In the follow-up to the shattering bestseller Out of Control: Confessions of an NFL Casualty, former Dallas Cowboys star Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson shares the story of his recovery from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Henderson has been clean and sober for over 20 years and has not had a drink or done any drugs since November 8, 1983. In Control takes readers from Henderson’s 1986 prison release to his current life as a community activist, philanthropist, and distributor of alcohol and drug education films to prison programs and rehabilitation centers. He also discusses how his life has changed since March 22, 2000, when he won a $28 million jackpot in the Texas lottery.
Since 1986, Henderson has been seen or heard by patients and communities as he has traveled throughout the country sharing his experiences and offering strength and hope. Over a million Americans have heard him live or seen him on one or more of his alcohol and drug education films. The inspiring In Control, written with popular longtime Dallas Morning News sportswriter Frank Luksa, focuses on Henderson’s recovery, atonements, charity, his children and grandchildren, and the handling of his new-found wealth.
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson was described by sportswriters as outrageous, witty, and a rare talented athlete during his seven years in the National Football League. Many people consider the former first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys to be one of the best linebackers in the game's history. He was also called the most flamboyant football player of the 1970's, with a combination of talent and flair that once landed him on the cover of Newsweek. During his colorful career he played in three Super Bowls. Despite being one of the stars of "America's Team," he had his brilliant career brought to a stunning halt because of alcohol and drug abuse. Through therapy and 12-step programs, however, he established a new way of living and is now a lecturer, an educational filmmaker, and a promoter of recovery programs throughout the country's colleges, high schools, and criminal justice systems.
Frank Luksa has covered the Cowboys as a beat writer and columnist for three Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan newspapers for more than 40 years. He has received multiple local, regional, and national writing honors, including the Dick McCann Award from the Pro Football Writers of America for long and distinguished reporting of professional football. A Texas Sports Writer of the Year recipient, his credits include co-authoring a national bestseller, Time Enough to Win, with Roger Staubach. Luksa is semi-retired and lives with his wife Henrietta in Plano, Texas.
