Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle: Lessons from a Football Life

by Bill Curry

No sport rivals football for building character. In the scorching heat of two-a-days and the fierce combat of the gridiron, true leaders are born. Just ask Bill Curry, whose credentials for exploring the relationship between football and leadership include two Super Bowl rings and the distinction of having snapped footballs to Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas.In Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle, Curry shares the wit, wisdom, and tough love of teammates and coaches who turned him from a next-to-last NFL draft pick into a two-time Pro Bowler. Learning from such giants as Vince Lombardi and Don Shula, Ray Nitschke and Bubba Smith, Bobby Dodd and even the indomitable George Plimpton, Curry led a football life of nonstop exploration packed with adventure and surprise. Blessed with irresistible characters, rich personal history, and a strong, simple, down-to-earth voice, Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle proves that football is much more than a game. It’s a metaphor for life.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Football, Sports, Nonfiction

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Nick Stasnopolis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a joy to read. A lifetime as a player and a coach. Bill Curry is an articulate and interesting person. This is a book about leadership, friendship and a life spent learning from others and growing. That makes Bill Curry a great person.

Each of his stories is fascinating. Giants: Lombardi and Shula ... Starr and Unitas, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke. Characters: Bubba Smith and George Plimpton. Mentors ... And the more intimate story of his parents. None of this ever becomes pedantic or overbearing. The tone is perfect.

This is a book that everyone should read. It is about a life well spent.

[Donny Aiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better written than most sports books. Nice concept, each chapter is centered on 1 player or coach he he tells stories and lessons learned from his experiences with that person.

I cruised through. As a historical sports fan , 54 years old , I didn't know that Bubba Smith got hurt so badly. I was wondering why he tailed off. One takeaway from a good book.

[Mike F · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is great to be given an insider look into the life of a top NFL athelete and human being. Pushing past extreme limits takes you places you otherwise would not appreciate. Lession can be extracted for business, self-improvement, and character development. The flow is sometimes uneven but it's a quick read and certainly well worth it.

[Jon Heitmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book

[Lane]

A very readable book about life and football. Good stories of his playing days and the people who influenced his life.

[Bob Engeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about ten influential people in Bill Curry's life. Wish he had spent some time talking about his heads coaching stops at GT, Kentucky, Alabama & Georgia State.

[Sko Buffs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at a used book sale. Good book, reminded me of a lot of folks I used to watch whenI watched and cared about the NFL. Bill Curry doesn't seem like too good of a teammate, however.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid book for a number of reasons. If you are a fan of football, especially the NFL of the 60's/70's era, it provides an insider's viewpoint on some of the most compelling personalities of that era (Lombardi, Shula, Unitas, Starr, et. al.). But beyond the biographical profiles and NFL history, Bill Curry draws inspirational lessons from his interactions with fellow coaches and players. Themes of hard work, integrity, friendship, integrity and forgiveness are illustrated through Coach Curry's life experiences. I'm a Georgia Tech graduate and have followed Bill Curry's career as a player, coach and leader with great interest. Coach Curry is a highly-respected man and leader. This book provides insight into the life that produced this great man. Highly recommended.

[Markotwain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book twice. The second time was when I finished it in August 202; the first time was several years ago when I forgot to add it to Goodreads. 🥴 l have admired Bill Curry since his coaching days at Georgia Tech. Please take a listen to his faith-driven stories and his lessons learned from the likes of Dodd, Lombardi, Starr, Shula, Unitas, and others.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you are a Packer fan or an NFL fan of the 1960's! It was a compelling read because of his style of writing and all the players and coaches he met. Highly recommend.