This is the time of year I actually get to do some reading. Not because November, the crossover season between D3football.com and D3hoops.com, is some wonderful bastion of free time, but because every once in a while I have to get on an airplane to get to a playoff game.
This week I’ll be spending 16 hours in a car instead. but that’s beside the point.
There have been just a handful of books in the past decade that really speak to the Division III football experience. One of them came out in the past 12 months, however, and that’s Frank Agin’s Out of the Comfort Zone.
Former Principia and Capital wide receiver Lewis Howes has had some D-III football experiences himself, and he reviews the book for us.
Lewis Howes’ review of Out of the Comfort Zone (by Frank Agin)
If you have ever played, been a fan of or watched D-III football, you should read Frank Agin’s Out of the Comfort Zone — it is an exciting and enjoyable story.
Frank knows D-III football first hand, having played four years at Beloit College (Beloit, Wis.) during the early 1980s. In Out of the Comfort Zone, he crafts his experiences into one inspiring and yet very entertaining season of D-III football. Frank has a vivid writing style — he actually makes you feel the hits, sense the emotion and smell the game.
What I really enjoyed about Frank’s novel, however, is that while it centers on small college football players, Frank devotes a surprisingly little portion of the book to the game of football itself. Out of the Comfort Zone touches on the players’ camaraderie off the field, their romantic interests as well as the relationships they share with coaches. The story explores the rigors of being a true student-athlete in a demanding academic environment. And, the novel reminds us that no matter what we try to achieve, that there will be hard work, challenges and setbacks.
If you played (or play) D-III, Out of the Comfort Zone will bring back a rush of memories. If you haven’t, this novel with give you a first hand view of life as a small college football player. In Out of the Comfort Zone, Frank Agin will make you laugh … he will bring a tear to your eye … and, he will make you long for a chance at one more big time play — the kind that lives in your mind forever.
– Lewis Howes
D3 All-American, NCAA All-Division Record Holder
Pep enjoyed Austin Murphy’s “Sweet Season,” Lois Butterfield’s “Wasn’t That Fun?” and from the sounds of it, will need to acquire a copy of “Out of the Comfort Zone”–probably a good read over the holidays OR a great read for the 48 hours on the AU bus on the Spring Break Habitat Trip to Deland, Florida in March. Thanks for the review…it sounds great!