionate football fan, was looking forward to watching the Midshipmen take on the Cadets at the annual Army-Navy game on November 30, 1963. "I hope to be on the winning side when the game ends," he telegrammed the Navy coach on November 20. Two days later, the president was assassinated in Dallas, changing the nation forever. Exploring the close relationship between President Kennedy and the Navy football squad of the early 1960s, author Michael Connelly describes how the 1963 Army-Navy game---which was played on December 7 after an initial postponement---served as a welcome distraction for a nation in mourning while provding a opportunity to honor JFK's memory. Connelly ties together the historic Army-Navy rivalry with the changing political landscape of the 1960s, both at home and overseas. The President's Team delves into Kennedy's love of football and the special bond he established with many of the Navy players, including Heisman winner and former Hall of Famer Roger Staubach.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2009
15 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Michael Connelly
11 books4 followersMichael Connelly was a popular sportswriter in the New England area for over a decade. He is also an author, coach, and business executive. Connelly has appeared on television and radio including ESPN, NPR, Fox News and was featured in the CBS documentary “Marching On.”
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 31, 2013
Rating:
4 of 5 stars – very good
Review:
November 22, 1963 is a date that is etched in every American’s memory. Whether or not a person was alive to say where he or she was when the news was announced, the date always brings a sad thought or memory at the thought of John F. Kennedy dying in the presidential limousine in Dallas. Kennedy was a Navy veteran and a huge fan of the Naval Academy football team. The two are interwoven in Michael Connelly’s book about both the man and the football team.
Connelly interweaves biological information about Kennedy and analysis of the football teams of the Naval Academy of the early 1960’s. The latter is an important point because while most of the football portion of the book is about Navy’s 1963 season, the information Connelly shares about the team illustrates the bond between the President and the football team.
The information shared on President Kennedy is not too detailed, but for a book of this nature, with football as the main bond between the two main subjects, it is more than adequate to describe the highlights of his time in office and also of his love for football. Of course, the famous Kennedy touch football games are given their proper due in this book.
If the reader is more interested in the football than the history or politics, then consider this an excellent source of information about the 1963 Navy football team and its Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Roger Staubach. The previous two years were the buildup to this season in which ironically, the two losses they suffered were in Dallas. The connection between that fact and that it was where the assassination took place is made by Connelly in a wonder manner. Each game of Navy’s 1963 season has its own chapter and recap. Just like with the Kennedy pieces, the writing is detailed enough for a football fan to enjoy, but not so much so that even non-football fans will enjoy these passages as well.
The book will bring back memories for those readers who were around for the events of that time. For those who were not (or too young to remember them), readers will get to experience a glimpse of not only a nation in deep mourning for the loss of its leader, but also will get to experience a glimpse of what it was like to be a football player for the Naval Academy at the time. A very good book that should appeal to readers of many topics.
Did I skim?
No
Did I learn something new?
Yes. I did learn a little more about Kennedy’s military career and his heroics, but the bulk of new information I learned was about the Navy football teams of that time. I knew about Staubach and his fantastic junior year, but I did not realize just how good a complete football team this group of Midshipmen was.
Pace of the book:
Good – switching between the football and the politics of the time kept the reader involved in both sections.
Positives:
There are many of them. The writing style is very good – technical enough to show that the writer was very knowledgeable of the topic, yet in a style that was easy to read. Those who may not know much about football or Presidential history will be able to read and understand these topics just fine.
I also liked the format of the game-by-game recap of the 1963 Navy season. It felt like being a fan who was lucky enough to attend every game of that season in which the last two months darkened an otherwise bright year for the program.
Negatives:
While the book was about Kennedy, I would have liked to have read more about the Army team of 1963 as well. While yes, Kennedy was first and foremost a Navy fan, he was the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces, so the Cadets at West Point also lost their leader as well and felt the loss as much as the Midshipmen.
Do I recommend?
Yes, for college football fans and historians as there is good information on both the Army-Navy game and on John F. Kennedy
4 of 5 stars – very good
Review:
November 22, 1963 is a date that is etched in every American’s memory. Whether or not a person was alive to say where he or she was when the news was announced, the date always brings a sad thought or memory at the thought of John F. Kennedy dying in the presidential limousine in Dallas. Kennedy was a Navy veteran and a huge fan of the Naval Academy football team. The two are interwoven in Michael Connelly’s book about both the man and the football team.
Connelly interweaves biological information about Kennedy and analysis of the football teams of the Naval Academy of the early 1960’s. The latter is an important point because while most of the football portion of the book is about Navy’s 1963 season, the information Connelly shares about the team illustrates the bond between the President and the football team.
The information shared on President Kennedy is not too detailed, but for a book of this nature, with football as the main bond between the two main subjects, it is more than adequate to describe the highlights of his time in office and also of his love for football. Of course, the famous Kennedy touch football games are given their proper due in this book.
If the reader is more interested in the football than the history or politics, then consider this an excellent source of information about the 1963 Navy football team and its Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Roger Staubach. The previous two years were the buildup to this season in which ironically, the two losses they suffered were in Dallas. The connection between that fact and that it was where the assassination took place is made by Connelly in a wonder manner. Each game of Navy’s 1963 season has its own chapter and recap. Just like with the Kennedy pieces, the writing is detailed enough for a football fan to enjoy, but not so much so that even non-football fans will enjoy these passages as well.
The book will bring back memories for those readers who were around for the events of that time. For those who were not (or too young to remember them), readers will get to experience a glimpse of not only a nation in deep mourning for the loss of its leader, but also will get to experience a glimpse of what it was like to be a football player for the Naval Academy at the time. A very good book that should appeal to readers of many topics.
Did I skim?
No
Did I learn something new?
Yes. I did learn a little more about Kennedy’s military career and his heroics, but the bulk of new information I learned was about the Navy football teams of that time. I knew about Staubach and his fantastic junior year, but I did not realize just how good a complete football team this group of Midshipmen was.
Pace of the book:
Good – switching between the football and the politics of the time kept the reader involved in both sections.
Positives:
There are many of them. The writing style is very good – technical enough to show that the writer was very knowledgeable of the topic, yet in a style that was easy to read. Those who may not know much about football or Presidential history will be able to read and understand these topics just fine.
I also liked the format of the game-by-game recap of the 1963 Navy season. It felt like being a fan who was lucky enough to attend every game of that season in which the last two months darkened an otherwise bright year for the program.
Negatives:
While the book was about Kennedy, I would have liked to have read more about the Army team of 1963 as well. While yes, Kennedy was first and foremost a Navy fan, he was the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces, so the Cadets at West Point also lost their leader as well and felt the loss as much as the Midshipmen.
Do I recommend?
Yes, for college football fans and historians as there is good information on both the Army-Navy game and on John F. Kennedy
October 25, 2017
Interesting and at times dramatic story. Revisits a sad time in American life. I remember those days well, though I was only 11 at the time. I wish this book had been written more artfully and edited better, but it gets the job done.
October 21, 2025
Fascinating read on the USNA football team and it's #1 follower JFK. When 🏈 was 🏈 and a President was a President. The read will impact any reader with leadership, sportsmanship, good old American pride.
April 19, 2010
This book is more than a sports book. It givesd the reader an insight to what a remarkable President JFK was. His love of the Navy team was tied to his PT109 WWII experences. This book also show his personal touch as he support the Navy football team and the fact that his death lead to a two week delay in the Army-Navy game. Anyone would enjoy this book. Be sure to read the postscript. In brings you up to date of what the players did with their lifes.
September 26, 2016
This was a great read about the special connection between JFK and the Naval Academy football team during one of its best seasons in the history of the school. I think Michael Connelly does a great job interweaving the season along with giving the reader insight not only into college football, but the political and social landscape of the early 1960s.
July 8, 2010
Brought back some incredible memories. Nice interweaving of Navy football, it's relation to JFK, and the President's assassination. Spotty writing but generally satisfying.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews