SPORTS & RECREATION

Blue-Eyed Soul Brother: The Versatile Football Life of Super Bill Bradley

by William C. Kashatus
Univ. of Nebraska. Oct. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9781496240422. $34.95. SPORTS
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Historian Kashatus’s (Jackie and Campy: The Untold Story of Their Rocky Relationship and the Breaking of Baseball’s Color Line) book is a detailed account of the defining football events in former NFL player/coach Bradley’s life. He was an exceptional quarterback in high school and during his first years as a college player at the University of Texas. However, his college coach, Darrell Royal, recognized Bradley’s potential star ability in other areas of the game and cut him as a quarterback. He urged him to play in other areas. Bradley later excelled as a free safety and punter for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. He earned the nickname “blue-eyed soul brother” when people recognized that he did not view race as a divider, even in the 1960s. The author’s writing style is similar to what a sports play-by-play announcer would say, which may attract some readers.
VERDICT Football fans, particularly readers who remember Bradley’s playing days, will enjoy this easy-to-read work. It highlights Bradley’s life, including when he became a strong advocate for safety, education, and protection against chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which plagues many former contact sports athletes.
Reviewed by Steve Dixon , Oct 18, 2024
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