Overall thoughts on the book:
This book was pretty sad. But I like sad. I got a little emotional during the first chapter. It’s one of those books that, as a woman, makes me think about the lives and thought processes of men. Whenever I read books that are written by men, I always find that men seem so much lonelier and duller than women. I think, sometimes, that because our social structure doesn’t allow men to show real emotions, men end up being lifeless and sad – immensely lonely. I think that, for a lot of men, the only way to have real camaraderie with someone is to be on a team. This memoir explores life after being on the LSU football team for four years. I would definitely recommend this book. That being said, I think the reader needs to come into reading this book with an understanding of the culture around college football, especially in the SEC or other big conferences, and especially in Louisiana. To put it very lightly, LSU football is a huge deal in Louisiana.
More details on the book and lots of spoilers:
So the structure of the book is very disorganized. I found that I liked the non-linear progression of the book.
John Ed Bradley’s father was a high school football coach in Opelousas, Louisiana. John Ed was always destined to play football. The seemingly unattainable goal was to play football at LSU. John Ed’s high school coach (not his dad, who had retired from coaching by the time that John Ed was in high school) was tough on John Ed. He was determined to make the best football player he could out of John Ed. And it worked.
John Ed went to LSU and played center. I believe the book said that he started every game of his college career. By his senior year he was made captain. His whole life was football. All of his friends were his teammates and then his senior year season ended and the foundation of his whole life was gone.
John Ed wanted to be a writer rather continue in the sports world. This book details his professional and personal life after football. He went on to write several books and to write regularly for a few different magazines.
I just find with books that are written by men for men and about men that there’s an undercurrent of sadness and lifelessness in men that women don’t have. It’s books like this that make me think that men should learn to show emotions more and learn to develop real friendships. It breaks my heart to read the interworkings of the minds of men because I wish I could shake them and tell them to reach out to friends. For instance, in the case of John Ed, he was so sure that no one he played football with would ever want to speak with him again. He thought that if he reached out to any of his old teammates that he would just be bothering them. I wish men could learn to show emotion without fear of being made fun of for being weak and fragile. Makes me sad.
Eventually, John Ed begins to reach out to his old buddies. He meets with his dying coach. He meets up with his old roommate. It seemed that speaking with old friends helped him start to move on from football.
Final thoughts:
I can’t imagine how hard it is when you feel like the only way that you can have a friendship is through a sports team and then to have your time on that team come to a close. John Ed spent at least the next few decades pining for his place on the football team. I enjoyed the book a lot. I think it gives good perspective on what happens after our favorite players leave the team and have to find a life outside of sports.
Bayous and Books 