Tim Layden

Tim Layden is a Writer-at-Large at NBC Sports, where he writes longform print stories and columns and narrates televised essays and features. He was a senior writer at *Sports Illustrated* from 1994-2019, where he wrote extensively about college football and basketball, the NFL and horse racing, and also has covered the last 14 consecutive Olympics. His 2011 story “The Forgotten Hero” was chosen by *Sports Illustrated* for its 60th anniversary issue as one of the 60 greatest stories to ever run in the magazine.
His work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Association, and has four times been featured in the anthology, *Best American Sports Writing*. is the author of *Blood, Sweat and Chalk: The Ultimate Football Playbook* (Sports Illustrated Books, 2010), which Peter King called “one of the most important sports books of our generation”.

Tim Layden explores the minds and ambitions of the game's formative thinkers. Serious students of football must have this on their bookshelves!

- Steve Sabol, President, NFL Films

Blood, Sweat and Chalk is a must-read for all football aficionados. I, of course, especially enjoyed reading about the great Don Coryell, a true innovator in the game we all love. His ideas changed football-and this book shows you how.

- Dan Fouts, Hall of Fame Quarterback, San Diego Chargers

Tim has created a playbook that's instructional, a history book that's fascinating and a football bible that's a must-read for anybody who loves the game. All in one.

- Dan Patrick, Host, NBC's Football Night in America

Tim Layden does a great job telling the story of the people and the ideas that had a major impact on the game of football as we know it.

- Mack Brown, Head Football Coach, University of Texas

This is one of the most important sports books of our generation-and a lot of fun too. The formations and philosophies that win Super Bowls and national titles are made crystal clear. If you live for fall weekends, this is your book.

- Peter King, Author, Monday Morning Quarterback