Titles by Fred Mitchell

Written for every sports fan who follows the Bears, this account goes behind the scenes to peek into the private world of the players, coaches, and decision makers—all while eavesdropping on their personal conversations. From the Chicago locker room to the sidelines and inside the huddle, the book includes stories about Dick Butkus, Red Grange, George Halas, Walter Payton, and Gale Sayers, among others, allowing readers to relive the highlights and the celebrations.

One of the most popular Cubs of all time—and now an executive advisor for the team—Williams reminisces about his early years, his Hall of Fame career, and his five decades in the game in this inspirational autobiography. In Billy Williams: My Sweet-Swinging Lifetime with the Cubs, he remembers the sturdy values and selfless devotion of the people from Whistler who helped shape his character; people like Lilly Dixon, his grade school principal, and Virgil Rhodes, his high school coach, both of whom he remembered in his Hall of Fame induction speech, and also his father who lived long enough to see his son play in the big leagues.

Four decades ago, Gale Sayers allowed his remarkable running ability on the football field to speak for him. Today, Sayers has a powerful and poignant message to pass along not only to athletes but to everyone, and it's a message straight from his heart. Sayers, who grew up in modest surroundings in Omaha, Neb., is the son of a car polisher and mechanic. After fielding 75 college scholarship offers, he selected Kansas, where he became an All-American halfback before being selected in the first round of the 1965 draft by the Bears. Later, he became the youngest man ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, at age 34. A knee injury in 1968 cut short his spectacular career, which included an NFL record 6-touchdown effort against the San Francisco 49ers. The story of Sayers' friendship with former Bears teammate Brian Piccolo was immortalized in the 1971 made-for-TV movie "Brian's Song," which starred James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as Sayers. The loss of Brian helped Sayers put his life in proper perspective. He later realized his serious knee injury was just a minor blip on the screen when it comes to life and death matters. Since leaving pro football, his enduring message to young athletes is to respect the game, give back to the community and prepare for the future. Those are words he has lived by his entire life, and they make Sayers: My Life and Times one of the most compelling sports memoirs to come along in recent years.