Type of bind: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: October 01, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 763633
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Off the field, Bill Romanowski was a caring father and devoted husband.
On the field, Romo was unstoppable, terrorizing the NFL for sixteen brutal years.
Some players called him a throwback, some called him mean, some called him dirty. But they all respected him and would much rather have played with him than against him. Coaches loved Romo for the heart and soul he gave to the game. He was rewarded with two Pro Bowl appearances and four Super Bowl rings, but it all came at a heavy price: dozens of concussions that have led to dizzy spells, memory lapses . . . and questionable choices that undermined his integrity. Would he do it all over again? Romo the intimidating linebacker would in a heartbeat. Bill Romanowski, however, would do things differently today.
Whether it was in high school, at Boston College, or with the NFL, Romo vowed to himself that he would outwork and outhustle everyone else. Practice? Loved it; he'd play like it was a game and attack his teammates as if they were opponents. Game day? He'd work himself into a state of invincibility. If you were a tight end, running back, or quarterback with the wrong uniform, you were marked for elimination. Nutrition? He would consult top nutritionists, looking for the best foods, an extraordinary range of supplements, and alternative remedies, anything that would help give him an edge. It would lead to a controversial relationship with BALCO.
Treatment? He would try almost anything that would help with his performance, keep his body healthy, and help it recover from the beatings he took and gave on Sundays. Phentermine, THG, hyperbaric chambers, IVs. He would experiment with substances and methods that the NFL had never heard of, and he'd become an expert who teammates and friends would turn to. Endurance? He never missed a game to injury, and once played an entire season with a partially torn knee ligament. Intimidation? From trash talk to mind games to nasty hits and breaking fingers, Romo would roam the field seeking confrontation -- and usually find it.
Through it all -- through his years with the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Denver Broncos, and the Oakland Raiders -- Romo was driven by something else: the fear of failure, the fear of losing it all. Who knew what a head coach or an owner would be thinking or what young player was in the wings ready to take his hard-won position. He didn't dare allow someone else to decide his fate, so he did whatever it took to live his dreams and ward off the dragons of self-doubt that pushed him . . . until his body betrayed him and his morality was compromised.
Romo is a jolting, candid, and inspiring rocket ride into the heart of the NFL and a look at what it costs to be an elite athlete yesterday in a world of impossible expectations. Read it -- and try not to wince.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Interesting book about Romo's use of suppliments and his nutritional obsession, but not much about his life on the field.
I would much rather read about his life playing the game, instead of reading about what vitamins and nutrients he was taking.
The nutrition aspect of this book is a bit boring.
Rated by buyers 
-
An unbelievable look into the life of a man who would never take a ribbon for second place.
This book actually shows the mindset of a maniac who would do anything and everything possible to get to the top and stay there.
"Romo" is a great book that reveals the life on and off the field of possibly the greatest linebacker to ever play pro football. I highly recommend this book to any sports/football fan that would like to glance into the psyche of a football player.
This book had me day dreaming of the days I played football, and wanting to get back out on the field to hit someone as hard as possible. Thoroughly enjoyable and a permanent addition to my sports library.
Rated by buyers -
If you are thinking of buying this book, you are probably looking for information on the following:
- why did Romo take drugs?
- why did he play so dirty?
- what is it like being a linebacker in the NFL?
- what does it take to be successful in the NFL?
Someone who is interested in the above questions should read this book because it delivers so richly in these areas. People who think football isn't quite gladiatorial enough these days will love the book.
Probably not a good present to buy for someone because it is a book that I imagine more people would hate than love. For competitive sports lovers only in my opinion,
Rated by buyers -
Not a bad effort as sports stars biographies go. I think it was a worthy purchase. Obviously Romo had an incredible work ethic and it was quite uplifting at times to read about the lenghts he went to to maintain his peak performance. I worry about his health for the remainder of his life though. Good read and if you like contact sports, you will understand his devotion. I'm 43, still consider myself young and play madden because I can't do the real thing! Go Romo!
Rated by buyers -
An excellent history of human fears and greatness , in the best sport of the world.
Find other books like this one:
