Blood, Sweat, & Bears

Richard Dent

Description

Richard Dent, a cornerstone of the Bears' overwhelming defense during their Super Bowl run, and a 2011 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was an 8th-round draft pick out of tiny Tennessee State in 1983. The tall and skinny rookie would become a 4-time Pro Bowl selection who also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles. Dent wound up his brilliant 15-year career with 137.5 sacks, eight interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns. But Dent's fascinating story-told for the first time in Blood, Sweat, & Bears is more about a young man beating the odds than about a football player racking up statistics. Coming out of a small college with less fanfare than many of his high-profile peers, Dent talks about the inherent disrespect he received, especially early in his career, even though his production rivaled that of most other players at his position. The book, written with veteran Chicago Tribune sportswriter Fred Mitchell, takes the reader behind the scenes, into the huddle and inside the locker room of one of the fiercest, most dominant defenses in NFL history. Playing in the NFL during a time before violent helmet-to-helmet tackles were not forbidden, Dent discusses the direction of the current game in this candid book. "Fans want to see hard hits and collisions," says Dent. "If the NFL wanted to make the game perfectly safe, they would have the players wearing leather helmets and soft shoulder pads. But who would want to spend their money to come out and watch that?" Dent also discusses Hall of Fame teammates, such as Walter Payton, and his at-times turbulent relationship with Coach Mike Ditka. A quarter of a century after the brash Bears filmed The Super Bowl Shuffle music video before winning the championship game, Dent is ready to tell his personal saga, as well as the rest of the intriguing story behind the 1985 Bears. Blood, Sweat, & Bears hits hard... just like its Hall of Fame author!

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique

Informations

• Publié par: Ascend Books
• Date de parution: 02 novembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780983061977
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

(Photo Courtesy of AP Images)

TESTIMONIALS

“F red Mitchell and Richard Dent have collaborated in presenting some fantastic insights into the world of professional football. The excitement, the travail, the hard work and dedication, the disappointments and the thrills are all captured in this wonderful work by these two fellows who have ‘been there, done that’.”

Marv Levy Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Author

“T A tower of power at right defensive end for thehe Sack Man! Chicago Bears. Richard Dent was an afterthought on Draft Day and yet became one of the most wicked pass rushers in NFL history.  “Dent tells his story – on and off the field – with the help ofChicago Tribunewriter Fred Mitchell. This is truly a must read for Chicago Bears fans or anyone who appreciates pro football on the bigtime level. Number 95 forced defensive coordinators to burn the midnight oil.”

Chet Coppock Chicago Sports Talk Radio

“T he first time I saw Richard Dent on the Bears practice field, I told people this guy was going to be something special. Richard became the real deal as a player, and he pulls no punches in his book as he reveals details of his life and Hall of Fame playing career as the Sack Man.”

Dan Jiggetts, Chicago sportscaster and former Bears offensive lineman

&

Putting a “Dent” in the Game I Love

RICHARD DENT with Fred Mitchell

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Copyright © 2012 by Richard Dent

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission should be addressed to: Ascend Books, LLC, Attn: Rights and Permission Department 12710 Pflumm Road, Suite 200, Olathe, KS 66062

All names, logos, and symbols that appear in this book are trademarks of their individual organizations and institutions. This notice is for the protection of trademark rights only, and in no way represents the approval or disapproval of the text of this book by those organizations or institutions.

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ISBN: print book 9780983061984 ISBN: ebook 9780983061960 Library of Congress CataloginginPublications Data Available Upon Request

Editor: Jeffrey Flanagan Assistant Editor: Blake Hughes Publication Coordinator: Christine Drummond Sales and Marketing: Lenny Cohen Dust Jacket and Book Design: Lynette Ubel

All photos courtesy of Richard Dent and Fred Mitchell unless otherwise indicated.

Use of the phrase The Shufflin Crew © courtesy of Red Label Music Publishing, Inc.

Every reasonable attempt has been made to determine the ownership of copyright. Please notify the publisher of any erroneous credits or omissions, and corrections will be made to subsequent editions/future printings.

The goal of the enitre staff of Ascend Book is to publish quality works. With that in mind, we are proud to offer this book to our readers. Please note however, that the story, the experiences and the words are those of the authors alone.

Printed in the United States of America

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D E D I C AT I O N

T his book is dedicated to

my mother, Mary Francis

Dent. I hope I made you smile;

I hope I made you proud.

From Richard

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

M y life has been filled with plenty of ups and downs – exhilarating sports highlights and major accomplishments tempered by the kind of occasional humbling moments that all of us have to learn how to handle and endure.  Throughout it all, I stand tall and continue to strive to help others. My proud legacy is an everevolving story that will define my time here on earth.  I have so many people to thank when it comes to helping me tell my story through this book. That list includes Ascend Books Publisher Bob Snodgrass, Publications Coordinator Christine Drummond, Executive Editors Jeffrey Flanagan and Blake Hughes, Designer Lynette Ubel, and Publicity Director Bob Ibach.  I also would like to thank veteran sportswriter/author Fred Mitchell, who covered a great deal of my NFL playing career for theChicago Tribuneand helped me put my feelings and recollections into words.  My longtime personal assistant, Carol Freeman, was invaluable with her research work on this project. And I appreciate the photo resource information from Dan Yuska of the Chicago Bears and my friend, photographer Mike Kinyon and the statistical data gleaned from ProFootballHOF.com and theChicago Tribune.  I also want to thank Dean Robert Murrell and his wife Dean Barbara Murrell from Tennessee State who kept me in school and took such good care of me.  To my former teammates and coaches at Murphy High School, Tennessee State and the NFL: Thanks for the memories. Richard Dent