Go Long!

My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame
by Jerry Rice | Ballantine Books © 2007 · 178 pages

Jerry Rice is the greatest NFL wide receiver of all time. You might also know him from his Dancing with the Stars awesomeness. And, perhaps most importantly, he seems like a really good guy—committed to being a role model and expressing the best version of himself in everything he does. I always knew Jerry had an extraordinary work ethic and I thought it would be fun to hear about his journey in his own words. And, here we are. Big Ideas we explore include: Jerry on fear (you might be surprised how much fear drove his success), the voices in his head (that wisely said, "Never quit!"), growth and grit (Jerry is a poster child for the science of both), how to practice (hint: the way you want to play), what he did after breaking the all-time touchdown record (hint: showed up for training the next day THREE hours before everyone else), and the best you (that's what we're chasing!).


As for me, if I was going to play, it wasn’t good enough just to be average. I had to be great. The only way I knew how to do anything was to outwork, outperform, and outplay everyone else.
Jerry Rice

“This is the story of how I got to where I am today and some of the great lessons I’ve learned along the way. For you football fans, there is plenty of pigskin in the pages that follow—never-before-written details of why I chose a small college; what my time with the San Francisco 49ers was like; my relationships; the Super Bowls; what I think about Joe Montana and Steve Young; my opinions about Deion Sanders and Terrell Owens; why I moved on to the Oakland Raiders, and so much more. But there are also behind-the-scenes stories of Dancing with the Stars—what really went on before the cameras rolled, and why I made the decision to participate. Life is made up of memorable moments—some good, some bad—and I’m not shy about sharing those memories with you: The calloused hands from helping my father lay brick in the hundred-degree heat of Mississippi; the subtle racism all around me growing up; listening as my name got called on NFL Draft Day; watching the birth of my three children and the near-death complications experienced by my beloved wife, Jackie; the too-soon death of my father, and the triumph of Dancing with the Stars.

Go Long! is about going that extra mile, taking a step away from the safe shores to experience all that life has to offer. It took me many years to learn how to suck the marrow out of life and recognize what was driving me on the inside. Maximizing that drive is the key to success for me, and could be for you as well.

I hope that you enjoy reading about my journey as much as I did living it, but more importantly, I hope you are enjoying your own journey.”

~ Jerry Rice from Go Long!

I picked this book up after sharing some wisdom from Jerry Rice in our Note on Chasing Excellence. —> “Today I will do what others won’t so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

I always knew Jerry had an extraordinary work ethic and I thought it would be fun to hear about his journey in his own words. And, here we are. :)

For those who may not know, Jerry is the greatest NFL wide receiver of all time. You might also know him from his Dancing with the Stars awesomeness.

And, perhaps most importantly, he seems like a really good guy—committed to being a role model and expressing the best version of himself in everything he does.

This is a fun, behind-the-scenes look at what makes him tick—starting with his upbringing in a tiny Mississippi town all the way through, as per the sub-title, “Beyond the Game and the Fame.”

If you love sports autobiographies and like hearing about how tenaciously (!) hard the great ones worked to attain their greatness, I think you’ll dig the book. (Get a copy here.)

It’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!

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About the author

Authors

Jerry Rice

Retired NFL wide receiver, Author.