Romo: My Jekyll and Hyde Life

This is the oddest football autobiography ever published because the book is 30% football and 70% apothecary. Romanowski, a former all-pro NFL linebacker and a member of four Super Bowl winners, was known in his day for his reckless abandon on the field—and his dirty hits. In the beginning, he describes"a reawakening of my conscience," but then, with demented relish, goes on to talk about his dirty hits on opponents and teammates alike, and his singular determination to get his body in shape so he could play in the NFL. He goes on about the powers of good nutrition, but soon starts naming the drugs and steroids that put him on the field: THG, DMSO cream, prescription strength Motrin, Supac, Naprosyn, ephedrine (which, along with heat stroke, reported helped kill NFL player Korey Stringer in 2001, but has a fan in Romanowski: "Ephedrin has its benefits.... It worked for me") and Phentermine, an appetite suppressant with amphetamine-like effects for which Romanowski would stand trial for illegally obtaining—and be acquitted. What is almost as shocking are the innumerable concussions that Romanowski received during his career and how he suffered significant memory loss—but kept on playing. It seemed inevitable that Romanowski would get caught up in the BALCO steroid trial of Victor Conte Jr., who copped a plea this past summer to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and money laundering. Romanowski testified, with immunity, before Conte's grand jury. Romanowski has a way with words ("My rage was the orgasm of my fear"; "I got his testicles in my hand and twisted them with all my anger"), which 60 Minutes plans to feature in an interview in October. This book is sure to make noise this fall and probably head straight for the bestseller lists. (Oct.)