Running for My Life - by Warrick Dunn & Don Yaeger (Paperback)

About the Book

NFL star running back Warrick Dunn recounts his extraordinary life story, from raising two of his five siblings after their police officer mother is killed while working a second job to his record-breaking college and professional football career.

Book Synopsis

Pro Bowl star running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, Warrick Dunn tells his extraordinary story in Running for My Life, a poignant and inspirational true tale of tragedy, success, depression, denial, and ultimately, hope. One of the most gifted players in the NFL, Dunn talks about his remarkable career and accomplishments while sharing the pain of his lifelong battle with depression, a result of losing his mother--a police officer killed while off-duty--when Dunn was 18 Thought-provoking and uplifting, Running for My Life is the story of an exceptional athlete's secret torment and inspiring courage.

From the Back Cover

Warrick Dunn was only eighteen when his mother, a Baton Rouge police officer, was shot and killed. Yet somehow he managed to enroll at Florida State University and help his team to a national championship during his freshman year--while also caring for his five brothers and sisters. Despite his modest size, Dunn went on to a storied NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, becoming one of only twenty-three running backs in NFL history to exceed the 10,000-yard career rushing mark. Off the field, he created the Warrick Dunn Foundation and its Homes for the Holidays program, helping single parents achieve first-time home ownership. But in his drive to help others, the one person Dunn neglected was himself, as the pain of his mother's loss led to a spiraling depression that went untreated for years.

Running for My Life details Dunn's struggle to confront his past and face the grief that consumed him for far too long. Thought-provoking and uplifting, it is the story of an exceptional athlete's secret torment and inspiring courage.

Review Quotes

"Intensely personal account...There are more than a few interesting revelations that will be of particular interest to Bucs fans...only in reading this stunningly honest account can you begin to understand that Dunn became what he never set out to become: a role model." - St. Petersburg Times
"Inspiring...If his stellar NFL career and charitable efforts don't impress you, his backstory will." - Sports Illustrated
"Dunn tells his remarkable story off the field." - Ebony
"Most athletes don't have an interesting autobiography in them, but Dunn, whose life changed when his mother was killed during his senior season of high school, certainly did." - Chicago Tribune
"I long ago tired of celebrity athletes baring all (thank you, Jose Canseco), but "Running For My Life" is cut from a different cloth. This isn't about scandal. It's a about a remarkable young man coming to grips with the loss of his mother...Dunn's struggle, his perseverance, and his willingness to share his journey are what make "Running For My Life" worth reading." - Tallahassee Democrat