Titles by Jim Bruton

<div><p>In professional football, careers are often short and turnover is a constant. So when one man’s career spans more than four decades with one organization, it is quite an achievement. Scott Studwell did just that with the Minnesota Vikings. As a linebacker, Studwell totaled a Vikings record 1,981 tackles in 14 seasons, reaching two Pro Bowls. After retiring as a player after the 1990 season, Studwell moved into the Vikings’ player personnel department and served as the team’s Director of College Scouting.</p><p>In <em>Viking for Life: A Four-Decade Football Love Affair</em>, Studwell shares stories from the Vikings teams of the 1970s and ’80s under head coaches Bud Grant and Jerry Burns, teams that reached two NFC championship games. He also provides rare insight into his three decades in the Vikings’ scouting department and draft room, during which he helped the Vikings identify countless stars, including Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, and Harrison Smith.<br /><br /><strong>In the pages of this striking memoir, Studwell shares a passion for the Vikings that he calls “a dream come true.” </strong></p></div>

Dick Bremer's distinctive baritone has served as the soundtrack of Minnesota Twins baseball for over three decades. Millions of fans have enjoyed Bremer's observations, insight, and magical storytelling on television broadcasts. Now, in this striking memoir, the Minnesota native and lifelong Twins fan takes fans behind the mic, into the clubhouse, and beyond as only he can. Told through 108 unique anecdotes–one for each stitch in a baseball–Bremer weaves the tale of a lifetime, from childhood memories of the ballfield in remote Dumont, Minnesota, to his early radio days as the "Duke in the Dark," to champagne soaked clubhouses in 1987 and 1991, and his encounters with Twins legends ranging from Calvin Griffith and Harmon Killebrew, to Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek, to Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Game Used gives fans a rare seat alongside Bremer and his broadcast partners, including Killebrew, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Jim Kaat, Tom Kelly, and other Twins legends.

This endearing story of perseverance and determination casts new light on the memorable 50-year career Lou Nanne achieved in hockey while both on and off the rink. He played in 635 NHL regular season games for the Minnesota North Stars, the only defenseman to lead the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in scoring, and was the captain of the University of Minnesota's Gophers and the 1968 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team. Lou Nanne has done it all, and now for the first time shares his life's journey of great memories, accomplishments, and sorrows in his autobiography, A Passion to Win. Nanne takes readers into the locker rooms and onto the ice in some of the greatest NHL arenas in both the United States and Canada, talking about not only the sensational wins but also the losses that haunt him to this day. Most notably, he speaks frankly about his most harrowing struggle: the disease that nearly overcame him and resulted in his departure from hockey.

<div>When University of Minnesota football coach Jerry Kill stepped down due to health concerns in October 2015, he said, “I can’t do what I love doing anymore.” What Kill loved doing, and did remarkably well, was turn around college football programs. In this book Coach Kill shares for the first time his inspirational, thought-provoking, and heartwarming story, from his early years playing for and working under Dennis Franchione to guiding the Gophers to a New Year’s Day bowl game and being named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Kill describes his dedication to his players, how he drove them, and made them into disciplined and inspired football players. Readers will also learn about Kill’s work to bring awareness to cancer and epilepsy.</div>

<div><strong>The personal account of a promising high school hockey player who survived brain surgery and months of rehabilitation, infections, and temporary paralysis</strong><br /> <br />An aspiring hockey star at Minnesota’s elite Hill-Murray School, 15-year-old Duke Pieper faced a brain surgery with a five percent survival rate. In <em>I’m Alive: Courage, Hope, and a Miracle</em>, Duke recounts his personal and courageous war against the brain lesion that threatened his life and his fearless battle to restore normalcy to his life. Battling through months of paralysis, multiple surgeries, massive nerve damage, and more, Duke had to relearn how to breathe, swallow, walk, talk, and live again. This inspiring young man shares how his strength and adaptation to his disabilities inspired him to build a platform to assist others who have succumbed to monumental loss. <em>I’m Alive</em> is a heartwarming, wonderful acclaim to a young man who never gave up, and who has become an iconic inspiration to all who know him.</div>

<P>Minnesota sports legend Bud Grant tells the story of his remarkable life as a player and coach in this rich firsthand account. From surviving polio in childhood to a shining college sports career and playing both basketball and football professionally, and from coaching a championship-winning Canadian team to leading the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowls, Grant shares his personal perspective for the first time in this autobiography with entertaining detail and refreshing openness. The book recounts his experiences with star players and gives the inside story on Grant’s controversial retirement in 1983 and his return to the sideline in 1985. Minnesota sports lovers will also enjoy Grant’s reflection on his own idiosyncrasies, including his famous love of cold-weather football and banning of sideline heaters, and his postretirement life spent devoted to environmental protection and being an outdoorsman.

Out of the hundreds of players that have toiled at Metropolitan Stadium and the Metrodome, this collection celebrates only the 50 greatest—the Minnesota Vikings who stood head and shoulders above their peers. Interviews with superstars such as Ron Yary, Paul Krause, Fran Tarkenton, Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, and more are featured along with authentic accounts from their teammates and coaches. The book explores each competitor’s beginnings as well as his greatest moments on the gridiron, concluding with what he has been doing since his playing days ended. Featuring a compilation of action photographs in addition to personal images, this reflection reveals the never-before-told stories of these elite heroes, making it the perfect companion for devoted Vikings fans of all ages.

Taking readers through Fran Tarkenton’s life—from the alleys of Washington, DC, to his college career in Athens, Georgia and on to the National Football League—this autobiography is an exciting and inspiring journey that explains in detail what has driven him to become so extraordinary during and beyond his football playing days. Tarkenton reveals for the first time details about the infamous 1975 playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, specifics about the personal tragedy he experienced after the infamous 1975 game, his love for New York City and what it meant to play for the New York Giants, why to this day it’s still hard for him to return to the Twin Cities, and why he has thrived in business after leaving football. Every Day is Game Day delves into Tarkenton the entrepreneur, the friend, the father as well never-before-told stories about his closest friendships, favorite players, and most influential people to cross his path. This is not just a book about football or a great athlete, but also a book about a genuine and inspiring leader who has touched the hearts and souls of many.