Presents a novel about high school football in a small Texas town, a place in which football has become a religion.

"Trent Powers relocates his family from Anaheim to Arkansas to take over as head coach of the Denton Pirates, a high school football team powered by a volatile but talented running back named Billy Lowe. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother's abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, and it's not long before he crosses a line. Instead of punishing him, though, Trent...

By America's premier sportswriter, written with full cooperation of Joe Paterno and his family, this account defines the epic life of America's winningest college football coach.