Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback

The modern classic that set the bar for sports writing.

 

Author, journalist, editor, actor, and modern-day Renaissance man, George Plimpton (1927–2003) was perhaps best known for Paper Lion. Originally published in 1966 and today considered a classic, the book set the bar for participatory sports journalism, if not literature in general. With his characteristic insight and wit, the Harvard-educated Plimpton recounts his experiences in successfully talking his way into training camp—not as a reporter but as a player—with the Detroit Lions, practicing with the team, and actually taking snaps behind center in a preseason game. His breezy style wonderfully captures the pressures and tensions rookies confront in trying to make it, the hijinks that pervade the atmosphere when sixty high-strung guys are forced to live together in close quarters, and the host of football rites and rituals.

 

One of the funniest and most insightful books ever written on the game, Paper Lion was met with both critical and commercial success, and inspired a movie starring Alan Alda.  First published by The Lyons Press in 2003 with photos not seen in any previous edition—photos also included in this 45th anniversary edition—this book provides a classic look at the gridiron game through the lens of a true literary giant.