A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER
A riveting chronicle of Michigan's Jim Harbaugh era, and "an unprecedented look at the inner workings" (Sporting News) of a big-time college football program.
For the past year, John U. Bacon has received rare access to Jim Harbaugh's University of Michigan football team: coaches, players, and staffers, in closed-door meetings, locker rooms, meals, and classes. Overtime captures this storied program at the crossroads, as the sport's winningest team battles to reclaim its former glory. But what if the price of success today comes at the cost of your soul Do you pay it, or compete without compromising
In the spirit of HBO's Hardknocks, Overtime delivers a deeply reported human portrait that follows the Wolverine coaches, players, and staffers through the 2018 season, including Harbaugh, offensive stars Shea Patterson and Karan Higdon, NFL-ready defensive standouts Rashan Gary, Devin Bush Jr., and Chase Winovich, second-stringers striving to find their place on the team, and their parents' reactions to it all. Bacon met with them every week during a season that saw the Wolverines ride a ten-game winning streak to #4 in the nation, then take a beating at the hands of arch-rival Ohio State, led by controversial coach Urban Meyer, Harbaugh's foil. Overtime also previews the crucial 2019 campaign ahead.
Above all, this is a human story. In Overtime we not only discover what these public figures are like behind the scenes, we learn what the experience means to them as they go through it – the trials, the triumphs, and the unexpected answers to a central question: Is it worth it
From the “poet laureate of Michigan football” (according to New York Times's Joe Drape), and one of the keenest observers of college football, Overtime offers a window into a legendary program and the sport itself that only John U. Bacon could deliver.
About the Author
John U. Bacon is the author of the national bestseller The Great Halifax Explosion and four bestselling books about college football, including Three and Out, Fourth and Long, Endzone, and Bo's Lasting Lessons, co-authored with legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler. A former feature writer for the Detroit News, his writing has twice been anthologised in The Best American Sports Writing series. He appears often on NPR and national television and has taught at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and the University of Michigan. A graduate of the U of M, He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and son.
Industry Reviews
"One of the best insider-football books ever written.”
Douglas Brinkley
"Buy it. Read it. Appreciate the richness of the reporting, writing, and context."--
Gene Wojciechowski reporter, ESPN's College GameDay
"John Bacon is a riveting story-teller on any subject. This book may be about Michigan, but it captures the human, physical and financial challenges of college football nationally. John explores this story-as with everything he does-with enormous heart and enthusiasm. A fun and important read."
Robin Wright award-winning author of Rock the Casbah
"John U. Bacon is simply unmatched at drilling down and capturing the essence of an athletic culture. Turns out he's also this is the special sauce of Overtime the nation's pre-eminent Harbaughlogist, delivering delightful, telling gems from the life of one of the most intriguing characters in all of sport."
Austin Murphy
"John U. Bacon's Overtime is a brilliant look into the wild and wonderful world of U.S. college football. While Bacon's intense focus is on the Michigan Wolverines, his first-rate storytelling transcends Ann Arbor. This is one of the best insider-football books ever written. Highly recommended!"
Douglas Brinkley Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
"John U. Bacon's writing is essential to anyone who wants to understand how Big Time College Sports works and why it is stuck in our hearts even when it makes us crazy."
Joe Drape New York Times sports reporter
