description: Prelude to Greatness is an insider's story of life on a major college football team, focusing on the University of Oklahoma Sooners from 1994 to 1999. A rare source of insight for younger players who dream of playing college football, this book shows what they are in the range of experiences between failure and success, the elusive nature of any individual's dreams of glory, and the variety of motivations--good, bad, and ugly--prevalent in college football. Jay Smith is the only NCAA Division I football player to have played under four head Gary Gibbs, Howard Schnellenberger, John Blake, and Bob Stoops. A blue-chip offensive lineman from Arlington, Texas, he declined scholarships from virtually every other top team in the country to play with the Sooners in 1994 and follow a national championship dream. The dream did not materialize, and things went from bad to worse before the team showed progress in 1999 and the promise of a national championship to come in 2000. By that time, Smith had graduated and had to witness the victories from the sidelines. Instead of a national championship ring, Smith settled for knowing he had helped the team climb out of a deep hole. A compelling story that goes beyond headlines, outcomes, statistics, and recaps, this is a cautionary tale of how a young man's dreams can founder on the hard realities of big-time college football, where winning and losing sometimes has little to do with a player's dedication.
language: English
title: Prelude to Greatness: Sooner Football in the 1990's
titlecomplete: Prelude to Greatness: Sooner Football in the 1990's
ratings_count: 2
publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr