Men in White - by Chris Raymond (Paperback)

About the Book

"A rich, rousing sports story, Men in White is an oral history of the college players who defied the doomsayers and rescued Penn State's football program from the horrors of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. On November 5, 2011, the news that Jerry Sandusky had been charged with 40 counts of child molestation rocked Penn State's leafy campus, unseating the university president, the athletic director, and head coach Joe Paterno-devastating the football program he had erected and scrupulously maintained over half a century. Men in White recounts the saga of the student athletes who elected to stay and rebuild the program in the face of crippling NCAA sanctions, blistering heat from the outraged media, and radio silence from the adults in the school's administration. With the once proud program in free fall and their personal fortunes in peril, these young men refused to back down, toiling for five long seasons to rehabilitate the program and its ideals, culminating in the thrilling defeat of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. Their story echoes that of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a cast of young men who boldly accepted the challenge of a lifetime, achieving success while shouldering the weight of a bruising political drama and ferocious media scrutiny"--

Book Synopsis

An inspiring tale of teamwork and grit, Men in White tells the story of the student athletes who launched one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, rescuing a college football program gutted by scandal with a thrilling championship run.

Men in White chronicles every twist in this epic drama in the words of the young men who chose to stay and rebuild the Penn State football program in the tumultuous days, months, and years that followed the Sandusky scandal. Despite crippling NCAA sanctions, blistering heat from the outraged media, and radio silence from the adults in the school's administration, these big - hearted kids refused to back down.

With the once-mighty program in free fall, they put their personal fortunes on the line, battling together through five will-testing seasons to rehabilitate the program and its ideals, culminating in the momentous come-from-behind victory against Wisconsin in the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game. Their story echoes that of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a cast of young men--colossal underdogs--who boldly accepted the challenge of a lifetime, soaring to victory while shouldering the weight of a bruising political drama.

Review Quotes

"Raymond highlights the poignant stories of individual players...A fine-grained account of how a beloved program reinvented itself, this scores." --Publishers Weekly

"[The athletes'] voices resound in this well-crafted, multivocal homage. Fans of Big Ten football will enjoy this tatters-to-touchdowns tale of gridiron redemption." --Kirkus Reviews

"This is a riveting story that does a terrific job of showing just how Penn State rebounded from such a horrific scandal, by walking the reader through each step of the process in great detail. This is a must-read for every Nittany Lion fan." --Bruce Feldman, college football reporter, FOX Sports and The Athletic

"From the ashes of an unspeakable scandal that incinerated the career of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, there now comes an inspirational story of rebirth. Chronicled in this comprehensive oral history by journalist Chris Raymond, himself an ardent Nittany Lions alum, Men in White details the improbable resurrection of this once-indomitable college football program from the shame that engulfed it in the backwash of the Jerry Sandusky sexual predator calamity. Within these pages is the tale of courageous young men with whom one would be proud to share a foxhole." --Mark Kram, Jr., bestselling author of Smokin' Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier

"It's a story bigger than football. We hear that cliché a lot, but it's true. Those kids taught me about overcoming adversity. When things are tough, you find out a lot about the character of a man. And those five seasons tell you everything you need to know about Penn State football." --Charlie Fisher, Quarterbacks Coach, Penn State 2012-2013

"So much of 21st Century America is defined by self-inflicted crises at the top, leaving those below to clean up the mess. In visceral and poignant prose, Chris Raymond shows how a group of young men tried to rebuild honor in a tarnished institution. Penn State should name the library after these players and coaches." --Seth Wickersham, ESPN Senior Writer and author of the instant New York Times bestseller It's Better to Be Feared

About the Author

CHRIS RAYMOND has covered sports, politics, and pop culture for thirty years. In addition to various longtime roles at ESPN, he has written and edited on the staff at Details, Esquire, and GQ. He lives with his wife and two sons in Westchester County, New York.