Book Review: You Ought To Do A Story About Me (OT) (life after the NFL)

You Ought To Do A Story About Me: Addiction, An Unlikely Friendship, and the Endless Quest for Redemption, by Ted Jackson (HarperCollins, $27.99, 329 pages, 2020)

1990

How many times has a journalist or reporter heard this: "You ought to do a story about me"?

Suppose you, the journalist or reporter, met a homeless man on the street, engaged him in conversation and learned he had played in the NFL and  more than one Superbowls. Would you believe him? Would it make front page news?

This actually happened to author and photo-journalist Ted Jackson in Louisiana. The player was Jackie Wallace of the Arizona State University Wildcats (where he majored in Math), the Minnesota Vikings, the Baltimore Colts, and the LA Rams. And yes, he has a Superbowl ring.

What happens to professional athletes when they can no longer play at the top of their game? Are they ready to be 'just normal?"

The wise athlete has set aside funds or invested in the market, or finished a degree or two, and not spent all his new-found salary. Others who make it big suddenly, go overboard. The average professional football career lasts 3-7 years and young men start that career (and adulation) right out of college with no life experience, little budgeting knowledge.

Jackie Wallace was one such young footballer. Read how he fell into a depression, became addicted and ended up in prison three times. It could happen to anyone. But then, keep reading about his roller-coaster ride of love, loyalty, and coming out on top.

A 30-Year Friendship Between a Fallen Athlete and  Photo-Journalist

What also happened to Jackie were a lot of head concussions - before the world knew about CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) or TBI (traumatic brain injury) resulting in early dementia and perhaps contributing to Wallace's ups and downs, addiction recoveries and fallbacks, too numerous for this reader to keep track of.

2020

But author Jackson published his book in 2020. What happened to Jackie Wallace between the front-page newspaper story in 1990 of his success and failure, and the next couple of decades? Did he die young or did old friends find him after the article and set up an environment for Wallace to succeed in life once more?

Writing Style

This is a book about a black man from New Orleans and his life during the Civil Rights Era (and beyond) written by a white man from small town Mississippi about the same age but with very different experiences, reviewed by a white woman from the north who grew up about the same time. Very different lives. Both men were deeply religious as well.

Jackson's life is mirrored next to Wallace's with photos embedded (but no captions) and cryptic chapter titles. Mostly a fast read, once momentum is achieved but, nevertheless, a long book. Putting it aside halfway through will still be a fascinating experience but finishing the book will profoundly affect the reader.

"A benevolent friend and a thief. An addict, an abuser, and a pilgrim. A selfish philanthropist. A humble narcissist bent on self-destruction." (page 181) A complicated man (as we all are) and his life choices.

Jackie Wallace was not "an athlete dying young.*" 

Or was he?

Caveat: This book was sent to me for review. It is available in the Howard County, MD, public library.

*To an Athlete Dying Young, by A H Houseman

The National Press Club interview