Prison or Passion

Prison or Passion is a collection of vulnerable and eloquent poems from R.K. Russell, who has started and played in the NFL since 2015, for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With bare honesty, walloping punchlines, and endearing flare, Prison or Passion captures the struggles of being a young boy without a father, and the strength that comes from building your own definition of manhood. There is a glimpse into the duality of abandonment and finding one’s self. The book also encompasses grand moments in life: falling in love, healing through transparency, football triumphs, the simple pleasure of waking up next to the one you love. R.K. Russell recaptures the subtle cries of a young boy and the creation into the man that would have protected him, ensuring that his words will become your personal creed—and will call you to protect the young and innocent.

Ryan Russell is a professional football player in the NFL and a born poet. He began writing around the age of seven when he lost his stepfather in a motorcycle accident and realized just how little his biological father was truly in his life. Ryan's mother relocated him from Buffalo, New York to Dallas, Texas were Ryan then fell in love with football. The environment in Buffalo was full of abuse and the family friends that were thought to be helping were actually doing the most damage. In Dallas it was safer for Ryan and his mother to only have each other. Though his love for football was well known and well celebrated he kept embracing, improving, and exploring his first love of writing. Ryan graduated from the prestigious Purdue University and was drafted to the Dallas Cowboys. He saw most of his success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is excited to apply the same handwork and dedication to his writing.