Although we here at Razorback Expats fancy ourselves thoroughly modern, 21st century types, we occasionally still like to keep in touch with the more old school arts - namely, books (you know, those bound-together stacks of paper you sometimes see lying around). With that in mind, I'd like to share some thoughts about a book called "Game of My Life: Memorable Stories of Razorback Football" by Rick Schaeffer.
You surely know Schaeffer from his many years as the U of A sports information director, or perhaps recognize his voice from his countless Razorback radio broadcasts. In his book, he uses his years of experience to provide a really interesting look at some of the biggest football games in Hog history, as told by the players themselves. It's broken down into 24 chapters (plus a brief foreward by "J. Frank Broyles"...so formal!), each focusing on a particular player and their experiences before, during and after the game (mostly during).
In addition to providing great details about each game (a lot of which, frankly, I either never knew or had long since forgotten), Schaeffer does a good job of capturing the personality of each athlete...much more than you'd get from the standard generic post-game quotes. Because my formative years as a Razorback fan were in the 80s, I particularly enjoyed the chapters on players like Quinn Grovey, James Rouse, Gary Anderson and Brad Taylor, but the book covers everything from Preston Carpenter's reflections on the 1954 Ole Miss game to DeCori Birmingham's take on the 2002 "Miracle on Markham St". In other words, there's a little something for everyone.
To sum up, Schaeffer's book is a quick and easy read, full of interesting facts and anecdotes that any serious Hog fan (if you're reading this blog that probably means you) would likely enjoy. If you're curious to know more, here's a short excerpt. And if you're really intrigued, you can buy it here.