Playing Ball: Life Lessons from My Journey to the Super Bowl and Beyond

Former NFL tight end Davis discusses his early life and his 2015 Super Bowl victory with the Denver Broncos in his scattershot debut memoir. With the assistance of novelist Omar Tyree, Davis sifts through his memories in nonchronological order. As a result, the focus whips from Davis’s difficult Washington, D.C., childhood with six siblings and a cocaine-addicted mother to his much publicized 2008 chastising by 49ers coach Mike Singletary, who sent Davis to the locker room in the middle of a game against the Seahawks as punishment for an angry outburst. That humiliation, Davis says, was central to his eventual success, including two Pro Bowl selections. He doesn’t unpack the episode much, however, before moving on to his schizophrenic brother’s institutionalization, his budding acting career, and other subjects. That lack of focus, combined with a parade of platitudes (“If your soul and spirit are in alignment... you’ll know exactly what to say and what to do when you’re challenged by the unexpected things that happen in life”), end up obscuring the more intriguing aspects of Davis’s life story. This comes up short. Agent: Raoul Davis, Ascendant. (Sept.)