Third and a Mile is a great book. I recommend this book to ANY sports fan!

I don't know how often I'm going to be typing that line "and a bit pricey," but a pre-discount price of $25 for a large-type book coming in at just over 200 pages is a bit pricey.

That said, Rhoden writes a generally good book about the history of black quarterbacks, in the NCAA and NFL both.

What's missing, though, is more of the post-retirement retrospectives on how black quarterbacks could, or couldn't, let go of the pressure, the taunts, etc. Also missing is assessment of the black quarterbacks of the last few years and their opinions on where the league is at, even if they needed to speak anonymously.

Black athletes have been denied the position of quarterback long after other positions in football, as well as other major sports had opened up to them. And all the excuses, such as "The owners don't want a black quarterback", "The coaches don't want a black quarterback", "The players don't want a black quarterback", "The fans don't want a black quarterback". It all boiled down to one thing: racism.

_Third and A Mile_ is a history of the black quarterback. We hear about prospective quarterbacks being shunted into other positions, of excellent quarterbacks in college not being allowed to have the position in the NFL, and of black players going to Canada in order to play quarterback. Things have improved only in the last 10 years or so....

The format is a little different than I expected; instead of a straight biography of each player, each chapter consists of various contributors (current and former players/coaches/sportscasters/etc) making statements about a particular subject; one gets the feeling that you're watching an ESPN sports talk show, but in book form.

I'm hardly a football connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, however THIRD AND A MILE is written in such a manner that captivates the reader from start to finish. As a passerby of sports, just having heard the great names such as Warren Moon and Doug Williams, my interest was initially peaked to see what this book was about. Challenged by an avid sports fan to try it because I might like it, I opened the book with a bit of hesitation. Lo and behold, not only did I like THIRD AND A MILE, I can actually say I enjoyed it. This book is written in an easy, conversant manner that flows. Various sports personalities, both African-American and Caucasian and everyone in between from back in the day to the present moment, were interviewed regarding their personal perspective on the challenges faced by Black Quarterbacks in the NFL.

This book initiated by a group of football greats known as the `Field Generals'. These legendary men are Marlin Briscoe, Doug Williams, James Harris and Warren Moon. Not only does the book highlight the struggles of the Field General's rise to prestigious ranks, it also reaches through the annals of time back to when Frederick "Fritz" Pollard led the Akron Pros to a national championship in 1921. Later, he was the league's first African-American coach.

THIRD AND A MILE is an enjoyable, enlightening read because it is a historical piece that is knowledge-filled and chronicles important moments in history, and not just African-American history. Just because Doug Williams was named Super Bowl XXII's MVP in 1988, his extraordinary accomplishments on the field combined with his overall sense of poise regardless of his situation, led him to be admired and recognized as premier athlete of his time. Let's not forget as recently as 2006, when Warren Moon was the first African-American quarterback inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. THIRD AND A MILE is loaded with information that these comments only capture a few of the highlights the book provides. Overall, the book is a reminder of the seemingly insurmountable odds these men had to endure by mere consequence of their skin color. Regardless if you're a sports fan, a history buff or just looking for a good read, this book offers a historical perspective that is interesting and well-written.

Reviewed by Nedine
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A nice compilation of stories & comments illustrating the challenges of becoming a black QB in the NFL over the last several decades.

The Civil War may have earned blacks their "freedom" in the US, but it didn't seem to earn them any respect. 100 years later (5 generations!!!) they were still viewed as 2nd class citizens by many. As black athletes have been able to prove their worth on the athletic field, they demonstrate that they "have what it takes" to succeed elsewhere in life. Sports have helped blacks gain the respect they deserve, however slowly.

I grew up during the period covered by this book. Typically, I found myself cheering for black QBs who were obviously the superior players, but often weren't getting the chance to prove it. But coaches want to keep their jobs, which means they have to WIN. This leads ultimately to more playing time for talented black QBs. Call it evolution if you will.